to think school holidays are far too FARKING long?

[Monkeybird]

DS1 and DS2 are driving me nuts and I'm not sure I can hold out from murdering them until tomorrow when they go back to school/nursery...

DS1 has been doing a great line in spoilt brattery and winding up his little brother correcting everything he says, saying whaaaaaat? in indignant fashion everytime I ask him to do something, bursting into tears every time I tell him off (you know, for things like BEING A COMPLETE ARSE) and saying 'he's so boooooooooored' despite the room he can't actually get in because of the new layer of presents, on top of all the other layers of previous presents none of which he ever plays with...

And DS2 is just stir crazy cos he can't play out cos he and his baby brother have been coughing non-stop and the cold makes them worse.

Please god someone warn Childline before I lose the plot.. And pour me a G&T. Oh shit, I'm breastfeeding. G&T at lunchtime probably not a good idea.

I'm a teacher and I get about 19 weeks holiday a year. I like it because I can basically lead a double life - WOHM termtime, and SAHM during the holidays.

too long, roll on tuesday. I love the summer holidays, but hate the winter ones.

I'm off the "too short" persuasion. DD1 is in reception and still hasn't recovered from all the bugs she caught before Christmas. She went back on Thursday but could have done with staying off until Mon. Anyway - I miss here

Nope am in the too short camp here. Love having the dc off school, ok there are times when they say the 'but I'm booooooooored!' but on the whole its great just being able to chill and do want you want, when you want. I shall miss them when they go back (but I will be able to get my house back to looking like a house and not somewhere that's been ransacked !)

Wow so many people saying they are too short! I don't know a single person in RL who wants longer school hols!

Actually, I find the balance fine. Christmas hols were about right from my POV. Mine went back on Thurs. We get 2 weeks off at May half term which is fabulous because it's usually lovely weather and we go on holiday then for less £££ than you could the week before

Spring and summer holidays are easier to deal with if you have 3 small boys. Winter ones harder but tbh, I chuck em out anyway. They had a great day yesterday with a pack of chalks drawing cycle routes out on the driveway etc.

Ramble, ramble. My 3 are like dogs really and need to be running about outside - so, summer much better.

Far too short! Hate to get back to timetables and all it involves.

Hey, Monkeybird, from tomorrow I have no more preschoolers - unless DD2's arrival in the school system brings it to a grinding collapse, which is tbh not improbable. You jealous, eh?

Also how many of you who luuuuuuuuuurve long holidays have to squander precious leave days for them? It's infuriating when you're thinking 'I could have a civilised day in the office getting something done with adults to talk to' while your children flatly refuse to do anything but backbite/watch telly....

I've enjoyed the holidays, but when my boys go back on Monday I will have my freedom again, which I am looking forward to.

"Also how many of you who luuuuuuuuuurve long holidays have to squander precious leave days for them? "

I am a working mum and I feel that every minute I get to spend with my son is precious.

What would you rather do with your annual leave? If you don't spend your annual leve with your children then frankly what is the point of having them? Some people are forced to take their annual leave at a stupid time like February.

Lack of annual leave makes holidays hard for working parents, but there are plenty of interesting playschemes children can do. I think holidays give the childen the chance to do something outside interesting the classroom.

There also needs to be time for a few lazy days.

I would far rather have a day at home than a day in the office.

Gosh have to say am really surprised that you would consider time off with the children as 'squandering' your annual leave! That's not a critiscism btw just genuine surprise

I think the Christmas hols are too short too. Whoever said make the summer shorter and Christmas longer was spot on. My DS1 went back to school last Thursday so we have had no time at all for just messing about not doing much. The whole time was taken up with Christmas, New Year, visits and visitors and then one day of 'normal' holiday and he was back at school. Don't get me wrong, it was good but we had no time to ourselves. DS2 goes back to playgroup tomorrow though.

also agree with the one week longer at xmas/shorter at summer idea, we have had a fantastic 2 weeks but it has been really busy, the children have had no time to wind down from all the partys/visiting and they are back to school tomorrow.

Yes to making Christmas hols a bit longer and Summer hols a bit shorter. I love the few days of the holiday after New Year; it is the only time in the year when I am happy to just schleb around and not feel like I have to be DOING stuff all the time.

Only 4 weeks to half term Monkeybird..........

oh for heavens' sake I do, as it happens, like my children and like spending time with them...but yes, on the days when they are being impossible I do slightly wonder why oh why I didn't work on this particular day, and take a different day off on which they were not going to be impossible and we could actually enjoy being together. So shoot me.

Too short - I'm a teacher and back to work tomorrow

Oh and actually I do yearn, in a theoretical and embittered manner, for a day or so without work or children.

We have 6 weeks to half term. Are you all having your Easter hols at Easter this year? We are having Easter hols from 4th April for 2 weeks so this is actually quite a long term for us.

the holidays should be more spread out imo, and it'd make for more even-lenghted terms. I reckon 2 weeks in october, 3 at christmas, then a 4/5 week summer holiday. I reckon all half terms should be 6 weeks long, not the stupid 5 weeks then 7 weeks we are getting at the mo.

I love the holidays, but (as a teacher) find the summer one too long, and the kids need a longer break in october.

sorry that was completely off the subject, but needed to vent somewhere

Crikey, everyone's taking me very seriously today which is always a bad idea since I'm mostly being stupid on MN...

MI, I'm with you mate. What on earth did I do with my time before I had any/2/3 children?

I would have LOVED the holidays more had someone not been, at any given moment, either coughing, vomiting, hitting another one over the head or not sleeping. Would have also loved them rather more (the holidays, not the children: of course, I love them unconditionally...) had it not been pissing down most of the time and had we not been trying to decorate our new house so we could move in sometime before the London Olympics.

So I guess it's not really the fault of the holidays per se.

I need an indoor trampoline for my boys I reckon since they just don't do quiet craft like activities or baking or a little science project in the corner. Play has to involve a stick and some jumping and some violence for it to really hit home as far as they're concerned...

I loved the time off over Christmas, really loved it.

BUT I counted it up and there are something like SIXTEEN weeks of school holidays to cover next year when you add up half terms, easter etc. When I was in a perm job I only got 7 weeks holiday (and that is extremely generous, lots of people get 25 days) and dh gets five weeks. So it's tough to cover it, it really is.

I'm probably going to have the summer holiday off this year so I will look after them but otherwise it's a lot of childcare. And dd is in nursery atm so it doesn't make any difference but from 2009 we're going to have to find childcare for 2 x 16 weeks. Well, slightly less snice we'll be off work for some of it but it's still a lot.

It's a nightmare, isn't it, finding nice holiday options for them.