Poll: What do you think about summer break for kids?

[Chaotic42]

The kids are out screaming as I glare down from my window like the Grinch at The Who, Pete Townsend IV outside playing and probably breaking stuff.

I remember summer break being great as a kid, but even then I saw the advantage of year-round school. We could cram in another three years of learning for the average student and teachers wouldn't have to spend time getting everyone caught up in the fall.

I'm a fan of the PTO method, where students get two or three weeks off per year to use whenever is best for their family. What say you?

 

[Exterous]

I'd rather see something like a year round trimester sort of thing with a few weeks or more between them and maybe some more days off here and there. Cramming in a lot of extra education days kinda takes away from 'being a kid'. They'll have decades to toil a way year round later in life. A shorter break would help with content retention so just moving to that might help speed the curriculum up a bit anyway

 

[dullard]

As a child, I detested the first ~2 months of each new school year as it was just a repeat of last year to catch people back up. That was nearly 25% of the entire school year wasted. I longed for a school year where the summer breaks were smaller (but no more time in school).

Instead of 180 days of 7 hours each, I think a better system would be 210 days of 6 hours each. Then break up each quarter with 2.5 week breaks. Both teach the same amount of time, so you don't need to pay the teachers more. But the wasted "catching back up" period would be ended.

 

[vi edit]

As a parent I'd like a few more options throughout the year to plan vacations and also not have to foot summer camp costs over the course of 2.5+ months. Plus the whole retention issue of that much of a gap. So many schools are newer now and have AC built in. That used to be the argument against it in my area (Midwest). Schools didn't have AC and classes were just too hot in July/August. Newer schools don't have that issue.

 

[ultimatebob]

How is a PTO system going to work for schooling? You would end up missing some key lessons during the week or two while you are gone from class, leaving you confused for the rest of the semester.

This isn't like a job, where someone else can cover for you. You either learn the material, or fall behind. Most lessons build on each other as well... if you missed two weeks of introductory Algebra or Computer Science, you're going to be in trouble when you get back.

I kinda like the idea of having 2 weeks off every 2 months. I think that it would keep kids from forgetting material during the long school break.

 

[ponyo]

As a kid, I loved summer vacation. As a parent, I want to see the end to this summer vacation practice and switch to year round school.

 

[Ns1]

you have the rest of your life to work 12 months/year, give the kids the damn summer break.

 

[Red Squirrel]

They definitely deserve it. I know when I was in school it was the only thing to really look forward to. School is the most stressful part of one's life. If your life after school is more stressful you are doing it wrong.

 

[snoopy7548]

Give the kids the summer off. They're not going to be able to concentrate when the sun is out and its 85 degrees, heck I can barely concentrate at work when it's a beautiful day.

One of the nice things about summer vacation is less traffic in the morning. No school buses or parents driving their kids to school at 6:50a.m.

 

[Carson Dyle]

Year 'round daycare, er, school, sounds like it would be a godsend for most people.

One thing I have a hard time with is the idea of something like a month off in the summer and one around the holidays. This may work in other cultures where everyone takes the same month off for holiday, but I can't see it in the US. Imagine everyone at your workplace wanting two or three weeks vacation in August. Or imagine every family in the US hitting national parks or amusement parks or sight-seeing during the same 30 day period every year.

 

[Chaotic42]

They definitely deserve it. I know when I was in school it was the only thing to really look forward to. School is the most stressful part of one's life. If your life after school is more stressful you are doing it wrong.

Not even close for me. Childhood was incredibly stressful, but school was cake.

 

[lxskllr]

I'm a traditionalist. They should put the kids in the fields weeding and picking vegetables. They'll appreciate school more in the fall.

 

[vi edit]

I'm a traditionalist. They should put the kids in the fields weeding and picking vegetables. They'll appreciate school more in the fall.

Picked strawberries and detassled corn over Summers. Can confirm.

 

[brianmanahan]

kids ruin my summer vacations, so i vote to keep them in school 24/7/365/18

 

[Red Squirrel]

One of the nice things about summer vacation is less traffic in the morning. No school buses or parents driving their kids to school at 6:50a.m.

There's a school in front of my house so I see the traffic first hand. The summer break is great for reduced traffic.

Between 3:00 and 3:30ish I cannot leave or enter my driveway because of all the soccer mom SUVs and pickup trucks lining up to pickup their kids. The entire road is basically shut down for that time, it's nuts. Back in my day, we either lived far enough from school to take the bus, or we lived close enough to have to walk. -40? We still walked.

