To hate the fact that the last day of term this Christmas is the 21st December?

[badtasteflump]

I think it's shit.

I take the whole of the Christmas holidays off work to be with the DC. We usually get a few days (or a week some years) before Christmas when they're all excited and we can go out Christmas shopping and have some days at home baking and making decorations and stuff.

This year there's the weekend and then it's straight into Christmas Eve. Then two weeks more of holidays after the excitement and best bit is over. That's crap

Schools here normally break the 23rd so we're getting a much longer stretch before Christmas than usual.

I'm looking forward to it as dp is taken using most of their holidays off so it'll ne nice to have a few family days in the run up to christmas

at AF!

I do give thanks for spending the holiday with my lovely family.

I was referring to your suggestion of changing the calendar.

Silly me assumed AIBU was for having a childish whinge about minor shit. You've made me more grumpy now

It is crap this year. Last year they finished on the 16th so we had a week off before christmas and a week off after christmas which just seems to make more sense!

Mind you I also think that easter hols should be the week of Good Friday and the week of Easter Monday, not the 2 weeks following.

And yes, I know why these things happen but I'm just a symmetrical kind of person.

I prefer it.

Less time for them to getting over-excited and, as BRAN says, bored before the actual event.

More time after Christmas to relax, and not rushing back to work straght after New Year

well Christmas is the 25th so you still have 3 days to 'build up to it'

personally, working 3 days a week, I need those childfree days to do the food shop etc!

Last year because ds was in fs1, they finished a day before the rest of the school on the 19th. This year we will only have a few days before xmas so I will try to get everything organised before but I do wish we had another few days.

I love it! I finish on the 14th, so will have a week clear to get ahead, and there will be less time than usual of the 'oh I can't wait' 'how many days is it now' which starts of sweet but usually ends up with grouchiness!

I'm taking DD out of school from the Wednesday - they don't do anything the last few days except watch DVDs.

aww, don't be a grumpy flumpy

I wish ours was the 21st. Ours finish on the 19th and to top that I had a letter saying the school was closing after lunch so will need to pick up at 1pm. PITA I suspect just so the teachers can go and have a piss up!

It is crap. This is the first year in ages I haven't been really ill or very pregnant so would have loved some Christmassy outings with the dds. Not the same after Christmas.

splinter

Really - are you going on holiday?

IME. the last few days of term are great fun for children. It isn't just watching DVDs (although that does happen), it's making crafts, relaxing with friends, having school Xmas lunch, as well as catching up on topic work.

Your choice, of course, but IME the run up to Xmas is a really nice time for the children and teacher to relax with each other

I think it is great....I stop work the same time as them, and we'll chaotically muddle through.

However, we are going away for a week from 27th, so will avoid a bit of the January blues. I might feel a bit different if I had to stay here with them....but then there are lots of things I could do...museums, swimming, bike riding.

I disagree, OP, sorry.

Last year DC were off for a week before Christmas and it wasn't great, they were so excited but still had (to them) ages to wait - tension was running high in this household I can tell you! And then it felt as if we were all back at school/work so soon afterwards, everyone went back knackered, really.

This year feels much better - it'll no doubt be a rush to get everything ready, but we'll do it because we'll have to, plus we know that then we've got more time after the new year to just relax - this is when I anticipate we'll all actually get more of 'family time'.

We've finished late for the past few years. I actually prefer finishing later and not returning til January here. It means I don't have hyper children on the lead up to Christmas and then we can rest afterwards and the kids enjoy their new gadgets.

Trust me, Jamie, no fun is to be had at DD's school in the last few days of term. The kids get to watch the same old DVDs or colour in something teacher has printed out whilst teacher takes down displays, etc. Oh and they go to church.

DD will have more fun having a lie-in, crafting, baking and shopping with me! And we'll choose better DVDs.

ours always finish around that time for christmas OP when did they finish last year , TBH i couldnt be bothered with kids home any earlier cos im usually running around like a blue arse fly finishing christmas shopping

I prefer it too. Less time for them to be overexcited and gives me time to do last minute running about without bellowing at them like a grinch.

I think it's great. I don't have to pay for childcare before xmas. We're taking the following week off and my boss is away the week after that, so I can just keep things ticking over (no actual work). So usually I have to pay £200+ in childcare and this year none.

You still get the Saturday, Sunday and Monday for the build up. And my dh or I can do the last minute shopping alone at a reasonable time of day.

YABU. It's great. Last year's break-up of 16th December (for us) was far too early.

without bellowing at them like a grinch

surely not

But you still have 22nd, 23rd and 24th to do things before Christmas with them, even if they are weekend days.

If Christmas fell on a Wed, Thurs or Friday here, the kids wouldn't be out until half day 23rd (although this year, they get a half day 20th, but DD will be going to creche on 21st as au pair goes home 20th, and DH and I both have to work to get the rest of the hols off).

I prefer the DC not breaking up until right before Christmas.
It always feels more Christmassy when it happens.
The previous two years they have broken up a week before Christmas and it was awful.
It didn't feel like christmas at all as the events and parties had already happened.

I think it's good! They will be under my feet less while I get things done, and there will be less days of them being over-excited and hyper in the run up to the day. Then the best part of 2 weeks to enjoy their new things, visit family, go to the panto etc.

I prefer it too. Too long before the big day and the kids are impatient for it to arrive. A weekend before the in laws arrive is about right and then I will hit the wine