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 ?

I despair sometimes when I see what kind of people are allowed to teach our children. really, shit, let it go. your posts are all full of sublte and not so subtle dicks. Look at the language you use. Not my level, sorry.

Ok love, you know nothing of me and my job. But if it makes you happy you continue :) I won’t ask what you do for a living even though I suspect I already know..

As mentioned, in the US they have 10+ weeks. So you can actually make a business running a summer camp with that amount of time to get earnings over. No one is going to open a standalone camp program for 4-6 piddly weeks off.

Lots of US summer camps only run for a few weeks. I'd say the majority of day camps available in my town are run for a few weeks, and only a few run for the whole summer.

I love the 12 week long holidays. Yes I work, and yes it can be tough, but I wouldn't want to go back to shorter holidays.

shit, you don't know. if it helps you, I still work as my severely disabled child has a holiday club place. This will cease to exist so very soon my income will be a combination of carers allowance and universal credit. Totally tax payer funded due to the lack of childcare. oh, and we will also get extras such as free prescription, free school meals. HTH

The Easter term is looooong (Easter to Summer holidays) and I know DH (who works in education, not as a teacher, but gets similar holidays) is completely drained by the time his summer holidays come round. My DC are too.
I'd like to tinker around with the holidays so the terms are more equal, and kids get proper breaks, throughout the year. I work in the private sector, and get the minimum annual leave allowance, so makes no odds to me, but I know I'm fortunate to be able to take time off whenever I like - DH is restricted to school holidays only.

I'd love to see the holidays more evenly split - 4 weeks in the summer, then 2 weeks in May and October instead of 1.
We've often thought about holidays in May and October, but been put off at only having 1 week. A 4 week summer is long enough IMO.

Yeah that sounds about right 😂

I know. it's incredibly funny that parents of disabled children are forced out if the workplace and onto benefits and into relative poverty. It's hilarious, I totally agree.

TheBadCop

Advanced search is incredibly useful in these sorts of situations I find.....

for your difficulties. I hope life treats you more kindly in the future.

yes, let's ignore shit. apt username though.

Jacqueshammer how do you do that search? Sayings though you keep posting that..?

Bad yeah you don’t have a response. Best not to say anything then.

Sometimes a little bit of empathy goes a long way. Seems that’s lacking in some people on this thread who would prefer to stick their head in the sand and avoid the very real issues many people face.

TheBadCop - i hope things improve for you soon. My son has no childcare options (weve been adverising for a PA for over a year and noone has applied) he didnt even have a school place last year. Until you have been in the situation of bidding, through social services, for your one day of respite you simply dont get it. Only a few years ago these services were marginally better funded. Parents with children with needs really struggle to hold down jobs. Its incredibly tough.

shithappens123 certainly hasn't been very empathetic, but to be fair they didn't say there shouldn't be childcare provision for disabled children, but only asked where on earth the funding for that would come from, given the track record of this conservative government. Which is a fair point.
TheBadCop - it sounds really tough.

I’d like them to be longer!!

But I do feel for people who have difficult circumstances!

GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat

‘and goes back 1st Sept’

Unlikely.

No, it’s really not. Some of ours are back on the first as well, yes it’s a Sunday. Day pupils at a largely boarding school
And not ‘hogwarts’ (as per the comment from another person who thinks parents don’t know when their own kids are going back!!)

@TheBadCop I appreciate there are less options for children with additional needs and that must be very difficult.

The majority of the posters complaining here haven’t mentioned their children having additional needs so I was wondering what they do during term time and holiday time in terms of childcare.

I personally couldn’t work if I had to rely on ad hoc childcare and I don’t have family close by so I had no choice but to pick and pay for a childcare facility that is available all year round. It is worth it for certainty and peace of mind. That’s what other parents I know who work so also.

I'd like an extra week on the may holiday. It would be a good time to relax after national tests, and the weather is quite favourable at that time. Also the slog to end of term is bound to be easier as both children and teachers will have had a bit more of a rest. Easter 2 weeks is lovely amount of time but frequently you early for good weather.

graysquirrel: thank you for your fresh, more eloquently put opinion - compared to some of the spats going on, on this thread. Can everyone please remember that it's so easy for all of us to misinterpret when we read texts/messages and I bet all of you are well intentioned really. There seems to be a lot of Mr and Mrs Angrys on this thread. Maybe you should turn it in to a sensible discussion on ideas to make things better instead?... I can empathise with all of you and being in my golden years and having experienced a lotI of what you're experiencing, I don't mean that lightly. Please stop arguing and start talking. Any complaining should be to the powers at be. They're not psychic - so vent the frustration their way, not at each other. You're all pretty vocal so tell them! Xx

May half term won't work for an extra week due to GCSE and A level timetables. Only works at primary level.

And most people prefer local schools to have the same holidays so that their older and younger children are off school at the same time, likewise parent teachers who have children at other schools prefer this too.

As a KS1 teacher, I'd rather have 5 weeks and an extra week at October. The first term of 7 and 8 weeks is too much for the little ones.

I love the 6 weeks but also for me it's too long to have off work and then it takes me some time to get back into routine. Also I think it's far too long for the vulnerable children to be away from school!

Yabu. 6 weeks is far too short. I think they should be much longer. Start of June- sept would be lovely

I would like to see more holidays around October time,this is when ds finds school very intense due to the long term.

Yes I think the school hols should be shorter in the summer.My ds is very bright and keeping him occupied all summer is very hard work.I take all my leave to be with him and find it very hard work.Im a single parent and have a chronic condition that flares up from time to time.

I took him on holiday,to parks,museums,days out,friends but he needs the mental workout of school.

@venusmay I think we are in the minority here. I feel the same, but I guess it depends on your child's personality and maybe ours too?!

I just feel long holidays mean a dip in learning. I appreciate visits/ trips/ crafts are a different type of learning. I certainly wasn't entertained constantly as a child and I remember being very bored, a lot. We didn't have much but I'm actually creative with a good imagination.

I think long school holiday doesn't set up for real life. I've worked many places in the past where 2 weeks holiday in a row is frowned on, and normally only approved as one week chunks as work cannot be covered by others.