AIBU to say that summer hols are a driver of inequality

[Teaandcrisps]

Myself and OH have had mixed personal fortune over the last 10 years - so from personal experience know the difference.

Summer holidays with no money is shit - especially when the weather is crap. If you can afford it however, it's great fun.

It's not just the obvious things - summer hols, trips, activities, camps, increase in food costs; it's also if you have the kind of job that can give you time off.

Given that food bank have launched the holiday hunger campaign, AIBU to say that summer holidays is an unequal construct and the 6-weeks off needs to go.

BUT. They won't be doing anything else during the holiday, it's not like they can afford to go on holiday, the parents don't care

Unfortunately my fathers school only accepts whose who've passed the 11+ and are accidentally bright.

From your first post, I was on the fence as to whether you were a bit dim or on a wind-up.

In light of the above I’m still undecided, but I’m veering towards ‘tedious goady fucker’.

Far better to make parents step up and change their children’s lives.

some parents are not in a position to step up.

Our experiences are that the teachers are demo happy from mid June

Sounds like a pretty crap school! That has never happened in any of the schools I’ve either worked in or sent my DC to.

Spend days with friends playing in the garden/ each other's houses vs 2 hour playdates during term time

Get stuck into a book and spend the whole day reading

Watch TV until you are sick of it

Go on long walks

Visit relatives living far away - shorter holidays would mean the upheaval wouldn't be worth it

Stay up late and sleep to your heart's content

Get bored and learn to bloody entertain themselves

Slow down and enjoy

This was my experience of school holidays. My mum worked in a school but was unpaid in holidays so there were no trips or holidays ever. The most exciting thing we did was walk into town on market day to get sweets once a week. I have fond memories of sleeping longer, watching the itv morning film at 10.30, reading books all afternoon. That level of rest and recharging is unheard of nowadays. My own child seems to want to constant stimulation but it's so unnecessary.

Tedious goaty fucker really🙄
Not really. I'm just saying the truth. People can get themselves out of poverty it's all about the mindset. Those who are in poverty have been for generations so they give up and the cycle begins all over again

DD gets from June 'till next week off!

People can get themselves out of poverty it's all about the mindset

I’ll just leave this here is case anyone else is interested in engaging with it.

I’m not feeding ‘it’

Ds's special school now only have 5 weeks holiday in the summer which works better for the children as a lot of them struggle with the long holiday and it results in difficult and distressed behaviour for many of them. There is very little provision for the children and teenagers with the level of need they have - even the few things available for children with sn are often not suitable.
Those saying you need to plan ahead for this when you decide to have children - sometimes things happen that you don't expect.

@emmy1997 you really know nothing. It's not 'all about mindset' don't be so silly. I'll assume that once you've grown up a little, you may learn a thing or two.

People can get themselves out of poverty it's all about the mindset.

Of course it is. What an amazing and insightful person you are to have solved poverty in one fell swoop on an internet forum.

*But this is nothing new. Surely you knew this and considered it before having children??

do you not have the capacity to understand that sometimes life turns out different? divorce, unemployment, illness, disability, etc...

nobody saves up the childcare fees for children before they are born. seems you have lived a very sheltered existence if you have never experienced true hardship.*

Yes of course I do. My own child has autism and my husband had to give up work as no childcare would take him. That's our situation to sort (and hence why he gave up work rather than us moaning on mumsnet that the childcare system should change to suit us).

However, I highly doubt every person who complains about the education vs holiday set up currently has gone through massive life changes like you suggest. I can think of about 5 who I work with who are in exactly the same set up as when they had children and love to moan about how hard done by they are. People need to be more responsible and stop blaming everything else. School is not childcare.

BUT. They won't be doing anything else during the holiday, it's not like they can afford to go on holiday

So they should have more school?

Do you realise the mental health problems amongst our children and young people. Increasing the amount of schooling they do would only make this worse.

