To think the school holidays should just be August ?

[yellowbeard]

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 ?

My dd is 15 and on holiday for about 9 weeks, I've hardly spent a penny on her as I haven't any money. She's happy visiting friends and family and/or chilling and resting. A bit of work as GCSE's are next year and she's happy enough.

It was the same when all 3 were little, didn't cost anything unless you want it to.
I don't work, would rather have been at home for the dc, but am looking now they are grown up.

A month in August would be horrific! All it’s done is rain since August began. July weather was amazing with wall to wall sunshine. There is notably shorter evenings in August as well.

I think the issue is that a lot of the parents posting here see school as some sort of childcare service. It's not and you have to plan around that. The school day/year has been pretty much the same for hundreds of years.

For those that have such an issue with holiday childcare - what do you do during term time? Any parents I know, including myself, just have year round childcare that is used for school time and holiday time.

Those of you who want shorter holidays keep going on about not having any family nearby - most people i know don't. You organise and pay for your own childcare.

Obviously you have to pay for it but for most people that is one of things they consider before having children and/or deciding how many children to have.

OP - you seem to have a negative reply for anything anyone suggests. You really don't seem to enjoy spending the holidays with your children and you have socks that are like "nets" - wouldn't working be a better alternative.

Like most SAHM’s I have made financial sacrifices to be at home with the children, but I wouldn’t have done so if it meant we struggled to afford new socks.

My local council puts on lots of free or cheap activities for children so I would struggle with "bored" complaints from parents in my own area who have children who can cope with those activities.

I think it's the right length for the kids (but us adults could do with a break) Still I'm trying to make the best of it this year, and enjoy my kids as much as I can, because this will likely be the last summer I spend at home with them and I'll be working every summer for ever after.

OP, all parents make sacrifices.

I am a single parent and work full time. I am glad the holidays are long. I woildnt want them shorter.

You chose to be a sahm even though you know it makes you soont and not able to do activities.

My ds loves his childcare provider and is happy to go there. But it would be nice to have the whole summer off with him. But I cant or bills dont get paid. Neither would anything else

Its not just sahms that sacrifice things.

But to make a choice and them moan about the consequences, that you were fully aware of, whilst wishing your child was at school more is just daft.

You made your choice. You knew what it would mean. School holidays arent going to change because they dont suit you. If you arent happy, the change it.

The situation is be a sahp and skint. Or go back to work and be less skint. By next summer you ds could be going to childcare he throughly enjoys and then you take some time off during the holidays and use the extra money to do things.

@spikeyball
My son aged 12 is SEN with high anxiety, only yesterday I tried him with an outdoor canoeing thing and the instructor called me to collect as he could not manage him, said he did not follow instructions and needs one to one. I think they fail miserably to understand anything other than NT. For these kids who need routine it is incredibly hard.

Ds needs the long break to help him relax after the busy term. As much as he thrives on routine he needs that away time to settle. A week before back now and he is getting anxious again.

Problem is in a lot of areas holiday activities for young people with additional needs are poor to non existent

@Spikeyball are there no specialist holiday clubs in your lea? My son has severe autism and learning disabillities e goes to a holiday club one day a week for children with special needs they offer1day a week / school holiday but have different children on different days so that they have children with similar needs, every day , and different age groups so primary age and secondary age

No there are no holiday clubs just individual activities which are all beyond ds for various reasons.
Children with severe learning difficulties are supposed to get overnight respite which actually amounts to almost a day but they won't take ds because his behaviour can be too challenging and would be with them as they don't have consistent staff.

for those that have such an issue with holiday childcare - what do you do during term time? Any parents I know, including myself, just have year round childcare that is used for school time and holiday time.

you know that childcare is not accessible for all children. Many LA have next to nothing on offer for children with severe and complex needs. Whilst parents can work school hours at least during the term, childcare (or better say the lack) of becomes a huge issue for parents who have children with SN. It's that bloody simple as 'just arrange' childcare. Some people really have sheltered lifes.

Too long for me. 4 weeks would be long enough.

TheBadCop So what’s your actual solution then?

The solution would be suitable ( meets the child's needs) childcare available to all ( so would include for older children and teenagers) and it should be no more expensive for a child with sn than for a child without sn.
For those who don't need childcare but do quite reasonably need a break, there should be holiday clubs/ activities available that can meet the needs of all children and again should be no more expensive than it would be for a child without disability.

mine are grown now but I loved the school holidays. Would go camping and cheap days out, and never spent much money. Kids seem to need constant entertainment these days

They're too short in England! I feel sorry for my kids with just 6 weeks off. Can't imagine what it would be like for them in our exam obsessed school system all year round, this is the only time I feel they really get to be kids...

I had to return to my job in nhs district nursing as any massive amount of time off isn’t great, skills become out of date etc so going part time has been the answer until they are older but having 2 in childcare is the expensive part

TheBadCop So what’s your actual solution then?

suitable and affordable quality childcare for disabled children maybe? Or is that too silly? Thought you are a teacher, shit. Isn't that obvious for someone educated?

Bad - and who exactly is going to provide this quality childcare for disabled children? Tooth fairy perhaps

To spell it out further, where is the funding coming from?

For someone supposedly educated I’m sure you have the answer.

Well personally i hope taxes, shithappens123. The reason all my family pay tax is, in part, to support the most vulnerable in society. Disabled children are pretty high up my list of things i want tax spent on.

With this Conservative Government? It’s unlikely

Bad - and who exactly is going to provide this quality childcare for disabled children? Tooth fairy perhaps hmm

so you are saying children with SN should not have access to quality childcare cause it costs money? The government pays for all kind of things. Why not for childcare for children with SN? It would also allow a lot more parents of disabled children to get paid employment and to pay tax rather than relying on a host of benefits.

But I find it really concerning that as a teacher, you question a disabled child's right to access appropriate childcare during the school holidays. You are not selling yourself well, shit.

Are you an idiot? Because I don’t recall saying that at all, you should read more carefully. Please do show me where I said disabled children should not have the right to quality childcare??

As you are struggling to understand what I wrote I’m going to leave this here, I don’t have the patience.