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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Summer holidays should be longer

835 replies

noblegiraffe · 21/07/2025 09:24

Our kids have the shortest summer holidays in Europe, Italy have 13 weeks, even Ireland has 9.

They're under pressure so much at school they need more time to just be kids. Classrooms are so hot in the last few weeks of term that it's impossible to learn effectively anyway.

I think we should add at least an extra two weeks to the summer holidays, so break up near the start of July. This would bring us more into line with private schools too.

And with longer holidays it might help recruit and retain teachers, and reduce competition for summer annual leave slots for working parents. It could even reduce the cost of holidays as 'peak season' would be longer.

Summer holidays should be longer
OP posts:
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13
Applesonthelawn · 21/07/2025 13:12

I raised my ds no help, financial or otherwise, from anyone, and found the school holidays a complete nightmare. I had 26 days holiday at the time, two weeks at the end of August when there was no alternative childcare. No working from home. No ability to work from home if your child was ill. Honestly, he's grown up fine. Parenting is hard, you have to expect it to be, and expensive. I think if you have two active parents in the mix it must be a doddle. I think they get better socialisation etc. at school than at home, better routine when there's something to get up for, etc. I really think it's plenty long enough.

MrsSunshine2b · 21/07/2025 13:12

MellowPinkDeer · 21/07/2025 12:58

We could start with social workers?

I work in the public sector and I have a degree , so I do know!

Social workers start on £32k so it's very little difference.

ChilliMum · 21/07/2025 13:13

noblegiraffe · 21/07/2025 09:43

So what do other countries do? Our kids have got the worst mental health in the OECD so perhaps we should be improving children's services and activities rather than suggesting that they need to be kept in school to keep them off their phones.

I'm not sure how we compare on mental health, but I am in France and we generally get 8 weeks; beginning of July to beginning of September (also 2 weeks in Oct / Feb/ Easter)

I also can't speak for the whole country but locally to me, childcare during the holidays is high quality and reasonably priced (on a sliding scale for income).

All childcare in my village (we are outside a city / not rural but the old village boundaries/ local mairie still exist) is run by a community association, non profit. The association employs staff who are qualified and it's their full time job and it's the same people who provide the wrap around (before / lunch / afterschool provision).

It's full time for primary and there is an afternoon club for teens.

for the primary age, there is always a mix of activities, free play and days out (no extra cost). Sometimes a parent or 2 will help so they can do bike ride / picnic day or trip to the local swimming pool.

For the teens it's a bit more just a safe place to hang out / there is a teens chill out area, games, music. When my daughter was there, they did a bike ride/ wild camping night (again no extra cost).

Ultimately, I think it's a cultural thing. A lot of provision (sports, theatre, music etc) here is fully volunteer organised which means that cost is low but equally almost everyone I know volunteers in some way.

Our childcare provision, which employs staff, is managed and run by dedicated volunteers.The volunteers change as children get older, new parents join and older volunteers move on

It's a big commitment but everyone just does it, its the french way, everyone contributes (the fraternity part of the devise). I feel very fortunate to have benefited when mine were small but I don't know how you could make something like this viable without the non profit / volunteer model and the culture isn't the same in the UK.

Agapornis · 21/07/2025 13:15

Weeks per year map for people who like balance. Turns out the UK is perfectly average.

Source https://jakubmarian.com/school-holidays-by-country-in-europe-map/

Summer holidays should be longer
turkeyboots · 21/07/2025 13:15

6 weeks is plenty. Im in Ireland where primary has 9 weeks, mid June to late Aug. Secondary has end of May to late Aug. 3 months is way too long for young teens and there is almost no childcare or camps for them.

MellowPinkDeer · 21/07/2025 13:16

MrsSunshine2b · 21/07/2025 13:12

Social workers start on £32k so it's very little difference.

But with crappier terms and conditions, a lesser pension and no option of 13 weeks a year off ( so screw their kids in the holidays extended or not!)

Aweecupofteaandabiscuit · 21/07/2025 13:19

My 6 year old was rejected from all our local holiday clubs on account of his T1D. He doesn’t realise he’s missing out on so much with his friends but I’m sure I will at some point if we aren’t able to successfully fight the system.
We are limping through this summer with a combination of both our annual leave, grandparents help and yes, days where he’s amusing himself on the PlayStation all day while one of us WFH. Not ideal.
Longer holiday would finish us off. I’d love to think we aren’t the tip of a large iceberg of kids who can’t access childcare during the holidays. We are lucky we can flex enough to muddle through but many people are not so lucky.

autienotnaughty · 21/07/2025 13:20

I’d be fine with more school holidays or even a four day week as long as it could be feasible for working parents. But the six week needs to be shorter not longer. 3/4 weeks would be fine and maybe longer at Xmas too.
Or have a fun day on the fifth day of the week with a focus on exercise/mental health/arts/creativity. No lessons, no tracking just a relaxed day for staff and pupils.

Hiptothisjive · 21/07/2025 13:21

noblegiraffe · 21/07/2025 09:29

Does anyone know how much annual leave people get in other countries? How do the Irish cover it, for example?

So this may help you. I can give a Canadian perspective.

Kids go to school beginning of September ending the school year 3/4 week June. School days are the same length. So a month less of school time.

BUT they go from September to Christmas and then get two weeks off. Then again until March and get one week off and then go to the end of the year.

They end earlier because they aren’t off every 6-8 weeks.

Starting holidays in Canada are two week but most people who have worked for a while have 3+

We get 12 statutory holidays in the year vs 8 in England.

