Having kids in nursery all summer whilst you’re off

[Willwejustbehotforevernow]

Just seen a friends post about being happy to be off for the whole summer (teacher) because now she can pick her kids from nursery (they’re in full time whilst she works)
Would you still put your kids in full time nursery if you worked full time and then had summer off-6 weeks, where you could be with them?

It's better to keep kids in routines, and if you are paying for the service you might as well use it. You won't get a refund because you are a teacher, you'll still have to pay for the place anyway.

Also - parents are allowed downtime and it might give them a chance to get on with things around the house that they need to do. Not that they need to justify themselves if they are spending every day at a spa - the kids don't know any different if they are happy at nursery.

You say you’re not judging but you really are, they are making the best choice for their family. You are making the best choice for YOUR family. That’s it

How is that not judging? You don't get it?! What is there not to get.

I absolutely would, in fact I did, I was made redundant for three months back a few years and I absolutely kept my DC in their childcare provision full time even though I was at home.

One - I still needed to pay the fees as per my contract so I was damn well going to make use of the thing I'd paid for.

Two - I was exhausted from years of juggling working/mum stuff/wife stuff and it was a good chance to rest and reconnect with myself as a person and not just as a mum.

Three - it was my money, my life and absolutely no one else's business what I did.

Four - it kept the kids in routine so when I did find another job it was just business as usual for the DC.

Five - a reiteration of point three.

@BaddityHabbityHoppingPot then link me to even one piece of legislation that demands teachers are required to spend two weeks minimum in school during holidays.

There isn’t any. Is there?

They really need to organise their time better

Well, this one isn’t

Wonder if she realises she’s breaking the teaching standards?

Teachers have to work in the school holidays you know? They need to sort their lessons and topics for the coming year.

Don't be absurb. You should know as well as I do what directed time a teacher has depending on the contract and how this doesn't reflect the fact that the job requires work outside directed hours as it simply cannot be done when the children are there without neglecting safeguarding and teaching responsibilities.

I mean, I'm not saying lazy and inadequate teachers don't exist, of course they do.
However, in primary they get filtered out very quickly. I can't speak for secondary but I'm sure some of your hardworking colleagues would have a thing or two to say about your attitude.

Me personally - I’d probably send them in some of the time, but not all. For continuity, get a bit of time to myself, they see friends etc

What someone else does is up to them. I certainly wouldn’t allow myself to feel frazzled with the kids underfoot all day everyday, finding ways to entertain them, spending more money on entertaining them when I’d already paid for nursery etc.

But yes I’d personally want some of the time with them.

No judgment on what anyone else does though. Her kids might adore it and want to be there every day.

But @BaddityHabbityHoppingPot you are saying this has to be done in holidays and that anyone who doesn’t spend at least two weeks in school preparing cannot be a teacher.

I can assure you I am a teacher and I won’t be going in until September. Most teachers I know are the same. Of course, some choose to go in, but that is a choice.

It has to be done in the holidays because you can't move class when someone else is using it.
You are working for your current class in term time, in the holiday its the next class you prepare for. Primary teachers doñt even find out what class they are getting till term six. Each class will have its own requirements and Sen.
Out of interest what subject do you teach?

I was a full time working single mum when my son was little. I cherished every second i was able to spend with him because it was so little. So no way would he have spent my holidays in nursery.
Why not just send your kids to boarding school and be done with it if you want that.

English. And that only works if you change classrooms and years every year: many don’t.

Why were all sending our kids away to be raised by others, why don't you think about why you're so judgement about what other people do and how they live their lives.

You'd think mums would be supportive of others choices but it's true sometimes other mums really are the worst critics.

Well done, you win "Mother of the Year" award. Where should I send your medal?

Sad to: see their friends every single day, do a wide variety of messy play that doesn’t get replicated at home, take part in numerous activities (at DD’s nursery her daily report is like “Mandarin, yoga, tennis, dancing, foam tray, looking for bugs” vs at home “emptied the dishwasher, Lego”), eat a wide variety of freshly cooked meals and snacks instead of “variations on pasta”.

Some kids really like nursery! They’d be sad not to be there for six weeks, that’s a decade in child time.

It's very unusual to not change year groups in primary. If you move up with your class you tend to move class because primary classrooms are different sizes and layouts depending on year group and keystage.

When I was training I knew an English teacher who taught year sevens on the p scale. She'd set their work and then spend twenty minutes doodling.
Id hope that sort of thing wasn't common practise in secondary but perhaps I am wrong.
Proper provision for children's needs takes time and is not possible by doorknob planning.

I'd definitely do this too. I pay year round so if they're not in, I still pay. May do slightly less hours but they'd still go. Probs would book a holiday in that time so a week off or something but if at home, they go.

@BaddityHabbityHoppingPot , is it? Or unusual in your schools.

So this secondary teacher you knew only taught year 7s, did she? No other classes at all. Right.

Ive taught in many different schools. Been in education a long time.
It's standard practice.
No, she taught 9,11 and 12. Doesn't mean it was ok for her to picth totally inappropriate taks at children who hadn't mastered ks1 phonics though.
For the record she doodled in the other classes too so at least she was consistent.

I am still putting DS2 in nursery over the holidays even though I'm off work (he is in 1.5 days per week). I am 6 months pregnant and this is the only time I have without a toddler. I am using the time to get the house organized and ready for the new baby.

I still have to pay nursery fees regardless of whether or not I send DS and he loves it. Why wouldn't I send him in?

I still have to pay nursery fees regardless of whether or not I send DS and he loves it. Why wouldn't I send him in?

Well according to some of the lovely judgemental folk on this thread apparently sending them into nursery is wishing away their childhoods, cruel and akin to sending them to boarding school and instead you should be keeping them at home with you even if that means them throwing a tantrum as you drag them on errands.

In reality send them, don't send them it's the parents choice and sensible people are not judging you because honestly they are too busy getting on with their own lives to give a shit what others are doing.

I'd take them out for the odd day here and there but in general I'd keep them in the routine of going and enjoy some time to myself. She'd be paying anyway.

I think it’s a bit of a shame. One of the few advantages to teaching is the long summer holiday for family. My mum and dad were both teachers and the summer holidays were the time when all three of us were free to do what we liked. I felt so lucky to have both parents as teachers and to get some much time off as a family. It was the best.