Marit Kannelmäe-Geerts: School breaks must be genuine rest

Education specialist Marit Kannelmäe-Geerts writes that children's mental health does not improve by simply rescheduling school holidays in the calendar. A break must also mean a genuine reduction in workload and a slower pace. The winter break is as important as other school holidays.

School holidays are meant for recovery – both physical and mental. Yet reality often differs from what a break should mean: children still sit over their textbooks, teachers expect essays, and parents enrol their children in yet another developmental activity. Marit Kannelmäe-Geerts, who works in education, draws attention to the fact that this approach does not actually help children recover.

According to Kannelmäe-Geerts, from the perspective of a child's mental health, it is not enough to shift holiday dates to a more convenient place on the calendar while keeping all the same expectations, pace, and workload. A break must mean a genuine pause – time when a child does not have to achieve or prove anything.

Why winter rest matters

Winter holidays fall during a season when there is little daylight and the body needs more rest. During this period, children's tiredness has often accumulated since autumn, and a weekend alone cannot compensate for it. A proper break gives both children and teachers the opportunity to replenish their energy reserves.

Various studies have shown that chronic fatigue affects children's learning ability and emotional balance over the long term. If breaks do not allow for genuine recovery, fatigue carries over into the next school term and stress accumulates further.

Expectations must take a pause

Kannelmäe-Geerts emphasises that responsibility also lies with adults – both parents and teachers. If a child is expected to study or participate in extracurricular activities during the holidays with the same intensity as on school days, genuine rest will not happen. A healthy child who has had the opportunity to recover arrives at school with a readiness that continuous pressure cannot create.