I don’t think there is a child who does not look forward to their school holidays. If any of them have parents who work the school holidays seem to come around too quickly.
Lucky are the kids who have mothers who don’t have to work and can stay at home and spend their time amusing their children when the school holidays come around.
We who work try our best to work out the logistics. The help of friends and family is so welcome, but also give us such guilty feelings even if they say they don’t mind.
I have one daughter and became friends with another woman who only had one child and so we shared the child care, swopping dates if necessary. But we still had to think of ways to keep our daughters amused.
Stories about school holidays are rife at the moment. I think many of us read the stories and have their own thoughts on their child’s school holidays.
The debate about taking children out of school is fuelled by companies raising the price of holiday resorts and airlines as soon as the holidays begin.
Many parents can’t afford the hike in price which stops them from going abroad. I know that there are more families are spending their holidays in England.
That is depriving children of seeing new places, eating different foods and seeing how other people in other countries live. Sadly the prices of places to stay in England are also charged higher in the school holidays
I am guilty of once asking if I could take my daughter out of school for a week to visit some relatives, who could only have us to stay at a certain time and we were both desperate to see them as they were both unwell.
I did ask permission for this which was granted, but nowadays I would be fined.
I don’t think that missing school for one week would hurt or affect their work. In fact my cousin who is a teacher thinks the summer holidays of six weeks is too long, as children forget what they had learned just before breaking up, and therefore have to start subjects all over again.
I am one of many parents and indeed teachers who think that the solution can be half terms should be increased by a week in February, May and October, leaving just three weeks in the summer. That gives the parents time to organise their own holidays to spend some time with their children.
School holidays fill parents with dread – needless to say all children just love them. I also think that the holidays give most grandparents a chance to have the children to stay with them.
I don’t want you to think that I am moaning. I love my daughter and always try to find something in the holidays that we can both enjoy.
One holiday we took together was to Club Med. It’s wonderful despite the prices because if you go there the kids go off to play all day while you soak up the sun and can relax. Sadly it is impossible for most of us to go now because of the prices.
So while the children are full of glee their parents are busy finding holidays they can afford. If anybody can give me some tips as what to do with our children in the school holidays I would be very grateful!
Answers please to editorial@maturetimes.co.uk
by Jane Buckle
