Christmas is ruined - school holidays

[WhenSheWasBadSheWasHorrid]

Just been checking the school holiday calendar for next year. Christmas is awful.

Break up on 23rd Dec, not back in school till 9th Jan. I'm screwed, first week of Jan is always busy at work.

What idiot thought this was a good idea?

by the way sorry for starting a Christmas thread in January

I expect many would be happy with break-up 23rd, go back 2nd Jan. Not having children of school age not an issue for me, in fact I even go into work on the 28th-31st.

Have to agree that to stretch it to the 9th (beyond Epiphany) is a bit much. Local councils do like a reasonably long Christmas break though, to reduce heating bills.

This thread has prompted me to check, break up on the 20th Dec, back on 4th Jan.

I'm honestly surprised so many of you would love to have the kids off the first week of Jan.

I guess it's a work thing. There is not a snowballs chance in hell of me getting the first week of Jan off. Dh is also extremely likely to be needed to work -
What the hell do we do with the kids for a bloody week?

PinkPopPonyTrotsOn when your kids don't want to eat their dinner do you tell tell them there are "starving children" who would be very happy to eat their burnt toast/ overboiled sprouts or whatever?

When somebody is moaning about a toddler in a long non sleeping, tantruming phase or a difficult teen or PND do you tell them to fuck off with their whining because there are infertile people who'd be very happy to be dealing with their problems?

Its not a competition... you'd be better avoiding MN, and real world small talk, and people generally, if you can't cope with people having a small moan about minor things that bother them but don't qualify as important in your opinion.

Doctors get 5 or 6 weeks annual leave, as good as or better than most people. Of course some get rotaed on over Christmas - as in hundreds and hundreds of other non health care job types... but they are no more likely than people in hundreds of other jobs not to even get 2 days off over the entire school holiday...

Oh I like that, plenty of time after new year to relax and let DC actually play with their presents.

Whenshewasbad maybe they'd like to go on holiday to stay with grandparents... if you have grandparents capable of that... How old are the kids? Any friends with nice reliable student kids who might want to do a week of babysitting for appropriate financial reward?

17th to 2nd here

16th - 3rd here.

schwabi thanks for what you said to pinkpop.
This isn't a massive problem but it's a bit of a pain in the arse to sort out.

My parents are local and amazing I don't want to rely solely on them, although they would do anything for the grand kids.
They are in good health and I want them to stay that way so I don't want them looking after 2 kids for 5 days straight.

I think I might be able to look after some friends kids over summer (when work is quiet). Then I can ask for a few favours in January.

The 3 year old can go in a nursery (I'm praying they can do the extra days). And friends can hopefully take dd if I've taken theirs over summer.
still not happy about it, but at least I'm prepared

at pink

Very of dontcare and soporifics holidays.

seems very late

most seem to break up 20th/fri before xmas and go back 3/4/5 monday after xmas

21st to 3rd here... Which is rubbish. I love the build up, and I wish the Christmas holidays were a week longer anyway.

Having a bad day Pinkpop?!

16th-5th here.

PinkPop, people do not need to filter their discussions through your sensibilities before posting.

Break-up on 16th and not back until the 5th here! I think nearly 3 weeks is a little bit excessive pretty sure the school aged children of Cumbria would disagree with me.

Nope they don't but really Christmas is ruined < get a grip>

Oh and for the record Pink, the op is describing precisely the problem you're using as a defence; not being able to take time off work around Christmas. It's irrelevant that it doesn't fit into your Acceptable Problems category.

Jesus Pinkpop who took a shit in your branflakes this morning?

No Mary- I just think the OP is being ridiculous.
Christmas being ruined is your DM or DF dying not the holidays not suiting you . Some people go through terrible times .
The holidays not being convenient to you is not one of them.

Just checked ours break up on the 21st and go back on the 4th.

Ours break up 16th December and go back 5th January