🤣people can’t get themselves out of stupid though, evidently

Oh and I got myself out of poverty and have a degree and everything. Then I had a disabled child for whom childcare doesn't exist. Could happen to anyone, even a goady fucker.

do you not have the capacity to understand that sometimes life turns out different? divorce, unemployment, illness, disability, etc...

But whether these things have happened or not, the summer holidays have always been 6 weeks-they come as no surprise to anyone.

It's simple maths.
Most jobs give 5 weeks holidays at most, most schools have 10-12 weeks holiday. It just doesn't work for working parents unless they can hire a nanny, pay for summer camps or are lucky enough to have family help nearby.

BUT I think most children enjoy and benefit from down time so the holidays do make sense.

For those advocating 2 weeks off in Oct, I really wouldn't.. If you stay at home, the weather is awful, it's dark and there are NO camps. To get sun, you need to fly to the Far East, Florida, South America etc. Even most of Turkey has shut up shop at that time.

Most jobs give 5 weeks holidays at most

You legally have to be given 5.6 weeks

Be that adapting the nature of teachers contracts

There is a shortage of secondary school teachers - many are leaving.

It's affected my kids - they had many lessons with supply teachers or none subject specialist teachers - it's affected the choice of GCSE they can offer my eldest and her cohort very neagtively.

There a there a thread on here about teachers leaving - there a graph showing numbers dropping and pupil numbers rising.

Many teachers seem to like the long holidays - I'd worry changing terms and conditions could make even more leave and make a rapidly deteriorating situation worse.

If there were wider reforms – back by research showing 4 terms better dealt with predicted grade problems adversely affecting poor students and got backing of teachers and their unions for it – you’d be on to something, I think.

There are wider sociality issues with child poverty, high cost of living and childcare costs – but I don’t think expecting teachers and schools to solve is a viable way forward epically when previous attempts like child centre were starved of funding.

people can’t get themselves out of stupid though, evidently

Now, now. AS tells me that Emmy1997 is a SAHM, a full-time university student, AND a p/t administrator on £14k a year.

I think she must be really fucking clever.

my fathers school only accepts whose who've passed the 11+

As someone who left high school 6 years ago from a middle class family / was lucky enough to do activities in the 6 weeks I do think that more schooling and shorter holiday for those who are less well off is a good idea. It keeps them out of trouble, saves parents worrying about them but also helps them catch up with education and get more attention from teachers who can help them more rather than focusing on those who are educational. ( my father is a head teacher at a private school he whole heartily agrees with me) it's mostly those from less educated backgrounds/ poverty that cause trouble and get into gangs.

So you, and your father whose private school only accepts wealthier bright children feel that the poor, less educated kids need to go to school more, to keep them out of trouble?

do you not have the capacity to understand that sometimes life turns out different? divorce, unemployment, illness, disability, etc

Of course things can change but you factor it into life plans. If you take on a huge mortgage you ensure you have measures in place for illness/unemployment. If you choose to have children you can limit the number to what you could afford should life change.

For many though life hasn’t changed, they wanted children and don’t think of the costs and moan when the children dare cost them anything.

@kaytee87 - I wasn't counting bank/public holidays from either tally as they're not available to take on a flexible basic. That is, you can't bank them and use to cover summer holidays.

That's our situation to sort (and hence why he gave up work rather than us moaning on mumsnet that the childcare system should change to suit us).

then you are bloody lucky to have been in a position to sort your issue that way. I couldn't afford not to work as my severely autistic/learning disabled child needs to be housed, dressed and fed - even in the Summer.

It's not rocket science that not every family with a disabled child can live on one wage alone - most parents of children with severe ASD I know are in fact lone parents - usually mums (with dads buggering off). if they don't work, no money is coming in.

Of course things can change but you factor it into life plans.

you cannot factor in everything, that's the thing!

@emmy1997
You’re 22??. Your comments about people working their way out of poverty are ludicrous. Luckily your prefrontal cortex has a way to grow yet. I hope you will realise how silly your comments are when you’re older.