Do You Think The School Summer Holiday Is Too Long?

[Deleted User] · 05/05/14 - 00:20

I've always thought it's too long and should be cut down to a month. I remember it would really drag in those last 2 weeks....especially if i was grounded

I always thought they could make half terms a bit longer or make the christmas/easter breaks a bit longer to make up the time taken off the summer break.

Now i heard on the radio that teachers think this should happen too.

Thoughts?

[Deleted User] · 05/05/14 - 00:21

No. It's only 6 weeks, hardly long.

[Deleted User] · 05/05/14 - 00:24

Ramo1234 wrote: »

No. It's only 6 weeks, hardly long.

Well i remember always finding it starting to drag in the final two weeks

WhisperingGhost · 05/05/14 - 00:30

We get 8 weeks in Northern Ireland and, as a working adult who uses public transport, it is heaven! Shorter travel times, no rowdy teenagers playing music out their phones, standing on seats and basically being annoying b****ds!

MargMck · 05/05/14 - 00:32

WhisperingGhost wrote: »

We get 8 weeks in Northern Ireland and, as a working adult who uses public transport, it is heaven! Shorter travel times, no rowdy teenagers playing music out their phones, standing on seats and basically being annoying b****ds!

I love it when all the "drive them half a mile to school" mums are off the roads.

skp20040 · 05/05/14 - 01:19

I would say 6 weeks is about right, plenty of time for maintenance works in schools to be carried out and also for families to go on holiday. Reduce it to four and it would have a huge knock on effect on families actually being able to go away together.

ROWLING2010 · 05/05/14 - 01:39

Six weeks Is ok.

Easter holidays however shouldn't be so long. Break up Thursday and go back Tuesday is enough.

November_Rain · 05/05/14 - 02:58

They are fine as they are.

[Deleted User] · 05/05/14 - 04:51

November_Rain wrote: »

They are fine as they are.

Fair enuff

Takae · 05/05/14 - 05:26

Yes and no.

We both work full time, often long hours. Finding a way to ensure they wouldn't be left alone at times can be a headache. It can be frustrating when there's more work than the usual.

At one point, we paid a cousin's harebrained son to stay with us as a summer babysitter. This is the guy I wouldn't trust to look after our cats, but we had no choice. I think I phoned the house fifty times per day, but the main thing is, he did his job as he didn't burn down the house or accidentally killed our kids. This sort of thing is usually when I feel the summer break is too long.

No problem this year, though, as we're shipping all off to their grandfather and family for an entire summer. We'll join them for a fortnight. When it works out like this one, I feel the length is just right.

SegaGamer · 05/05/14 - 06:10

No, it's perfect as it is. Let the kids be kids and have a childhood just like we all did. Everything these days is "kids should be in school, and once they finish they should go to college and after that get a job". What about having a life and enjoying it ?

Sammmymack · 05/05/14 - 06:39

Takae wrote: »

Yes and no.

We both work full time, often long hours. Finding a way to ensure they wouldn't be left alone at times can be a headache. It can be frustrating when there's more work than the usual.

At one point, we paid a cousin's harebrained son to stay with us as a summer babysitter. This is the guy I wouldn't trust to look after our cats, but we had no choice. I think I phoned the house fifty times per day, but the main thing is, he did his job as he didn't burn down the house or accidentally killed our kids. This sort of thing is usually when I feel the summer break is too long.

No problem this year, though, as we're shipping all off to their grandfather and family for an entire summer. We'll join them for a fortnight. When it works out like this one, I feel the length is just right.

Schools are not free childcare.

BlueEyedMrsP · 05/05/14 - 06:49

I think 6 weeks is okay. In Canada the kids are off from the end of June until September, so 8 weeks (roughly). In a world where kids are quick to complain of boredom, I suppose 6 weeks can seem a long time. I remember loving the summer holiday from school when I was a kid, we played outside from sun-up til 8 or 9 at night, only coming in to eat or go to the toilet. We played at the park, or did tag, hide-n-seek, or Red Rover. The only time we were 'bored' is when it was chucking down rain, but that was rare. We entertained ourselves with toys, puzzles, or coloring books on those days, but I suppose we annoyed our parents when we were in the house all day. For 2 years I cancelled our cable subscription over the summer to make the kids go outside and play more.

