I'm counting down the days to the end of term!

[Satanzlilhelpa]

Counting the days off. We've literally made a calendar with days left. It's that bad. Anyone else?

I work in Education and am ready for a break, but I always miss the kids and my lovely colleagues (although we will meet up) over the summer and feel happy to go back by September. My own DC are both Autistic and thrive on the routine and structure of school, but they are getting tired at this point in the term so will benefit from some downtime and we have lots of nice things planned that they are looking forward to. We are in a lovely, supportive school with few behaviour issues though which makes a big difference.

Mum here and despite loving the routine, im actually quiet excited that we have 3 weeks left because im sick and tired of ferrying child to school and then after school clubs here and there hanging around waiting and rushing with things like putting dinner, bath, homework and playing catch up with chores. Rushing around making packed lunch's, attending the same old birthday parties. I'm currently on maternity leave and I just simply look forward to not rushing around trying to get child on time somewhere with a newborn on tow.

The uk has the shortest holidays In comparison with others. I agree with you. They need their downtime too

Nah, mine loves school and doesn’t get tired. I am enjoying not having all the weekend commitments though, party’s, school events, costumes etc.

Nope - really dreading it. The summer is just incredibly stressful with random camp hours and juggling that with work. I hate it.

I'm interested to know what they do in all that time off? Especially if their parents have jobs. Is it the norm to go to summer camps?

This. The only summer holiday camp in my small town is on from 9-4, and only 4 weeks of the holidays. So I’ve still got to arrange wrap around care for the holiday camp! It also doesn’t accommodate my disabled child so I have to arrange alternative provision for him.

I grew up in Ireland where I had two months off in primary (June, July) and three months off in secondary (June, July August). I now live in the UK. I feel very conflicted about summer holidays. On the one hand I really really enjoyed my very long holidays as a kid - but my mother was a secondary teacher so she was off for the whole summer and could take us to the beach etc - we didn't do summer camps and such. As a parent with a full time job I have no idea how I'd manage kids for two long months - I don't know how Irish parents do it.

My mother (still in Ireland) comments every year on how late my children finish up for the summer - it bugs me partly because I feel bad for being glad I don't have to deal with more! That said, my kids are always absolutely on their knees by the end of term. Finishing at the end of July feels so late, often any good weather has been and gone and the window to go on holiday is very tight. Then it's back to school before they know it.

I feel for teachers too - my mother certainly enjoyed her three months (she used to supervise exams and do some summer school stuff so she wasn't entirely off for all of it) and we benefited from it too. Her job was definitely family friendly when I was a kid - I'm not sure the same can be said for teaching the UK.

Tell that to the school who do eff all about the disruptive kids who stop the ones who want to work from getting anything done.

we both work flexibly (me from home him because he runs his own business) so we make it work term time and holidays but before we did that we were both in an office 9-5pm and it was always a struggle to sort childcare round the inflexible school system. We were lucky we could make changes to our working life to flex, many others can’t.

it’s just not so simple as you make out.

and schools are getting worse, behaviour is horrendous and no one seems in any position to do anything about it.

the Parents here relied on the schools holiday provision which they’ve just cancelled instead of opening for bookings as usual so the town is full of people scrambling to sort other arrangements. It’s very stressful all round. Mine are now old enough they can entertain themselves while I work but it’s not ideal.

Summer Camps are popular. There are also places that have Summer Programs for kids to go to during the day (in my area the Boys and Girls Club and YMCA are popular). I would guess some people hire babysitters, or have family/friends that watch them. I'm sure there are many, many other ways parents deal with it. In my case I work in a school so I had all the same time off as my kids. When they were little I would not work Summer School. When they were old enough to be left on their own I worked Summer School.

School is for education not childcare

Well it's both, in fairness. Who else has responsibility for the children when they are legally obliged to be in school?

So am I, but only for the quieter roads.

Tell that to the school who do eff all about the disruptive kids who stop the ones who want to work from getting anything done.

Unfortunately the very limited things that schools are actually allowed to do about it don't really work.

Me too - I’m a teacher!

We finish on July 3 and can't wait!

My social media is full of parents who dread school holidays and moan non stop about them. I can't get my head around it. Bring on the slower mornings.

Probably because they’re at work for most of it. There won’t be any quiet mornings here, just rushing to get to childcare and work.

I'm dreading it to be honest. My son will need to go to holiday club for 4 weeks as I can only take 2 weeks annual leave and husband is self employed and can't afford to take much time off. I feel guilty every single year that he has to go to holiday club every day. Makes me feel like a shitty parent but he enjoys it and it's sadly necessary.

youdonrevengohere I work full time.

On school days I am up at 530 am.

have to leave the house at 6.50 am (we live overseas and DD's school starts at 720.)

I then drive straight to work; start at 745 am. Leave at 6 get home almost 12 hours after I left the house.

School holidays we all get a lie in until 7. I leave the house at 8. That's a huge lie in for me compared to 530 and an amazing slow morning!

I have to get up at exactly the same time in the school holidays as on school days, because my work hours don’t change and therefore my children require the same amount of childcare. I have to drop them at wrap around care/holiday care at the same time regardless.

(im up at 5.30am whatever time of year as that’s when my disabled child wakes, if he’s been to sleep at all that is!)

Me (not a teacher) and DS are counting down the days as we leave for holiday on the last day of term. To be honest we are ready for the break, I worked out if I did an extra 2 hours a week we could have a month long summer break together (DH wouldn't get it off) + normal annual leave, he's 10 and really fun to be around so excited this year

Gosh sorry for those that don't get a lie in (I laugh at 7 am being a lie in but appreciate it is a treat!)

The working parents in my office are so much visibly more relaxed in holidays we laugh about it.

As an aside the vast amount of people I see who are dreading the school holidays don't seem to work. Where I live this is very much the demographic.

Good luck everyone. 8 days to go here....

Yep. My school is full of slapped cheek, scarlet fever and whooping cough! Praying I make it to end of term without picking it up.

We finish on Thursday at lunchtime. Scotland.