Back at school already!

[mastertomsmum]

Anyone else think 3 be back at school after Christmas?

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Anyone else think 3rd of Jan is too soon to be back at school after Christmas?

Yes! Mine were not ready at all, but we have got a slightly earlier half term than a lot of the country so have been able to book a cheap break away

We’ve had this in previous years and I hate it! Prefer the time off to be after Christmas. We only finished on 21st here, back next monday

Ours aren't back until Monday

Considering both DH and I are back to a normal working day now it's actually simpler for them to resume a normal school day as soon as possible in January. There's nothing for them at home during the working week.

It's been a tricky year in terms of Christmas break timing.

One common option was to break up on 21st, back on the 7th. The Autumn term was record-breakingly long, and left staff and pupils absolutely shattered by the end - but this arrangement does give a 2 week break with weekends at either end, so effectively 16 days

The other option was to break up in, say, a much more typical date of the 19th - aiming for Christmas in the middle of a 14 day break - which then did give a return date of 2nd or 3rd. We had that last year - back in school on 2nd January, though we took it as an INSET to give the pupils a bit longer.

Obviously easier if the Friday before Christmas is 18th / 19th, as that gives the extra weekend and a return on 4th / 5th January - but that doesn't come round every year.

DD went back to school yesterday (Thursday 3rd) and had 3 mock GSCEs on her first day back. More of the same for next 10 days. Has made for a stressful Christmas!

Last year ours went back on the 3rd and I much preferred it. They don’t go back till next Tuesday here as they’ve got an inset day on Monday. Everyone was exhausted from mid December and school just kept on going and going. Would far rather break up earlier and send them all back to school on the 3rd/4th, just seems far nicer in my head.

I prefer it the way we've got it here: break up close to Christmas and back a bit later.

When Dd was smaller she got too giddy in the run up to Christmas and the routine of school helped keeps things a bit less manic. And then after Christmas she had time to enjoy her new toys etc.

Now she's older we like to get some winter sun. This way round we got Christmas at home, a couple of days to 'finish' off the Christmas celebrations and then we've had a week away - currently in the drive home from airport but knowing we've got the weekend free to relax and prepare for back to work and school.

It does help as I teach in the same LEA so have the same holidays as Dd, and dh's form isn't open on Christmas Eve and New years eve, so he's not had to use many holidays either.

Ours are back on 7th and prefer that to them of having gone back on 3rd. I took a couple days off work too so has been nice for me too.