To think finishing on the 22nd for Christmas is a bit daft?

[ThatsNotMyPinkUnicorn]

I’m just wondering why some schools are finishing so late and why going back for half a week?

I can only think it’s to have that week on the other side of January and it is nice in a way but it’s making the run up to Christmas absolutely frantic. This happens in the summer too and it’s practically august when the schools break up here so you miss all the best weather!

AIBU or is this a bit silly?

My colleagues are v happy it's late - less childcare! We don't finish work until 6pm on the 23rd then go back in on the 29th

[quote julieca]@ThatsNotMyPinkUnicorn ah so no issues with childcare or annual leave if the school breaks up early. That explains it.[/quote]
I get that childcare is a pain (mine are preschool) but it’s two weeks off either way.

Is it less childcare? Isn't it the same number of days in total but just a different split of before/after Christmas (compared to other years)?

Cross posted with the OP!

Our nursery closes on the 17th but DH and I are working until the 23rd which you would expect given it's a working week! We've had to draft in family help.

How late do you want them to break up? It's only two days until Christmas. Very bizarre.

@ThatsNotMyPinkUnicorn honestly you don't get it at all. Getting annual leave in early January is pretty easy as is childcare. Those days before Christmas are far harder.

I much prefer a later break up - my DDs school does 22/12 to 10/1.

Firstly, because it means that ExDH and I have to find less childcare. I work retail so am working for a lot of the Christmas period and ExDH works for a company that closes the office for a Christmas break from 23/12 to 4/1.

Secondly, ExDH and I were living in Spain when DD was born and lived there for years where the big Christmas celebration is January 6th. We are all back in the UK now but rather than us fighting over having DD over December 25th we just have two separate "Christmases" - DD is with one of us on December 25th and the other one on January 6th - and we alternate each year, so we both get a full Christmas each year but it's structured and everyone knows who is doing what and when. It also means we get to enjoy the full 12 Days of Christmas.

Thirdly, most of the "build up" to Christmas is either outside of school hours anyway (Carol concerts, light tours etc) or is stuff that is designed to hype kids up, so a later school finish means that I only have to deal with a hyped up DD for a couple of days before Christmas rather than a week. I much prefer having the 23rd to do Christmas things with DD - making a gingerbread house/Christmas cookies and delivering family presents to people we won't see on the day - and then Christmas Eve is for a relaxed morning, nice long walk, Christmas Eve Mass at church (DD isn't quite old enough to manage midnight mass yet) some Christmas movies with hot chocolate and a takeaway and then an early night.

And finally it means that most of DDs Christmas break is after Christmas so she can spend that time enjoying her presents/seeing family etc rather than spending a week just waiting for presents and then only having a few days to play and relax before being back at school.

[quote julieca]@ThatsNotMyPinkUnicorn honestly you don't get it at all. Getting annual leave in early January is pretty easy as is childcare. Those days before Christmas are far harder.[/quote]
That’s fair enough and of course I ‘get it.’ But if every school decides to break up this late, then that just means everyone needs leave in early January.

Nursery closing must be a nightmare. Ours is open until Christmas Eve thankfully.

I'd much prefer an earlier break up so the kids have more of a chance to enjoy the run up to Christmas. Next year our school is in until the 23rd! And then don't return until 9th of January. Nightmare for working parents as whilst most would finish up early to get ready for Christmas, most employers will want everyone back much earlier than the 9th.

Although that is true, at least parents with younger children aren't competing with everyone else for annual leave.

We've had a mix of early and late at our school and I prefer the later finish if they are off longer in January. We usually start Christmas activities anywhere from about now and just go places and do stuff in the evenings or at weekends, they don't miss out on the run up and get to enjoy new toys and games for longer after Christmas.

Finishing on 17th Dec and returning on 4 Jan so two full weeks for Christmas holidays.

@Rosebel

People are suggesting finishing late is unfair on teachers but most people don't finish until Christmas Eve. Then need to prepare for their own family. We all have to get organised beforehand.

Although most people don't have to work late to put up other people's decorations and then do it again to take them down. When I worked in offices before I was a teacher I could also nip out to do shopping at lunchtime.

As a teacher of young children I just didn't have the headspace to think about Christmas at home before I broke up. I could only shop when my daughter was also around. I'm not saying it was the worst thing in the world but I preferred a few days to decompress.

I’d prefer mine to finish later tbh. DD’s finish on the 17th and DS 16th so have a full week off before Christmas and I have no idea how I’ll fill it.

We’re abroad and our school breaks up on 9th December! It feels so, so early.

But if every school decides to break up this late, then that just means everyone needs leave in early January.

Not really, because there are different amounts of options in mid-December compared to early January.

Them being the same number of days is not as big as what are the options in those days. I spent years caring for ill kin as well as my kids, and options become very limited in mid-December until a few days after New Year for any sort of outside help. Getting care on the 22nd of December is very different to getting one on the 4th of January.

I'm all for having more decompression time, but for caring, we can't treat every two week period as having the same amount of likely difficulties and like many things, one person's decompression time and lovely events is other people working. It's a hard thing for society to balance.

I’m glad. It means I get more time to get organised and get things done. And the kids still busy with school so by the time they finish they are still fresh before Christmas rather than bored and over excited. Win win for me.

@CaptainMyCaptain like most people these days I get half an hour lunch break. It really isn't enough to nip out and buy much.
And plenty of people put up Christmas decorations at work, not everyone works in an office. Shops, care homes, tourist attractions, etc all have staff putting up and taking down Christmas decorations.
TBH finishing on the 23rd of Dec is early for me. I have usually had to work till the 24th of Dec. 17th of Dec is very early.
Of course we would all prefer to be off on holiday from the 17th, but that is 8 full days before Christmas day, very early for most people.

And the days after New Year are easy for childcare comparatively, Most people are back at work on the 2nd of January, so childcare is all running as normal.

We break up on the 21st so few days before so will be nice to have some relaxing days off with them, then I work Christmas and new year but off in between 😊

17th here but in holiday club until 22nd as DH and I can’t start leave until 23rd.

Pros and cons either way.

22nd here as well and returning on 5th January. DH is finishing work on Xmas eve morning then back in on 31st till 5th. So yes he has time off for the actual day we can't do anything nice and Christmassy before it.

Ds2 is a teacher, and his school doesn’t break up until the 23rd! He’s already had kids telling him flat out that they won’t be in school then.

Mine break up this Friday (10th) and go back on 6th January. Fortunately I work at the school they go to, so we all have the same holiday.