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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think the summer holidays should only be four weeks long.

251 replies

MyBrexitUnicornDied · 02/09/2018 20:22

I’ll probably get flamed for this but I really think 6 weeks is too long for kids to be off school.

The kids (and teachers) still need to keep the same number of weeks off as holiday but summer really drags. My kids end up bored and miss their friends. I think there’s an issue with some kids losing skills over such a long break too.

It makes more sense to me to have

2 weeks half term in October
2 weeks Christmas
1 week half term February
2 weeks for Easter
2 weeks half term May / June
4 weeks summer break.

Anyone else of a similar opinion? Or am I going to get flamed?

OP posts:
longtompot · 02/09/2018 20:43

Mine are no longer at school, now in uni so different hols etc but when they were at school I always thought the summer one should be 4 weeks and the extra two weeks should be addd to Christmas and Easter to make them three weeks each. Half terms are fine as they are.

Starlight345 · 02/09/2018 20:43

It took my Ds (sn’s) to cope with the change of routine . I don’t want him to go back

treaclesoda · 02/09/2018 20:44

spaniel that's just normal to me, something that all families have when their children are at different schools.

xJessica · 02/09/2018 20:46

Miss snooty- seriously?? 2-3 weeks??! They're little kids, they were all exhausted and needing the break. They need a proper break in the summer.

barbiegrl · 02/09/2018 20:47

Oh god I can totally relate! We are on week 11, kids are back to school on the 10th sept-please send alcohol!!! (Ps we don't get half terms here, just two weeks of at Christmas and easter,random public holidays and 3 months off over the summer

spanieleyes · 02/09/2018 20:48

In my experience, holidays in the local area are roughly the same- give or take a couple of days either side.

Original poster
MyBrexitUnicornDied · 02/09/2018 20:50

Bung it all on summer and have 8-10 weeks off

Dear God no Shock

I'd rather have an extra week with them at Christmas

Actually an extra week at Christmas is a fabulous idea.

teachers need to switch off and 2-3 weeks isn’t enough

Teachers do a stupidly tough job and definitely need their holidays. Personally (disclaimer not a teacher) I think 4 weeks is long enough, plus you would get the bonus of longer breaks throughout the year.

OP posts:
Original poster
MyBrexitUnicornDied · 02/09/2018 20:52

We’ve had an amazing 8 weeks off here

It good that it works for you but both I and dh work full time. We would be screwed if we had to manage an 8 week holiday. I only get 5 week off the whole year. Sad

OP posts:
Strokethefurrywall · 02/09/2018 20:53

9 weeks of summer here, I love it.
Traffic quiet, kids in Y camp, I took 10 days off with them right at the end and we all hung out but kids need to be bored.

They need to be excited to go back to school, and be ready to engage their brains again.

bingandflop · 02/09/2018 20:55

Agree with you 100% OP, have been thinking the same

needyourlovingtouch · 02/09/2018 20:57

But imagine being at school in August, in some of the hot weather we have had. It would be unbearable

crispysausagerolls · 02/09/2018 20:59

It’s so easy to say this when you are an adult and have had your childhood already with your 6-10 weeks off (country/school depending). My school summer holidays were very long and very appreciated!

explodingid · 02/09/2018 20:59

No 6 weeks is the right amount of time.

BarbaraofSevillle · 02/09/2018 20:59

Summer holidays would become insanely expensive though as the demand would be squashed into 4 rather than 6 weeks

But you'd also have 2 weeks to go away in May and October and the weather can be quite decent in the UK at those times, certainly no worse than August, and if you go abroad, plenty of southern Europe will actually be nicer at those times - reliably hot and sunny without being July/August stupidly hot.

BarbaraofSevillle · 02/09/2018 21:01

But imagine being at school in August, in some of the hot weather we have had. It would be unbearable

If you are in the UK the hot weather we've had was in May/June/July. August was much cooler and rainy, and the warmest day I remember from the last few weeks was this weekend, ie September.

chillpizza · 02/09/2018 21:01

Nope otherwise we wouldn’t of had two holidays Grin my children love the break as do I and they just like me are dreading going back next week. They need more holidays, to learn about the outside world and be children and be bored and learn who they are.

RossPoldarksFloozie · 02/09/2018 21:03

It good that it works for you but both I and dh work full time. We would be screwed if we had to manage an 8 week holiday. I only get 5 week off the whole year.

Is your post aimed at your childcare needs?

tinytemper66 · 02/09/2018 21:04

I have had the 6 weeks off and it rushed by.

RossPoldarksFloozie · 02/09/2018 21:05

But imagine being at school in August, in some of the hot weather we have had. It would be unbearable

It depends where you live, my school went back in August me it's not been warm at all.

ThursdayLastWeek · 02/09/2018 21:07

I agree OP and have found the 6 weeks just a bit too long.
I think another week at xmas, in December preferably rather than Jan would suit me just fine.

cheeseoverchocolate · 02/09/2018 21:07

I briefly worked at a school which didn't have Summer holidays per second. Basically we would get two weeks every six weeks (if memory serves me right). It was meant to be the same amount of holiday per year but spread differently. Taht was for kids to be less tired and was great for booking cheap holidays...as long as you didn't have another child attending another school...

WrongKindOfFace · 02/09/2018 21:08

No, don’t add more to Christmas. Getting leave at Christmas is a nightmare and the holiday clubs have very limited opening. We had almost three weeks last year and it was a massive juggling act. Plus it’s generally cold, rainy and dark.

PinkAvocado · 02/09/2018 21:08

It needs to be long for exams to be marked, checked etc.

I do see how hard childcare must be though.

BBCK · 02/09/2018 21:09

Get lost!! I’m a teacher, they should be 8 weeks IMO

spanieleyes · 02/09/2018 21:10

This is the problem , isn't it? You will never get a concensus, so we pretty much stick with what we've got!