Summer is so long and it’s the worst for kids and parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To sum up this thread so far, the wealthy SAHPs love summer. Sounds about right.

LOL you beat me to it, that was my takeaway from this thread as well. $$$ for vacations and pool memberships, no need to coordinate schedules for kids across various camps with different start/end times located across town from each other. Must be nice!

[Anonymous]

One reason I’d prefer year round school with breaks throughout the year is that I dislike cramming so much vacation into summer. Especially as it’s gotten hotter. It’s not always when I want to travel! Plus taking four trips in the summer and then going months without a substantial break isn’t amazing, IMO. I’d rather have a lengthier fall and winter break and just take one or two summer trips. But because kids are off fir so long in the summer, it’s just easiest to do our family visits and big trips then.

I also think we don’t get as much out of them because they are stacked together like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To sum up this thread so far, the wealthy SAHPs love summer. Sounds about right.

Yep. And don’t forget teachers!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:WHO benefits from 10 weeks off in summer??!

Not teachers: we would much prefer a year round schedule with frequent breaks.

Not kids: it’s too long without friends and work

Not parents: it’s too long to find childcare

It’s just crazy long. Why has the USA not adopted a year round schedule yet?

Whatever are you prattling on about

[Anonymous]

5 weeks of summer would be best with the additional weeks sprinkled in fall and spring. Basically quarter semesters.

10-12 weeks is way too long.

[Anonymous]

I’m a teacher and I love summer. I picked my career for a somewhat balanced life so I could have the time with the kids. I still use some childcare though.

But the problem that no one is discussing is that our national school infrastructure has buildings that can’t be used in the summer. It’s already 90 in my classroom by June and in September. And I work in a private school! We have plans to add A\C but it’s millions of dollars and a multi year timeline. Imagine doing that nationwide?

[Anonymous]

You need to reevaluate your life if you don’t love ten weeks off. Speak for yourself. Some of us have figured out the balance.

Maybe you’ve over leveraged your big DC life. Get off the treadmill. How many summers left until you die?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:5 weeks of summer would be best with the additional weeks sprinkled in fall and spring. Basically quarter semesters.

10-12 weeks is way too long.

+1

[Anonymous]

mom and teacher…we love summer! It’s the time of year we all look forward to. My kids don’t have to compete with anyone else’s for my time and attention. Not sorry.
And, for the record, year round is a deal breaker for a lot of people. The number of resignations was bad enough this year, let’s not test the waters with this one right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To sum up this thread so far, the wealthy SAHPs love summer. Sounds about right.

LOL you beat me to it, that was my takeaway from this thread as well. $$$ for vacations and pool memberships, no need to coordinate schedules for kids across various camps with different start/end times located across town from each other. Must be nice!

Yeah, no. We're comfortable but not wealthy. The vacations I mentioned in my post are to a small beach and then to DH's hometown in upstate NY - hardly weeks in Europe. Our kids go to KAH camps, all based at the same location. We deliberately chose not fancy, affordable camps because (1) that's what we could afford and (2) it minimizes our family's stress. The pool membership is a splurge, but it's also our primary form of social interaction for the summer. I work hard as a volunteer at the swim meets, while DH wrangles the kids.

If you choose to send different kids to different camps and schlep all over town, that's on you. It doesn't have to be as complicated as many parents make it.

-FT working mom of three

[Anonymous]

We travel to the grandparents and rent a house with a pool for ~ 5 weeks and work from there while grandparents spend time with the kids (it's Florida and not on the beach, so it's not an obscene expense). Then we do ~ 5 weeks of county camps. It's pretty easy logistically, but the time away from home does get to be a bit long. I'd be fine if summer break was a few weeks shorter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a teacher and I love summer. I picked my career for a somewhat balanced life so I could have the time with the kids. I still use some childcare though.

But the problem that no one is discussing is that our national school infrastructure has buildings that can’t be used in the summer. It’s already 90 in my classroom by June and in September. And I work in a private school! We have plans to add A\C but it’s millions of dollars and a multi year timeline. Imagine doing that nationwide?

Depends on the school lots of public schools have air conditioning sorry your private school is so cheap with the infrastructure

[Anonymous]

I’m shocked that your school doesn’t have air conditioning?! What?

[Anonymous]

The teachers I know all love their summers and would not prefer to work in a year round school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m shocked that your school doesn’t have air conditioning?! What?

I'm from rural midwest and none of the schools are air conditioned.