This August, take some time to be a kid again

August, for many, is a bittersweet time of year. It brings with it sweltering days that gradually taper off into September, and the usual list of back-to-school preparations. As August descends upon us, so too does the end of summer and the beginning of cooler, often busier days.

For many college students, August marks the beginning of a new semester. For New York City’s younger students and the professionals who teach them, it is the last stretch of that hard-earned break. While summer break is a time students and educators alike may look forward to, it can also be a time fraught with certain pressures for young people and their families. For college and high school students, summer may be filled with test preparations, applications, competitive internships or intense sports. For younger learners, parents may spend summers searching for ways to keep their kids engaged and active while school is out of session.

Yet, as everyday lives become increasingly hectic, and the pressure to fill any downtime with productive activities becomes a persistent force in our society, August presents a time for us to pause. Internships and camps are winding down, and many local families find themselves in a momentary lull between the height of summer break and the start of a new school year. This brief stretch of time can be more important than we often give it credit for. It is a moment in which, regardless of one’s age, we can soak up the last rays of summer sun and allow ourselves some time to experience the world with childlike wonder again.

Allowing yourself to be a kid for just a moment this month can look different for everyone. College and high school students might take a step away from the pressures of working toward their next step, whatever it may be. They can take a break from thinking about their futures and allow themselves to be curious about the present. Rediscover an old hobby they haven’t picked up since their younger years. Spend time outdoors with no objective other than to take it all in and get their hands dirty. For young students, it may mean spending unstructured time with family or friends. For educators, parents of students or any other adult who just needs a break before the next season begins, it may mean time spent in good company or completely alone, doing something that simply makes them happy in the moment in an uncomplicated way. It may simply mean taking a mid-day nap, the way they did when they were young learners themselves.

As our community prepares to embark on the fall season, and the various realities it brings to us all, we each deserve a moment to strip away the stresses and judgements that live inside us.

We often hear the advice to “let kids be kids,” especially during summer breaks when there can be immense pressure to ensure young people remain sharp and competitive. But there is value in allowing some space for the child in all of us, no matter how long ago we graduated from school. It is important for all of us, across generations, to find simple moments of joy and to step away from the demands of our lives — demands for our productivity, or for everything we fill our time with to have some larger meaning or tangible “value.” It is invaluable for us all to take the time not just to produce, but to create. Not just to recharge, but to truly rest. Not just to accomplish, but to attempt something new.