Summer holidays should be longer

[noblegiraffe]

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.

There are a lot of countries with much worse weather who spend a lot more time outdoors. I do agree there should be more on in October and February, although amusement parks aren't the way to go. A lot of parents (me included) aren't really sure what to do outside with kids, especially if it's rainy and park equipment is slippery and unsafe. I'd like some more forest school provision to be available, and/or perhaps some educational sessions on how parents can spend time with children outdoors in bad weather. I like to go for a walk, but my 5 yo spends the whole time saying she's tired, bored, and wants to be carried.

This statement always gets an outing on these threads.

However in the real world of working parents, school is a form of childcare. Without sending DC to the free fo all state school DH & I wouldn't have been able to go to work and earn the money to keep a roof over DC'S head, food on the table and clothes on their backs.

II’m in Italy and the 3 month summer holidays are a way of life. It’s where the multigenerational families work best.
Kids go to grandparents, cousins, nearby family second homes close enough for one of the parents to commute and the other to stay with the children and cousins.

Factories are often closed for two weeks around August 15th (Ferragosto) and in our case we tagged on a third week before or after. Unpaid leave was also an option.
We used a local Catholic Oratorio (well safeguarded youth clubs) for the first month where all religions were accepted and participants were expected to then be youth leaders at 16+. That got them work experience points towards their final exams. The youth leaders were given a week in a scouting activity centre as a reward.
Study holidays abroad are popular for learning languages. Mine did music camp in the Alps and if the parents are under a certain income the INPS (social security) offers scholarships and similar activities.

For me, the most important aspect is that 3 months gives the children time to build an alternative lifestyle. There is school life and summer life. They dive into a healthier outdoorsy routine with family connections, a break from school stress. Ok, worst case scenario is that they fester in front of screens but it’s just not expected. And school insists on a reading list or activity book.

When I was a kid in the UK I used to cry with boredom by the 5th week, even with a SAHM. I’d lost my routine and would just mope around the house. It got better when I could bike to see friends or go into town but school was my main source of stimulation.

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6 weeks is enough - i'm in Germany, the country is so big that each federal state starts and ends the summer holiday at a different time, they stagger it to lessen the effects on industry etc. (the factories that close down for summer maintenance, afaik, time it to coincide with the start or end of holiday in their state, to help the parents out)

They stagger holidays in the Netherlands too, which is much smaller than the UK. It's probably a good idea.

I don't think holidays should be longer. As others have said, they have detrimental effects on children from poorer backgrounds.

They break up earlier cos school day is longer! My DD finishes school at 5pm hence longer holidays.
There would be uproar if state schools finished at 5pm.

'Getting all the holidays off' isn't the point. Teachers have no more paid holiday entitlement than other workers. They just aren't contracted or paid to work at those times. It's fundamentally a part time job, but not 3 days a week etc, 195 days a year.

If you want to shorten pupils' holidays, you'd be requesting an increase in school contact time, which would cost far more in school staff salaries. So if childcare costs are the concern, you'd be better off not asking a qualified teacher to be the one to take it on!

I agree! Much better to have a break at half term rather than a very long summer holiday. LIttle and often is much more helpful!

We get almost two months for summer amongst all the other holidays - December, October etc etc - it’s far TOO much, my kids are so bored and it costs us a absolute fortune for clubs, we don’t get much work holiday and we both travel for work - summer is especially busy - what do you propose we do op?

We used to go picking strawberries and raspberries in the summer holidays and tattie picking in October. Was bloody hard work though.

You don't "understand" that not all parents are doing some reading/learning/educational activities with their kids during the holidays? Really?

Yes, I work in a college but in a support role, so I don't have the same holiday pattern as the teaching staff. The students and lecturers are off for six weeks in the summer but I'm not - these are normal working weeks for me.

I'll admit though, I didn't realise that some people only get 20 days AL a year; I don't think I've ever had fewer than 27 (plus bank holidays). I can see how that would be a hideous source of stress, trying to cover every holiday.

In the private sector it's very common, especially in lower grade roles, to only have 20 days + 8 b/h.
I'm in a senior role and only get 25 + 8 b/h plus I have to use 3 of my entitlement to cover mandatory Xmas shutdown

Yes really. Don't you read with your kids? Do maths while you are out shopping? Etc?

Some parents do but many do not. Many kids won't even get fed properly in school holidays! Many kids will spend their holidays in front of TV/screens

Oh we’d love July off as well
nearly at the end of our schooling time so it won’t change for ours
eldest finished GCSEs in June and it’s been odd but great he is in full swing holiday mode now whilst youngster has one more morning to struggle in :-)

I know... Because approximately 30% of all Mumsnet posts say this.

But the point is the OP doesn't have to think about school holiday cover at all. That's why she doesn't understand the world that other people live in.

I actually wasn't really advocating shorter school holidays but if you wanted to do something to support families, most would want shorter not longer holidays, that's all

The Western European country where I currently live has nine weeks summer holidays and big participation of mothers in the work force (three months maternity leave and then habitually daycare, too).

The local council organises child care. It's open every day, from 9-17 with early shift from 7.30 late shift until 19. Places are in theory limited but in practice not oversubscribed. It costs 7,5 euros per child per day from four years on, and for my younger child I think it's 10 euros a day. I think you can also partly withdraw the cost from taxes (moved here quite recently so hasn't come up yet for me). There's reduced prices for some but I don't know as I pay "full" price.

As half the town goes, they don't complain because they see their friends. It's basically teenagers supervising kids with adults supervising the teenagers. They play outside a lot but also have crafting and so on. You bring your own packed lunch and two snacks.

It's really easy to sort childcare if your society is geared towards women working!

This ^^

I thought it was just standard knowledge? 😳

I know so many kids who do literally nothing all summer hols. Just sit on their phone/computer.
They're not enjoying themselves, it's very sad to see.
My kids are extremely fortunate, I have all school holidays off and save money throughout the year so we can do loads of days out/trips away.
But most of their friends as are not in the same position.

Seemingly not

Yes I do (or did, my kids are young adults now). But I'm also capable of understanding that there is a lot of poor parenting out there. And not practicing maths when out shopping is the least of it! You'd have to live in a bubble (or be particularly obtuse, wilfully or otherwise) to not realise this.

Mine always had eight weeks in the summer, broke up before many other schools so we used to go away for a couple of weeks then, less crowded. I think eight weeks is about right, always enjoyed that.

I don't know about other parts of the UK but Edinburgh and Glasgow used to have different summer holidays when most businesses closed. Edinburgh Trades was/is the first two weeks of July and Glasgow Fair the second half of July. It's still more difficult to get a tradesman during those weeks!