How much vacation do your kids have? Is it a good amount?

keym

Mon, Jul 17 2017, 10:55 am

How much summer vacation do your kids have? Is it a good amount for you? Too much or too little? What do you do with your kids?
I'm really curious about what different families in different communities do.

I'll start. We live in Lakewood. My daughters and prescholers have 10-11 weeks. They go to day camps because I work, but I think the vacation is way too long. There is way too much unstructured time. Some is great because it helps them unwind, but I think this amount is crazy.
My sons have for the first 4 weeks, cheder camp. Cheder with Kodesh in the morning and swimming, sports in the afternoon, and no homework. Then for 5-6 weeks, they have vacation. I send them to day camp for 4 weeks again because I work.
I actually think this arrangement is perfectly just right. They have plenty of swimming, sports time. They have structured time. They have unstructured time. They learn. They don't go too crazy and get too bored.
What do you have and what do your kids do?

mha3484

Mon, Jul 17 2017, 11:05 am

I am in Chicago. My school aged child (boy) has 10 weeks vacation and camp goes 8 weeks. I work full time my husband has more flexibility so he is home with the kids who are too young for school. He will manage for one week at the end of the summer and the other week we are planning to go see my in laws out of town. My toddler is doing 5 weeks of camp for the chinuch aspect. I want him to get used to being with other kids and following instructions before he starts play group in September. I have been really enjoying our Sundays without the pressure of school. We have done some fun day trips and I hope to do more throughout the summer.

amother

Beige

Mon, Jul 17 2017, 8:59 pm

I'm not in the US, so our vacation is structured differently (and keep in mind, the US workforce is one of the least family-friendly of all the developed countries, making school vacations that much more of a challenge.)

All the schools have four terms, with vacation between all of them.

So it goes:

First term, then 2 weeks vacation (but for the Jewish schools that is Pesach vacation).

Second terms, then 2 weeks winter break. (there is day camp through the school for the full two weeks for those who need).

Third term, then 2 weeks vacation. (because there are so many days off during Tishrei, the Jewish schools don't really do this vacation. Most schools either give chol hamoed off, or they have school chol hamoed and give a few days off after sukkot)

Then goes fourth term, followed by 6 weeks summer vacation. Overnight camps range from 1-3 weeks. There are also day camps for part or most of the time. And many families go away for a week or two together.

No school sundays, which I think is SO important.

And we do not get off all the erev yom tovs and isru chags that many of you guys seem to. Erev shabbos is always a 3:15 ending. Erev Yom tov is usually 1:00pm. School pretty much always resumes the day after chag, with few exceptions.

salt

Mon, Jul 17 2017, 10:27 pm

In Israel.
My boys have 3 weeks off (9 Av - Elul) - they sometimes complain a little that it's not enough, but I really believe it's plenty and they're just comparing themselves to their sisters.

My girls are off July and August, but July is school/gan camp (kaytana) - very reasonably priced - ~350 shekels for the month.

So they end up with August off.
When it coincides with the boy's 3 weeks it's great. Some of it always overlaps.

They keep themselves busy, but by the end, they are bored enough that they're ready to go back to school!
I usually take 1-2 weeks off in August to be with them.
They are old enough to be left at home alone now, as long as the big ones are with the younger ones.

amother

Gold

Tue, Jul 18 2017, 1:22 am

In Israel. July and august off. July there is camp. August there is no camp so it will be camp ema until I go back to work. After that? Still not sure what to do. There will be at last 2 full weeks where I dont have child care or anything planned for my child. I have no nails left from biting because I am so nervous about that still.
My child loves school so is very sad that there are two full months of vacation.