My friends thought I was bonkers.

Croctacus · 05/05/14 - 07:31

SegaGamer wrote: »

No, it's perfect as it is. Let the kids be kids and have a childhood just like we all did. Everything these days is "kids should be in school, and once they finish they should go to college and after that get a job". What about having a life and enjoying it ?

I couldn't agree more.

Takae · 05/05/14 - 07:42

Sammmymack wrote: »

Schools are not free childcare.

Of course I realise that.

PencilBreath · 05/05/14 - 07:45

This'll be our boys 1st year at school so I dunno yet. It was too long when I was a kid, it seemed to last forever & we always got bored.

[Deleted User] · 05/05/14 - 07:52

SegaGamer wrote: »

No, it's perfect as it is. Let the kids be kids and have a childhood just like we all did. Everything these days is "kids should be in school, and once they finish they should go to college and after that get a job". What about having a life and enjoying it ?

I'm not saying they shouldn't be kids and enjoy life. I'm saying maybe the 6 weeks is just a bit too long and why not give them a bit longer off during half term breaks or something instead? So not to take their time out of school away from them but just to spread it out a bit more? Surely a month off in summer is quite a lot without getting to the point where it drags for them?

I honestly remember being at a loose end after 4 weeks off. Not that i liked school much either, i was never happy really

Deb Arkle · 05/05/14 - 07:55

I'd prefer to move 2 weeks - one to the October half term and one to spring half term - which would then make it more practical to have holidays in that time, as many flights are midweek making it impossible to go abroad without missing a large chunk of school.

Mentorist · 05/05/14 - 07:55

Makes sense to me to shorten the summer break and have a longer winter break. Would save the schools money and possibly help to prevent snow days depending on when the bad weather hits.

codeblue · 05/05/14 - 07:58

From a teachers point of view I'm sure it should be increased to eight weeks!

They need the break.

PencilBreath · 05/05/14 - 07:59

pjw1985 wrote: »

I'm not saying they shouldn't be kids and enjoy life. I'm saying maybe the 6 weeks is just a bit too long and why not give them a bit longer off during half term breaks or something instead? So not to take their time out of school away from them but just to spread it out a bit more? Surely a month off in summer is quite a lot without getting to the point where it drags for them?

I honestly remember being at a loose end after 4 weeks off. Not that i liked school much either, i was never happy really

That's when we always used to start getting into trouble

cjsmummy · 05/05/14 - 08:07

6 weeks is absolutely fine. I don't understand people who moan about their kids being off school. Why have children if you don't enjoy them?

Takae · 05/05/14 - 08:20

Deb Arkle wrote: »

I'd prefer to move 2 weeks - one to the October half term and one to spring half term - which would then make it more practical to have holidays in that time, as many flights are midweek making it impossible to go abroad without missing a large chunk of school.

I like that idea.

Takae · 05/05/14 - 08:23

cjsmummy wrote: »

6 weeks is absolutely fine. I don't understand people who moan about their kids being off school. Why have children if you don't enjoy them?

It's not about that. It's about the structure of time blocks.

I don't understand why one needs to make it personal. I adore my children and I'd love to be a full time parent, but we can't afford to.

PencilBreath · 05/05/14 - 08:24

cjsmummy wrote: »

6 weeks is absolutely fine. I don't understand people who moan about their kids being off school. Why have children if you don't enjoy them?

Why can't we just have them for the benefits & council house like everyone else

MikeJW · 05/05/14 - 08:25

For me, as a kid, we had 8 weeks summer holidays, and it wasn't long enough. We'd go to stay with my grandmas, so that meant about 4x weeks in the Isle of Man, then 2x weeks in North Wales. The rest of my childhood might have been rubbish, but the holidays were brilliant.

Of course, that was probably quite unusual, and if I was stuck at home, just one parent, problems in looking after me etc, it would probably have been different. But I'd still say, leave things as they are. The long holiday punctuates the year, it's a time that feels very different, and the shorter you make it, the more it just blends into everything else, it's not as "special" any more.

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Do You Think The School Summer Holiday Is Too Long?

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