Archaic societal norms that need to change

[Autiebibliophile]

For me it's the 6 week holidays. It worked well in a time where the majority of families were one income families. Where village communities were much more present. Grandparents typically lived close by and could help with childcare. When we had typical seasons before global warming kicked in.

I grew up in the eighties, summers were playing out all day. If my mum needed to go somewhere I went to my grandparents or a friends house. It was simple. Now it's just 6 weeks of childcare hell. Spending a fortune on childcare, expensive holidays, activities. It costs a fortune and I'm not convinced children get much out of the break anymore.

I think it needs cutting down to three weeks, And give parents two weeks they can use at their choosing (at certain time periods in the year)

What societal norms do you think are outdated?

I got up to page 2 before I got the gist of it. Teachers and schools are the problem. As usual. Yawn.
Feckless lazy parents who devolve all discipline to the school.
Illiterate innumerate parents who want their children to be their mate.
Parents who send their kids to school with a Moncler and an IPhone but no pencil.
Parents who want me to teach their kids how mortgages work, hint, do what I did, read a fucking website.

I'll tell you what would solve most issues in society. Licenses to have children. Unable to meet the minimum standard of care required? Nope. Pick up a furby on the way out.
Still moaning that you can't work out how a pcp contract works because school didn't teach you? Nope. You get a tamagotchi.

So yeah, unfettered access to procreation needs to end.

I work in a school and the summer hols is the only time I actually get to be with my own kids! I've spent the whole of half term (bar 2 days) doing stuff for school. My kids are great, but miss out on me for other people's kids all the time! The system u are suggesting would be chaotic.

The OP was trolling. She's a tory minister obviously. "School holidays were great when I was a kid, but fuck this right now, get to work" Tory behaviour.

I agree with this. I’ve never understood why you can’t take ur kid out of school for say one week or two, not regularly. Also would mean the travel companies would stop extorting families

@JST88 you can't do that because they'd miss chunks of the course. time is tight fitting syllabus into schemes of work

Let's look at this logically. 27.5 hours a week for 40 weeks a year?
No.
40 hours a week. Then a school year could be knocked in 28 weeks.
Let's give them 4 weeks of hols.
Thats 32 weeks. Now 13 years for a full education.
13 x 32 is 416 weeks. Divide that by 52 weeks and we can knock school out in 8 years. Kids in the workforce at 12. Perfect. And we can knock through the backlog of kids and sack a load of teachers.
Genuinely I see no flaws. This is as logical as the OP.
Who is with me? This moron country didn't vote for Brexit to stop child labour, we voted for Brexit because we want child labour and black passports.

No holiday club at our school and its really hard to find any summer holiday childcare. My husband now works weekends and evenings so we don't need to use childcare.

My children would be horrified by this suggestion - they love gravy, the more the better!

You used to be allowed to do this. They stopped it in 2013 (ish) - just as my DC started school!

I have often thought this! Parents need to actually parent.

You can take your kids out of school you know - it’s just there’s a risk of the fine (it usually is significantly less then the difference in holiday cost) - but that the school doesn’t guarantee they will dedicate school resources to helping your child catch up. If they aren’t in a key year and have good attendance otherwise (I’d not a child who has a lot of time off sick), I’d just take them for a week. Realistically this means I’d take them out any primary year except year 5 (11+ area, year 5 is important) not the summer term of year 6, then not above year 9.

however I have a term time job (not a teacher), so can’t take term time breaks anyway.

I think YABU on the holidays. People are only children once and that long break is often the only extended unscheduled time that you have. You have the rest of your life to work all the time with no break. I don't feel it should be changed just to suit the parents.

😂If this is a “moron country” do we need to have a think about education though?

I do this, I'm in Ireland and there is no rule against it, same as used to be the case there from what I've heard. In fact a lot of people do it, even teachers with their own kids if on mat leave or career breaks. I think its fine, we give the teacher notice and make sure homework and school work is caught up. Sometimes I'm surprised at how little they actually cover in 1 week. Last year we went skiing and by the end of the week my kids could order food in French, had learned a lot about the Alps and the countries that border it after having skied into Italy, met children from a variety of countries and learned a new skill. They gained significantly more education during their week holidays. If we waited til mid term we couldn't have afforded it at all.

There is a rule about how many days afaik, but it def seems less strict than in England. I was worrying about my daughter's days off during Covid. In previous years she had v little time off. A good bit during Covid tho. Me nerves!

I wouldn't begrudge anyone taking their kids out of school during term time, under 2 conditions:

1. Don't expect the teachers to provide work. Yes, it is indeed extra work if you ask for work that the class has covered, because often explanations, resources etc. are needed and that eats into my already limited time.
2. Don't expect me to be responsible for your child's grades. Take two weeks in the knowledge that it's a full topic in my subject, which either lays the foundation for examination in years 7-9 or could actually be on your child's exam. No, I will not catch them up afterwards.

The PP who said that travels can indeed be more educational than school itself - you are right, of course. But that's not the majority of the children I teach, for whom it would be a week at nan's or a week in Butlins with very limited learning potential.

But, have at it, as long as both 1. and 2. apply.

Changing the clocks by an hour twice a year. Is it REALLY necessary? Let's just stick with GMT all year round.

I love this topic because everyone has such different views.
I personally believe it’s outdated and unnecessary. No one else gets or needs 6 consecutive weeks off. Yes I know education is stressful but so are many other jobs.
I think either give everyone the same holidays as schools or give schools the same holidays as everyone else.
yes I know school isn’t meant to be childcare but let’s be realistic here, we need 2 incomes in this society. And to be really honest I have no interest in being a bored stay at home mum cleaning and washing and waiting to pick my kids up. I want to do my job that I love and earn money to give us a lovely life.

The. Holidays. Are. Not. For. The. Teachers.

Why does this need explained again and again?

Only essential services should work on Sunday. It would allow many families to rest and enjoy time together. You can plan ahead for shopping and such.

Defaulting to women taking their husbands name at marriage. Worse - the default being that children (in or out of wedlock) take dad's names.

Someone the same age as me (45) was visibly (but quietly) horrified that my son's baby was having his girlf's name and not his. I was delighted! In fact... I even encouraged them both to do it

A four day work or school week.

How does that work when in many areas, shops shut at 5:30pm or earlier and many people don’t get off until after 5.

Some of us also actually enjoy working weekends and still find time for our families.

I'd agree with that one. Sunday has become just another day in many circles.

I couldn't disagree more. If anything work/life balance and the cost of living needs to change, so that children can actually enjoy the 6 weeks holidays, like they did in the past! Each generation should have it better, not worse!