 

[frozentundra123456]

Not even close for me. Childhood was incredibly stressful, but school was cake.

Yea, I didnt find the stress of school, either high school or college, nearly as intense as having a mortgage, car payment and family to support, and having a job that required grants for funding. Luckily, though, when I went to college, aid was easier to obtain and it was much cheaper, so I did not graduate with 50 to 100k of student loan debt.

 

[boomerang]

Summer break for children is fine as long as they are working around the farm. Gotta keep our agrarian economy rolling along.

 

[Herr Kutz]

2-3 months off during the summer. Loved it as a kid and enjoy the reduced traffic during this time.

 

[rh71]

As a child, I detested the first ~2 months of each new school year as it was just a repeat of last year to catch people back up.

It's like the first few weeks of the new work year where you have meet new goals again after working your ass off to meet the old ones. It's not a good feeling having to start over when your numbers were rolling.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

How is a PTO system going to work for schooling? You would end up missing some key lessons during the week or two while you are gone from class, leaving you confused for the rest of the semester.

This isn't like a job, where someone else can cover for you. You either learn the material, or fall behind. Most lessons build on each other as well... if you missed two weeks of introductory Algebra or Computer Science, you're going to be in trouble when you get back.

I kinda like the idea of having 2 weeks off every 2 months. I think that it would keep kids from forgetting material during the long school break.

Outside of certain "very important" positions, I've learned in life that most jobs don't continue when I'm out on pto. Someone might be around to answer questions or for an emergency, but when I get back all the work is still there.

I agree, we need Pto and we need to stop with the summer bullshi t where that is the only time in which we can travel. It's okay, you can be a BIG boy and catch up when you get back. You don't need to hold kids hands 24/7 like they are incapable. Have more faith in your God damn kids instead of coddling them all the time. They might just learn to take responsibility in life....

 

[pauldun170]

2 months off to experience "non-school curriculum" stuff is pretty damn valuable.
Community service stuff, Scouting, travel or just socializing in general opens up all sorts of learning opportunities they can't get in a normal classroom environment. Hell, there are plenty of kids who are attending multiple 1 to 2 week "specialty camps" (science\music\sports\religion\language).

Unless you're a shitty parent who sticks a smart phone in their hand and points them in the direction of the xbox.....
then yeah..maybe you should find a year round school.

 

[Majes]

Love summer vacations. There are few things worse than being stuck in school during June or August.

 

[vi edit]

2 months off to experience "non-school curriculum" stuff is pretty damn valuable.
Community service stuff, Scouting, travel or just socializing in general opens up all sorts of learning opportunities they can't get in a normal classroom environment. Hell, there are plenty of kids who are attending multiple 1 to 2 week "specialty camps" (science\music\sports\religion\language).

Unless you're a shitty parent who sticks a smart phone in their hand and points them in the direction of the xbox.....
then yeah..maybe you should find a year round school.

Eh, I would rather have 4 or 5 breaks throughout the year that are around 2 weeks long. That gives you a lot better opportunity to travel throughout the year. You can still schedule camps around those breaks, especially in larger cities if the school districts are all out at the same time. There's not a *ton* of places I'd like to take my kids to in the middle of July honestly. But if I had 2 weeks in April and another 2 weeks in September or October...hell yes!

 

[snoopy7548]

Outside of certain "very important" positions, I've learned in life that most jobs don't continue when I'm out on pto. Someone might be around to answer questions or for an emergency, but when I get back all the work is still there.

I agree, we need Pto and we need to stop with the summer bullshi t where that is the only time in which we can travel. It's okay, you can be a BIG boy and catch up when you get back. You don't need to hold kids hands 24/7 like they are incapable. Have more faith in your God damn kids instead of coddling them all the time. They might just learn to take responsibility in life....

PTO for school is one of the most asinine things I have ever heard of. I really hope it's not a thing these days. Yes, let's get our kids used to corporate life as early as possible! Remember, they're just another future worker/cog in the wheel. I don't even understand how PTO would work for school; as someone else said, you can't just take a couple of weeks or a few days off of school. You'll be behind your classmates and have to play catch-up. School is different than work - school keeps going no matter what because you actually learn new stuff all the time, work for the most part will generally stay put. This has absolutely nothing to do with coddling.

 

[dainthomas]

Four quarters with a three week break after each.