A lot of companies have summer hours and work half day on a Friday.

We don’t feel the need to go away all the time as most of the country gets 3 months of hot weather with sunshine. Super easy access to pools, lakes rivers and cottages.

The summer holidays are shorter because of so many breaks through the year. It’s good to have a like for like in terms of school days - Canada has a minimum of 194 per year. England has 190 - so less.

Unfortunately OP your argument doesn’t hold.

AngelofIslington · 21/07/2025 13:22

T1Dmom · 21/07/2025 09:27

No chance, six weeks is to long. If anything it should start at the beginning of July (or even the last week of June) and go back mid August when its cooled down.
My kids are bored by the third week in!

I would much more prefer a week added to Christmas & a week added to October half term and cut the summer hoildays into 4 weeks though.

Edited

This is how our school holidays in Scotland work, we’re already a month into the holidays in some areas

TadpolesInPool · 21/07/2025 13:23

That chart is wrong for France- its 8 weeks not 9.

Also, very difficult to compare the 2 systems as the French start school the September of the calendar year they turn 3, have longer school days (primary for mine is 8am-4pm) but no school on Wednesday (primary only).

There are many other differences that I cba to list.

The last job I had, I had a total of 35 days leave (DH had 30) and the DC 16 weeks holidays.

Holidays are covered by a mixture of annual leave, grandparents (a LOT of DC I knew were shipped off to grandparents for weeks on end from a very young age) and holiday clubs. My DC did the sports clubs but hated the state run holiday clubs.

8 weeks is ok for us cos of grandparents helping but is a nightmare every year for some of my friends.

My DS once had 11 weeks off after year 7 and it was awful as he got so bored (so many parents complained the school changed it the next year).

MumWifeOther · 21/07/2025 13:25

SallyD00lally · 21/07/2025 12:17

If the kids are going to have to spend another 2 weeks in clubs and Summer camps, they may as well be in school.

Not really. This would be off timetable, and allow children to engage in activities centred around play.

Obviously I think it’s much nicer for children to be at home but I appreciate many parents wouldn’t be able to find another 2 weeks of childcare.

MumWifeOther · 21/07/2025 13:27

RosesAndHellebores · 21/07/2025 12:17

A bit like Camp Beaumont, which both of children hated.

The summer camps would be optional, for those that need them.

MrsMurphyIWish · 21/07/2025 13:28

MellowPinkDeer · 21/07/2025 13:16

But with crappier terms and conditions, a lesser pension and no option of 13 weeks a year off ( so screw their kids in the holidays extended or not!)

Why are you trying to pit professions against each other?

I could say my children were screwed over when DH and I couldn’t see them in school events or missed parents evenings if they clashed with our own.

I think the 6 weeks holiday is reasonable but I wouldn’t want it shortened. Our secondary to further education system would need a complete overhaul if this was the case.

Noble is also right with her data about our children being the unhappiest in England compared to other nations so something does need to be done. Sadly, no government priorities education and parents care whilst their children are in school but then it’s a distance memory!

diterictur · 21/07/2025 13:28

We don’t feel the need to go away all the time as most of the country gets 3 months of hot weather with sunshine.

This is an aside but fwiw I don't go away because of weather? I like to see new places and things. Weather really isn't the main thing at all. Our last holiday was to somewhere colder!

HollyhockDays · 21/07/2025 13:30

noblegiraffe · 21/07/2025 10:00

That’s the same half terms as England then. Do you get a May half term?

No we don’t get a May half term.

user1476613140 · 21/07/2025 13:31

It used to be 7 weeks in our LA, thankfully they added on one of those weeks to the October break which used to be only one week(!!) And that has now meant six weeks in the summer - too long!!

MellowPinkDeer · 21/07/2025 13:33

MrsMurphyIWish · 21/07/2025 13:28

Why are you trying to pit professions against each other?

I could say my children were screwed over when DH and I couldn’t see them in school events or missed parents evenings if they clashed with our own.

I think the 6 weeks holiday is reasonable but I wouldn’t want it shortened. Our secondary to further education system would need a complete overhaul if this was the case.

Noble is also right with her data about our children being the unhappiest in England compared to other nations so something does need to be done. Sadly, no government priorities education and parents care whilst their children are in school but then it’s a distance memory!

Edited

I was just responding to the other poster, she asked me for an example!

Ilovecakey · 21/07/2025 13:33

Yes I agree, when I was a kid we use to get 8/9 weeks off in summer holidays. We use to finish before the last week of June and go back in September

user1476613140 · 21/07/2025 13:33

Not enjoying six weeks of entertaining them. Bloody exhausting. Roll on mid August when kids are back!

user1476613140 · 21/07/2025 13:35

Half term is February in Scotland not May.

Needmorelego · 21/07/2025 13:36

user1476613140 · 21/07/2025 13:35

Half term is February in Scotland not May.

England has February AND May for half term breaks.

ShallIstart · 21/07/2025 13:37

Yeah.. no thanks.
I work full time. I want shorter and less holidays. Kids dont need to just be kids any more than the thousands of hours they get to be kids already. Mine need to grow up a bit actually. And preferably start paying their way. Freeloaders. 😂

user1476613140 · 21/07/2025 13:37

4 in summer and 4 in October would be a better mix. Spreads it out more evenly.

user1476613140 · 21/07/2025 13:38

Needmorelego · 21/07/2025 13:36

England has February AND May for half term breaks.

Aye we break up end of June. No point having half term in May in Scotland.