This summer, let kids take charge of the holiday

livemint.com:

Schooling children to be mindful content creators As the biking trip ended and the dune safari started, initially, I worried through every jump and turn that the vehicle took: “Is my daughter okay?", “Is she going to throw up?", “Is she dizzy?" But I was worrying needlessly—she thoroughly enjoyed the experience. That trip was the first of many when my daughter took charge of planning activities for a holiday.

Since then, we have competed to race up a mountain covered in inches of snow, sledged down a hill, tried picnics by the river, visited immersive art experiences, found unique culinary experiences that combine music and food, and more. There is also a list ready for future holidays: visit the D23 Expo in the US, which is the ultimate exposition for Disney fans, try dumpling folding and pasta rolling, learn Ikebana, and go for a coffee tour through the Baba Budangiri hills in the Western Ghats.

All these years of having her take charge of trips have taught me a couple of things, the most important being that kids are not fragile. It is the parents who, loaded with concerns and anxieties, project their own fragility on them.

We are constantly asking ourselves: Is this good for them? Will they be able to handle it? What if this activity is just money wasted and no one enjoys the holiday? Children, on the other hand, are extremely resilient, and when they take charge of a situation, they start to feel empowered from a younger age. Even if the activity turns out to be a damp squib, they learn to plan better next time, paying better attention to details.