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

[MyBrexitUnicornDied]

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?

Everyexit youre an idiot. Presumably a sahm with a husband to keep you so you can dote on your babies. Bully for you.

Yanbu. (Sorry teachers and school staff).
I'd like 2 weeks for each half term instead, including February when it's miserable outside.
I'm seriously considering getting tutoring for mine in the holidays. My dd especially won't do a thing and takes a long time to get up to speed again. All the holiday clubs are just sporty activities which aren't very stimulating.

There was an article in the Economist a couple of weeks ago quoting research that showed that the long summer holiday causes kids to forget some of what they've been taught in the previous school year and that the effect is worse for children from deprived backgrounds, and that the effect for kids from deprived backgrounds is so strong that it could account for most of the attainment gap between them and kids from better off families. That would be a good reason to make them shorter.

the effect for kids from deprived backgrounds is so strong that it could account for most of the attainment gap

No YABU and if there was a petition I’d sign it. We were done at 4 weeks, the last 2 have just been fighting and whining and two kids desperately needing back their usual routine and every other Mum I’ve spoken to says the same. I’m so done with trying to keep them busy every day but if I don’t get the eldest out of the house every day my life is literally not worth living and I’m a screeching banshee by lunchtime.

For kids who need routine in perhaps because of additional needs or other reasons (I have one of those which I won’t go into) the length of time without a routine has been a bit of a nightmare! They are back to school tomorrow and I’m so relieved, I’ll get my children back again.

YADNU and I bloody wish the government would look at it again and move the weeks around, adding some elsewhere etc.

I agree OP. I can't imagine how hard it must be for working parents trying to find childcare for 6 weeks or longer if DC are at a private school. The stress must be huge if there aren't grandparents/family to help out.

4 weeks is enough for everyone including the dc. Mine always got a bit stir crazy but the end of the holidays are were more than ready to go back.

I love the long summer hols, you could double it for me! Dreading my DS going back, going to miss them during the day so much.

School hols have been the same for donkeys years, can’t see them ever changing, if I am honest.

I like the holidays the way they are. If they were to change, I would opt for five weeks during the summer (mostly the month of August) and three weeks at Christmas (which always seems to fly by).

Not read the thread but as a teacher I have been saying this for years. If I am ever in charge I am changing the holidays. I really want the 2 weeks at October as everyone ends up ill and knackered at the end of the first term because it is too long!

I'm the same Yoga love my kids being at home. They are not children for long. Really don't want the summer hols to end.

13 week holiday here. It's too long.
And now a 17 week term, with one public holiday, and one other day off. Everyone is completely wrecked come Christmas . Actually, scrap that. Everyone is completely wrecked come November....

I think the UK has it about right - half terms are essential. I could deal with one week off the summer, and added to October half term, but think May needs to stay as is for Exams.

Definitely don't want a longer Xmas holiday, it's just eating and drinking and getting stressed over family for me. Loved this summer holiday but mainly because the weather has been great.

So I'm in Australia and we don't have half terms, school holidays look like this:
2 weeks at Easter
2 weeks in July
2 weeks in October
Then 7 weeks December they January

I think it's easier here, I take three weeks at Christmas and my sons dad does the same, we spend most of our days at the beach catching up with friends, so inexpensive and the weather is pretty much guaranteed.

During the rest, we eventually do a few days of vacation care and take 3 days of work each.

I purchase annual leave every year to accommodate this.

I personally love the holidays, I'm counting down to October, and I should be struggling as I have no family support here.

My son's special school have already gone to 5 weeks in summer and 2 weeks in the autumn because of the difficulties the children have with the long summer holiday. Even so my son had enough about a week ago and I have spent the last week being hyper vigilant trying to prevent and bearing the brunt of distressed behaviour. Those with only NT children will have no idea how exhausting this is for 18 hours a day.

Every team i have ever managed its hard enough to make sure that everyone who wants 2 weeks off between 20th july and 4th sept as it is, if there were only 4 weeks it would be a nightmare!

Every team i have ever managed its hard enough to make sure that everyone who wants 2 weeks off

But this way they get an extra opportunity to take a 2 week holiday in May and October.

My son's special school have already gone to 5 weeks in summer and 2 weeks in the autumn because of the difficulties the children have with the long summer holiday. Even so my son had enough about a week ago and I have spent the last week being hyper vigilant trying to prevent and bearing the brunt of distressed behaviour. Those with only NT children will have no idea how exhausting this is for 18 hours a day.

I really feel for you, and I do understand. My DD gets into a horrible ramped up state that I can’t get her out of, from 6am - 7pm! She’s impossible to wear out - literally - DH took her on a 3k and she wasn’t even tired. There are traits of ADHD but not in the way others present. Whatever it is, it’s exhausting, and we’ve struggled to manage her since nursery doing all we can to keep her level. Routine is our saviour so lengthy holidays destroy that with her winding the other two constantly. She’s stressed out and stressing everyone else out with her. Thank god she goes back tomorrow.

Private school here and we have the longer summer hols and extra weeks in October, Xmas and Easter. So already work fewer days than state BUT our hours are longer 8.30 until 4.00. Would you prefer that?

I think the bored stage is important as it makes them feel ready for the transition.

My ds was really terrified about secondary school but in the last two weeks he seems to be now even a bit excited

Yes dds independent hours are 8.30 —4.30 plus three hours on Saturday. So 43 hours a week as opposed to dd1s 35. Over a ten week term that's an extra 80 hours (so roughly 2 weeks)

I still don’t understand how the same amount of holidays spread out helps with childcare.

Surely you’re just covering the same amount of holidays with the same annual leave?

I love the long summer break. Would like 8 weeks if possible and I work for most them but DS is soon much happier when not at school . We are all sad here as school and proper work routine states again tomorrow. We have just had,10 days off together as a family and been abroad for some of it. Would love another week

But this way they get an extra opportunity to take a 2 week holiday in May and October.

It's not the same though as weather not so good in many places. Also I prefer to let DS have a day or two before and after the holiday to relax.

I didn’t mind the six weeks at primary age when it’s parks and picnics and they would come out no questions asked and it would cost very little, at comp age it’s the exact opposite the girls spend all their time wandering around the house with a screen in their hand or they’re occasionally out and that’s costing us a fortune

I still don’t understand how the same amount of holidays spread out helps with childcare

My eldest doesn’t cope well with holiday clubs. She can manage a few days but gets very tearful with longer. If you are asking friends and family to help with childcare it’s easier to ask for a few days rather than weeks at a time.

That’s only a tiny issue though and it’s (possibly) only relevant to me. I’m more bothered about how tired my kids feel around October and May. The fact they get so bored over summer and the loss of skills over a long holiday.