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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think the school holidays should just be August ?

412 replies

yellowbeard · 20/08/2019 16:15

It's too long. I think a break in routine does kids good, but it's too much all at once. I think in Italy August is considered Holiday month ( not sure about the school holiday length ) but I know a lot of businesses close down for August there. Aibu ?

OP posts:

lazylinguist · 21/08/2019 11:34

shithappens123 - knowing about it in advance doesn't mean that you are then forever banned from having an opinion about whether it's a good system or not.
I like the long summer holiday, but dh and I are both teachers, so childcare isn't a problem. Although actually dh was in school 9-3 all last week and will be most of this week too.

HiJenny35 · 21/08/2019 11:40

Would love a couple of weeks longer. It's gone so fast. Dreading her going back.

shithappens123 · 21/08/2019 11:42

lazylinguist It’s a system that has worked just fine for quite a while now. No amount of feet stamping will change that.

MondayTuesdayWednesday · 21/08/2019 11:44

A lot of people posting here don't seem to enjoy their children or spending time with them. I'm not from the UK and any parents I know have said the holidays are too short and we have longer holidays! They love the summer and having their children at home.

A lot of parents who post here seem to act like holidays are a surprise. Why can't you plan ahead to arrange childcare if you don't have a solid childcare option like an afterschool facility that offer full time in holidays?

Worse again are the SAHMs who seem to dread the holidays, make no effort to entertain their children and who say their children can't wait to go back to school!! I would be really upset if my children would prefer to go back to school than spend time with their family. Doesn't say much for family life and how they see it.

angell84 · 21/08/2019 11:45

Ireland have three month's holidays.

I always thought the U.K. system was strange. Why so short?

vickibee · 21/08/2019 11:46

My son has additional needs and thrives on structure and routine so the summer holiday is really hard for him, After six weeks off there is also 2 INSET days and a day where it is Y& and KS4 only so another three to deal with. My son is asd so has no actual friends because of his social difficulties, therefore school is the only time he sees kids his own age. It is far too long IMO

angell84 · 21/08/2019 11:48

Things are only done in your country because your goverment tells you to do things a certain way.

Why are you letting threm decide for you?

Governments are a form of control. They are currently controlling your every step.

The world is not meant to be like this. You are very powerful beings. You have just forgotten this. Live your life how you want it. You do not have to follow control by others

lazylinguist · 21/08/2019 11:51

lazylinguist It’s a system that has worked just fine for quite a while now.

Hmmm - I don't think you personally actually get to decide how well it works for everybody else though, do you? It's called an opinion. Lots of people have them.

There are lots of systems in the world. Most of them work well for some people and not for others. The people for whom the system doesn't work well are actually allowed to comment on that.

I don't think anyone on this thread has said that they want shorter holidays because they don't like spending time with their children. But hey, why let the facts get in the way of a nice self-righteous rant, eh?

StockTakeFucks · 21/08/2019 11:55

The issue is there will never be a system that works for everyone.

shithappens123 · 21/08/2019 11:55

lazylinguist Yes well as you are supposed to be a teacher you’ll know full well that most authorities are struggling to keep schools open and that’s not even in the holidays, but hey let’s not get facts in the way of your sanctimonious post

shithappens123 · 21/08/2019 11:57

Don’t want to organise childcare for the holidays then don’t have children. Nobody is forcing you to.

ThePurpledinosaur · 21/08/2019 12:01

Personally I would rather be a moaner than someone pretending to be a teacher.

vickibee · 21/08/2019 12:01

I have to hire a nanny for my son as his anxiety means he will not attend any holiday clubs. It costs me my whole wage for the month of August nut I need to keep working for my own sanity.
I believe these holidays were set up originally for kids to help their local farmers with the harvest.

Springersrock · 21/08/2019 12:07

Definitely agree they should bring the summer holiday forward. We had weeks of lush weather, then it started raining the day they broke up and hasn’t really stopped since.

Looking at it from a local economy point of view - I live in a tourist area, a short summer holiday would have a massive impact. The vast majority of our local economy relies on tourism, our population doubles in the summer holidays and a summer season can make or break a business.

Owlbabie5 · 21/08/2019 12:07

USA holidays are far longer, parents work too and seem to cope.

I think ours are too short. The weather is shite in August. Personally I think all of July and August would be better.

picklejimmy · 21/08/2019 12:09

I believe these holidays were set up originally for kids to help their local farmers with the harvest
Maybe so, but the level of education delivered back then won't be nearly as heavy on as it is today. Children need a good amount of rest, to set set and refresh.

lazylinguist · 21/08/2019 12:22

'Supposed to be a teacher' . Yep, I've been one for 23 years (MFL, if you're interested, as shown on several threads under this name and gazillions under previous names), am well aware of the appalling funding situation and have already said upthread that I like the long holidays.

Oddly enough, that doesn't stop me from thinking other parents have the right to comment on school holiday arrangements without being harangued for being ill-prepared for parenthood or hating their children.

shithappens123 · 21/08/2019 12:25

If they want to moan so be it but it doesn’t change the facts.

They obviously aren’t organised enough to cope which is something they’ll just have to deal with.

JacquesHammer · 21/08/2019 12:31

They obviously aren’t organised enough to cope which is something they’ll just have to deal with

Or, and here’s a controversial concept, in life circumstances change....?

lazylinguist · 21/08/2019 12:37

They obviously aren’t organised enough to cope which is something they’ll just have to deal with.

I don't know which thread you've been reading. Lots like the long holiday. Some people are saying the long holiday is tricky or expensive for them. Not impossible or unexpected. They are dealing with it. By using child care. As they presumably planned to. Nobody's saying "Oh shit - I have a child! I never realised they couldn't just carry on going to school in the holidays!"

TheBadCop · 21/08/2019 12:46

They obviously aren’t organised enough to cope which is something they’ll just have to deal with

do you work or are you not organised enough to pull working off as a parent, shit?

shithappens123 · 21/08/2019 12:47

JacquesHammer Circumstances well may change but school holidays are consistent and whether you are a working parent or Sahm as a parent you have to make provision. Or you could just moan about it.

shithappens123 · 21/08/2019 12:48

TheBadCop I’m a working parent and my family aren’t local.

HoorayItsToday · 21/08/2019 12:49

6 weeks is about right I think! Could maybe do with 1 more week, so that the children are actually starting to look forward to going back to school (I think my hols were 7 or 8 weeks as a kid and by week 7 I was refreshed and starting to want to go back to school!)

JacquesHammer · 21/08/2019 12:51

Circumstances well may change but school holidays are consistent and whether you are a working parent or Sahm as a parent you have to make provision

Why of course is always as simple as snapping one’s fingers and childcare magically appears.

I’m a working parent and my family aren’t local

Yeah, but didn’t you state on another thread you’re a teacher?

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