Midwinter Complaining

mha3484

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 7:32 am

I have been asking myself this for a long time. For those on team I hate winter break no one should have one, do you have really easy and compliant children?

I ask because these conversations leave me feeling like I live on a different planet. Every day this week that I dont have to make my 9 year old wake up, get dressed and leave the house is glorious and I need it just as much as he does. I call this my mental vacation. But the burnout is real for me not just my kids.

amother

Honeysuckle

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 7:33 am

mha3484 wrote:

And your kids don’t fight when they’re home? I feel like the opposite. I feel like everyone wants vacation but I like my kids in school because they aren’t fighting with each other

mha3484

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 7:37 am

Sure they fight then they make up and play for a while and fight again that's what siblings do. But my son is way less agitated when he is not being pressured to wake up, get dressed, eat, leave coat shoes the whole morning. He goes to a great school where they love him and he mostly likes being there but the morning is just the worst. So this one week is majorly needed.

MommyM

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 7:43 am

I also like the break in routine that an occasional vacation gives, just not too long because then the kids start getting too bored if you don't plan well.
Also, I actually prefer a week in middle of the year, then another week added to summer vacation. (Keep in mind, many schools run according to the amount of days that is mandated by the government, so if they're in school now, they would have a longer summer.)

little neshamala

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 7:54 am

I love midwinter break. I am not a fan of school lol. We dont travel away, just hang at home and have fun, get treats, maybe do some local fun things but not always.
The break from homework is awesome, and no one comes home after a long difficult day with their nerves shot and ready to snap. (Have I memtioned im not a fan of school?)
Just hanging out together is nice BH.

amother

Saddlebrown

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 7:58 am

I look forward to midwinter break. It’s not a full week. I’ve always had boys and they always had school. Now I have a daughter and really enjoy the few days having fun together , lazying around a bit and enjoying each other’s company . I always take a break from work , so it’s a break for me too.

I do not have a lot of little kids home together . That would be hard for me.

amother

Alyssum

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 8:04 am

I work and can't usually take off when my kids have off (dh works too). So vacations from school are really hard. I do believe my kids need a break, but having to arrange for childcare for them is very difficult for me.

mha3484

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 8:05 am

amother Alyssum wrote:

I am at work now, DH is working at home but I still woke up at 8 vs 6:30 because no minyan bus and the kids woke up when they wanted and were in their pajamas when I left. It still beats school lol.

amother

Chestnut

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 8:07 am

mha3484 wrote:

I'm not really on any team, it is what it is. But I have a very difficult child who actually mostly gets up on time, makes the bus, and goes to school willingly. The structure of school seems to work for her even though when she's home she has no friends to talk with or go places with and hates studying or doing homework. Go figure. Definitely not from the easy and compliant category. She's the one who complains most about "everyone" going to Florida and we're not, even though we've gone over the years 3-4 times. She gives the most stress in terms of what we *have* to do and needing grandiose plans. So for this kid, in all honesty, it would be easier not to have midwinter vacation. But now that we do, you will find us at American Dream mall or bowling or color me mine or Get Air or or or (gaaaahhhhh).

amother

Alyssum

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 8:58 am

mha3484 wrote:

I am at work now, DH is working at home but I still woke up at 8 vs 6:30 because no minyan bus and the kids woke up when they wanted and were in their pajamas when I left. It still beats school lol.

That's so nice that DH can work at home and you can take it easier in the morning! My kids wake up bright and early (ranging from baby to pre-teen), so it doesn't save me any sleep. In fact, I think half of them wake up earlier during vacation do to pure excitement of not having school.

What do people do when both parents are out at work all day during vacation?

Blessing1

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 9:00 am

amother Alyssum wrote:

I often host kids for the day who's parents can't take off from work.

amother

Saddlebrown

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 9:07 am

Blessing1 wrote:

I often host kids for the day who's parents can't take off from work.

Same. I’m doing that on Monday iy”h. I reached out to a mom of one of the girls in my daughters class who won’t have off and I offered to take her daughter for a play date for the day.

mha3484

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 9:09 am

At my life stage, most of us either 1) have a school based job including business office jobs not only teachers 2) have enough seniority to get a decent PTO package and can take a few days off 3) don't work 4) have a job that lets you work remotely.

I didn't have this when my kids were little and they didn't care much about where we went or didn't go. As they get older I have built myself up and can take more days off.

amother

Mistyrose

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 10:28 am

amother Saddlebrown wrote:

Same. I’m doing that on Monday iy”h. I reached out to a mom of one of the girls in my daughters class who won’t have off and I offered to take her daughter for a play date for the day.

Just want to say as a working mother that is one of the kindest things you can do. The kids feel so left out stuck at home all day and it is really difficult to take of all of the vacation days.

amother

Burgundy

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 10:35 am

I live in Lakewood.
My boys have no vacation.
Some schools have off Friday and Sunday for boys. Mine give off nothing.
My daughter's have off friday- Monday, sometimes also Tuesday.
My Mesivta boys do not have off either. They had off Shabbasim last week for 1 and the week before for the other.

Technically, id keep my elementary school boys home if we were doing something.

But it's really hard to take off more days. I reserved my vacation days for Yom Tov and the summer vacation.
And I'm not going to do fun things if most my kids are in school.

We do our fun activities in the summer, before or after camp.

Honestly, I don't think my elementary school girls need the vacation so much. They start at 9:15 so they can sleep until 8 daily. Home by 4:30. No school on Sundays.

So yeah. I do grumble.

username11

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 10:36 am

mha3484 wrote:

What about the rest of the day?

mha3484

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 10:41 am

My 9 year old usually makes it to school by 9 (starts at 8:30) but he makes the mornings a lousy experience that make me joke about taking up day drinking lol. So for a kid like this the vacation is so so needed for him and me.

If your kid is not like this or you have a later schedule, I totally get that and maybe I would have a different opinion too. But if you have a really hard kid who makes you want to loose your mind getting him ready for school then we can be in the same boat.

mha3484

Tue, Jan 23 2024, 10:48 am

username11 wrote:

What about the rest of the day?

They have a huge bucket of lego they make all kinds of stuff with, they have a bunch of other toys, books, learning packets, and later in the afternoon when the computer is free they can have some screen time. My kids b'h mostly like each other and play decently. They are not malachim but they are taught from a youngish age to self entertain.