To think the schools break up far too late?

[justnotaballetmum]

They do, don't they?

It is nearly the end of July. The best weather (ha, I know, but stay with me!) has gone. It's practically August by the time they are released and distinctly autumnal.

Wouldn't it be better to break up start of July and give them a couple of extra weeks?

We always seem to get the hottest weather in July, then the kids break up and August comes and the skies go grey.

In theory, nice weather is a great time for trips to the park and the lake and the beach. It doesn't have to be expensive. I think it does kids good just to chill out a bit anyway. I'm convinced my son learns as much out of school as in it.

What do you do in September, property?

It's not that I don't want to pay more. Happy to pay for it. I'm just pointing out that many children spend most of the school holidays in clubs and are therefore just as exhausted come September.

What do you mean, justnot? They're back in school come September.

Where i am they have already been broke up a few weeks, think they get 9 in total

My GC are still at school, school starts again for teachers on 1st sept but kids not back till the following Monday, think its the 5th.

I think parents and/or teachers should be able to vote when the holidays happen in every school then companies will have fairer prices because everyone wont be trying to get away at the same time

My children's current school has spent weeks and weeks winding down - way to long and way longer than their old school.

It's left the massively out of sorts unwilling to do the support stuff the usually do at home while same time they aren't really doing much in school. Most of the stuff they are doing watch DVD, tidying rooms painting and gluing could all be done here instead of them getting over hot and bothered.

I could also do without them winding up the eldest going to secondary school - yes it's a change - one she was fairly relaxed about - and she moved schools and entire areas not that long ago which was a bigger upset.

Yes, I know :) I meant that if they are in childcare 8-6 in summer holidays they must be in childcare for some time after school in September so isn't that just as tiring?

Childcare shouldn't really be tiring though?

Hear hear Euphemia its a little piece of heaven going away june early july

And if we're saying that childcare shouldn't be considered then we're effectively saying that it's better if one parent SAH otherwise it's a nightmare.

Yes, they're in wraparound care. I probably mean that lots of classmates will return in September nice and refreshed after a lazy summer whereas unfortunately my children don't.

No! School holidays are a nightmare for working parents.

Nothing wrong with wraparound care at all, Property, but whilst I do think provision needs to be made for working parents, I don't think it's a reason for 24/7 schools! childcare is fun, easygoing, activities - school is, well, learning. Supposedly!

no thanks, the idea of longer holidays is awful.
if only we could have a shorter summer one and 2 weeks half terms

I do feel having children in school and expected to be learning at this stage in the year is crazy.

Yeah but the end of the year would still be the end of the year regardless of when, in the calendar, it actually takes place

The fact that kids don't do much at school during the last week or two is only because the teachers are winding down. There's no reason to stop learning and teaching just because the holidays are nearing.

Nobody wants 24/7 schools, but it is a nightmare for families with working parents to cover long school holidays, especially if your children are too old for conventional childcare, but not really old enough to be left home alone for 10 hours at a time. I know of far too many families who have to use up all their annual leave to cover school holidays and inset days and only get to spend a week together as a whole family.

Also, if you're paying for the privilege of holiday clubs, you expect them to be busy doing things all day. I would begrudge paying if DD had her nose in a book all day or was watching endless DVDs (unless she was happy to do so).

Agree totally with Euphemia . Love tge fact that we can get centre parc so much cheeper when english children are still at school.

Dc's broke up at the end of 26thish og june and back the 30th of aug.

Once they hit secondary they will finish nere the start of may. That is too long

They're in good quality wraparound care certainly. It's just that they never get that 'stay up late and laze in bed until 9' thing or the spontaneous day trips and relaxing days eating ice cream sort of thing. They're still dragged out of bed at 6.45am and I know they hate it and I know the little ones in particular are utterly exhausted and they would certainly all benefit massively from some days of doing nothing. I'm not advocating the abolition of school holidays but the sheer amount of school holidays in no way tallies with standard annual leave making it extremely difficult to manage if you don't know any sahms or have any family.

I couldn't agree more, kids should have at least 2 months off in the summer, the current break is far too short. Let them be kids from time to time, life is not just about school.

July is a terrible time to send them to school. Every year we have very hot days. It would be lovely to spend more time together in the evening, but instead you have to put them to bed in boiling hot bedrooms because they need to get up early in the morning. It's ridiculous.

We have only 5 weeks and have the two weeks at half term. Brighton and Hove are apparently doing this too touting it as giving parents more of a shot at cheap flights and holidays. But I checked on Ryan air and the prices go up for the entire two weeks anyway so the companies have cottoned on anyway. DS will break up only on Tuesday and back on 2 September. 2 weeks of it will be King's Camps the other 3 will be with me, I'm lucky that I'm self employed although it's a struggle and I tend to try and work more in the evenings and at night so I have more time in the day. When I was doing work for a company it was a nightmare for childcare, especially as that was his reception year and being an August baby meant that most of the summer camps wouldn't take him as he wasnt 5 until the middle of August, his whole reception year was a nightmare for holiday cover.

DH comes from a country where the children are off from mid-June, most of them seem to attend a lot of summer camps. He says that local authorities organise many of them.

DS is already a bit tetchy and the hot weather isn't helping, fortunately he's on his trip today so gets to enjoy the sun today.

As ever the private schools have it right. Mine (London) broke up on 10th and we are now in week 2 of our summer holiday abroad.....