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Why do kids need such a long summer vacation?
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shabbatiscoming




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Feb 03 2019, 5:10 am
Im not saying they dont need a vacation from school. They do. For sure, no denying that. But two months or more? Its just too much in my opinion.
Who else agrees?
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Ruchel




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Feb 03 2019, 5:40 am
Once upon a time PARENTS needed kids home for the crops... I find it annoying now, basically you need childcare for a month if both work (or you go nuts if you are home), and then it's the "montha way" more and more cannot afford
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salt




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Feb 03 2019, 5:52 am
shabbatiscoming wrote:
Im not saying they dont need a vacation from school. They do. For sure, no denying that. But two months or more? Its just too much in my opinion.
Who else agrees?


Everyone except teachers would agree with you I think Smile
Although the Israeli education ministry has been productive over the past few years in trying to solve the problem - free kaytanot for July for lower grades, etc.
But hardest is the older kids who need to be kept busy, and need more than just a backyard kaytana, with 2 teenagers keeping them busy.
I try and encourage my teens to find volunteer opportunities in the summer vacations. Or paid jobs. At least for 2-3 weeks.
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Ruchel




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Feb 03 2019, 6:25 am
I find older children so easy. Videos (yes), outings a couple times a week. Toddlers I can't, especially since I don't go out in heat
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salt




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Feb 03 2019, 6:30 am
Ruchel wrote:
I find older children so easy. Videos (yes), outings a couple times a week. Toddlers I can't, especially since I don't go out in heat


What do you mean by 'older'?
I hate seeing my teenagers doing nothing. A video takes 1 hour. What do they do the rest of the day? Teenagers need something constructive to fill up their day. It can be sport/swimming, volunteering in an old age home, babysitting, taking a course, something. And some fun too - going out, videos here and there, but for 2 months?!
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Ruchel




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Feb 03 2019, 6:33 am
We try to leave for several weeks. But the rest at home, they keep busy or I find them occupations LOL. They can see friends if they're bored, or go out too. Also big kids can go out alone while toddlers obvs can't. As a teen I spent my time, didn't do anything you describe Wink
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devash1




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Feb 03 2019, 7:37 am
I wish my girls had a drop less and my son who is in cheder had a a drop more since he's only off for three weeks. I think five weeks for everyone would be perfect!
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ra_mom




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Feb 03 2019, 7:41 am
I wish they had more summer vacation from school, but structured, not home twiddling their thumbs. I wouldn't mind if the camp schedule was 3 months and not 2.
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amother
Gray


 

Post Sun, Feb 03 2019, 8:07 am
I wish there would be different types of camps but I live OOT. I would love it if there could be a frum zoo camp that my kids could go to for a week or two, a camp that had high quality sports, dance instruction... I live OOT of town so the one frum camp has to try to to try to cater to the biggest variety of people. I have no interest in my kid being in a camp 3 months eating junk, cheering their heads off, going to trampoline parks.... we actually have just been keeping our kids home instead but I can understand how that would be incredible in theory.
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shabbatiscoming




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Feb 03 2019, 9:39 am
salt wrote:
Everyone except teachers would agree with you I think Smile
Although the Israeli education ministry has been productive over the past few years in trying to solve the problem - free kaytanot for July for lower grades, etc.
But hardest is the older kids who need to be kept busy, and need more than just a backyard kaytana, with 2 teenagers keeping them busy.
I try and encourage my teens to find volunteer opportunities in the summer vacations. Or paid jobs. At least for 2-3 weeks.
The worst age is when there are no more school kaytanot and non in your local yishuvim and they are not teens yet so they cant do everything on their own juts yet and you work and your husband works and you must find them a misgeret. Its very hard. They cant just stay home and watch tv all day.
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shabbatiscoming




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Feb 03 2019, 9:40 am
Ruchel wrote:
I find older children so easy. Videos (yes), outings a couple times a week. Toddlers I can't, especially since I don't go out in heat
This only works, to take kids on outings, if one doesnt work Sad
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Ruchel




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Feb 03 2019, 9:41 am
If one works the children are in child care when too young to be home alone. If one works at home I suppose the same is necessary though fewer hours
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shabbatiscoming




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Feb 03 2019, 9:42 am
devash1 wrote:
I wish my girls had a drop less and my son who is in cheder had a a drop more since he's only off for three weeks. I think five weeks for everyone would be perfect!
I agree, 5 would be great. I personally think a month is perfect. But 5 would be fine as well.
Its good for kids to be able to enjoy some unstructured time, but two plus months? Its just toooo much.
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shabbatiscoming




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Feb 03 2019, 9:43 am
ra_mom wrote:
I wish they had more summer vacation from school, but structured, not home twiddling their thumbs. I wouldn't mind if the camp schedule was 3 months and not 2.
Camps, in Israel, are either expensive, very expensive or very few and far between.
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amother
Powderblue


 

Post Sun, Feb 03 2019, 9:44 am
shabbatiscoming wrote:
I agree, 5 would be great. I personally think a month is perfect. But 5 would be fine as well.
Its good for kids to be able to enjoy some unstructured time, but two plus months? Its just toooo much.


Move to the U.K. We have 5.5-6 weeks summer holiday.
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amother
Orange


 

Post Sun, Feb 03 2019, 9:44 am
salt wrote:
Everyone except teachers would agree with you I think Smile


We would be ok with a bit less in the summer too, but would appreciate if that time off got relocated to a slightly longer/ additional vacation during the year. Either that or raise pays if you want us to work more months- many teachers take an additional job in the summer to make ends meet.

The bigger problem is good luck being the one school that starts this movement of shortening vacation: kids and the parents who want to go away would complain to no end.
The year my school began ending on Thursday instead of Wednesday we got dozens of complaints.
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shabbatiscoming




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Feb 03 2019, 9:46 am
Ruchel wrote:
If one works the children are in child care when too young to be home alone. If one works at home I suppose the same is necessary though fewer hours
So, to me children in childcare are until the age of 4. Then there is actual school, so childcare ends when its summer break. So, then they have to find things to do.
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causemommysaid




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Feb 03 2019, 9:47 am
They don't.

No kid needs 10 weeks off
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mha3484




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Feb 03 2019, 10:01 am
My sons yeshiva is extending the school year by three weeks. Learning program in the morning and fun activities in the afternoon. Instead of an eleven week summer it will be eight weeks. 90% of parents voted for it so I think most of us agree that it’s too much the way it is currently structured.
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keym




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Feb 03 2019, 10:10 am
I actually like how the boys in Lakewood do it. The first 3-4 weeks are in school, Rebbi and all. But instead of English, they have swimming, sports, and a trip or two.
Then 6 weeks of vacation. Of those 6 weeks, most boys go to camp (day camp, then sleep over) for 4 weeks, and 2 weeks to veg and be bored. They need those 2 weeks to be bored so they are excited to go back to school.
However the girls 10-11 weeks is ridiculous. Even if there are day camps for 8-9 weeks. Its still insane.
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