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

[zinfamous]

They're not my kids, so I say force them into school like I'm forced into work!

 

[Red Squirrel]

Another thing, especially in high school, it was important to get the summer off so I could get a summer job. It's how most kids pickup money for post secondary. By the time I finished high school I had enough money for college from having worked summers.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

I'm conflicted on this. Given how stupid most kids are when they get out of school part of me says that they should abandon breaks and teach more, The other part of me says that the Department of Education is such an utter failure that 20% more class time will leave the kids just as stupid as they are now.

 

[Arcadio]

2-3 months because it's my semi-time off as well.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

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.

Yes, God forbid we prepare kids for the real world ahead of time....

No no no no, let's not prepare them for responsibilities in life and instead let then fall flat on their face like current generations and their gender studies degrees. It won't have any lasting negative affects or anything....

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Another thing, especially in high school, it was important to get the summer off so I could get a summer job. It's how most kids pickup money for post secondary. By the time I finished high school I had enough money for college from having worked summers.

Probably the only halfway decent argument from the "keep summer break" side. Though it can be argued for kids to have a job during school anyways, since plenty of people in college have to work while going to school in order to pay bills and have food.

But from a percentage perspective, how many kids in the US do you think actually look for a job when on summer break? I would take a stab and say less than 10% ?

 

[Noah Abrams]

Yes, God forbid we prepare kids for the real world ahead of time....

No no no no, let's not prepare them for responsibilities in life and instead let then fall flat on their face like current generations and their gender studies degrees. It won't have any lasting negative affects or anything....

Taking away childhood for ever more materialism. The kids may make a lot of money but be miserable with themselves and others. Divorce follows. American life

 

[Bartman39]

I think that a 1 month after every 6 months of school should be the thing...? Give them a break in the early spring and early fall but only the day off for Thanksgiving and only 1 week for Christmas... This should be a good amount of time off and split up too...? Just my .02 thing...

I mean they need a break too ya know so give it to them just not the whole summer as they do now... Split it up and spread it out which should give them more of something to look forward to...?

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Taking away childhood for ever more materialism. The kids may make a lot of money but be miserable with themselves and others. Divorce follows. American life

Heh, these kids are in for a rude awakening in our competitive globalist society that they claim to like.

 

[vi edit]

Probably the only halfway decent argument from the "keep summer break" side. Though it can be argued for kids to have a job during school anyways, since plenty of people in college have to work while going to school in order to pay bills and have food.

But from a percentage perspective, how many kids in the US do you think actually look for a job when on summer break? I would take a stab and say less than 10% ?

I think you are way off. Lifeguards, movie theaters, summer camps, landscaping and a pile of other things have kids working at them. It's also very regional. Places with high summer tourism also have a high number of high school kids working various things.

 

[Ns1]

Working at the local fair during the summer was considered a rite of passage. I promptly blew my 3 week paycheck on my first computer, which brought me to this forum.

After typing that out, I'm not sure if that was an argument for or against summer break.

 

[vi edit]

Working at the local fair during the summer was considered a rite of passage. I promptly blew my 3 week paycheck on my first computer, which brought me to this forum.

After typing that out, I'm not sure if that was an argument for or against summer break.

You worked. You earned. You spent. American dream!

 

[Noah Abrams]

Heh, these kids are in for a rude awakening in our competitive globalist society that they claim to like.

They may deal with it better if they have some peace with themselves

 

[clamum]

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.

Holy crap, I totally disagree about school being the most stressful part of one's life. I'm sure some kids have it rough, with real family/behavioral issues, but no way even a majority of them do. Not having a prom date, what clothes to wear, not having a car in senior year, pfffft, that's not stressful things. Real world problems are not even comparable to that high school drama crap (that doesn't even f'ing matter once you graduate).

 

[jpiniero]

Put 'em to work assembling iPhones.

 

[rh71]

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.

That's being optimistic thinking kids will actually be put in such programs. Before they are 14, which includes a lot of years, they are put in various sports camps (glorified babysitting so they can play with friends) just to keep them from playing those video games. And it's quite costly at about $500/week around here. I work from home and even so I can't have them stay here all day every day.

 

[pauldun170]

That's being optimistic thinking kids will actually be put in such programs. Before they are 14, which includes a lot of years, they are put in various sports camps (glorified babysitting so they can play with friends) just to keep them from playing those video games. And it's quite costly at about $500/week around here. I work from home and even so I can't have them stay here all day every day.

It's a reality around here. Even if it's only a small percentage of households.
As for cost, some parents feel the sacrifice is worth it.

 

[Mai72]

When I taught in South Korea my students had a month off in February and a month off in July. But, that was public education Kids in SK go year round, to schools like the hagwon that I worked at. As you guys know education in SK is relentless. The suicide rate is very high among 13-19 and most of that is due to the stress that they have to endure.

With that said, the world is drastically changing. It's not the world that we grew up in. Back in our day it moved at a slower pace, and we didn't have much challenge globally and domestic. There was little automation, and jobs were easier to obtain with little skills. It's much different now. Playtime has its place, but to spend all day for 2.5 months doing nothing is a waste. If I had kids I'd make them at least read for an hour. They could do work that they did while they were in school, so they don't get left behind. I wouldn't make it demanding. Just my thought.

 

[Noah Abrams]

Real world problems are not even comparable to that high school drama crap (that doesn't even f'ing matter once you graduate).

And all problems don’t matter once you graduate from life. It’s the same logic really.

 

[WhiteNoise]

PTO for kids in school? So you have kids out at random times for a week or two and they come back and have to catch up to the rest of the class? Yeah..no.

Summer vacation is fine just the way it is.

 

[MixMasterTang]

I think 2 week breaks between quarters and 6 week breaks between semesters.

Edit: But this is assuming the school has appropriate climate control (A/C).

 

[snoopy7548]

When I taught in South Korea my students had a month off in February and a month off in July. But, that was public education Kids in SK go year round, to schools like the hagwon that I worked at. As you guys know education in SK is relentless. The suicide rate is very high among 13-19 and most of that is due to the stress that they have to endure.

With that said, the world is drastically changing. It's not the world that we grew up in. Back in our day it moved at a slower pace, and we didn't have much challenge globally and domestic. There was little automation, and jobs were easier to obtain with little skills. It's much different now. Playtime has its place, but to spend all day for 2.5 months doing nothing is a waste. If I had kids I'd make them at least read for an hour. They could do work that they did while they were in school, so they don't get left behind. I wouldn't make it demanding. Just my thought.

Growing up, we used to get summer reading assignments from our English teachers. I think you had to write a short report on each book assigned and hand it in to your new English teacher at the start of the new school year. That was really my only "learning" during all of my summer vacations and I typically finished it as soon as possible; I spent about 95% of my time either playing videogames or watching T.V., playing outside and swimming with friends, or going on vacation with my parents, while the other 5% was spent being lazy. Once I turned 15 I got a summer job until I graduated high school.

I'm sure every older generation says this... but I seriously feel bad for kids these days. It seems like a lot more keeps getting expected of them and now they have to worry about social media and being connected 24/7; it's incredibly unhealthy for the mind. When I was in high school, "social media" was talking with your friends on AIM, and you could log out whenever you wanted to...

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Holy crap, I totally disagree about school being the most stressful part of one's life. I'm sure some kids have it rough, with real family/behavioral issues, but no way even a majority of them do. Not having a prom date, what clothes to wear, not having a car in senior year, pfffft, that's not stressful things. Real world problems are not even comparable to that high school drama crap (that doesn't even f'ing matter once you graduate).

QFT

As someone that went through all of that shit, it was entirely meaningless after the fact.

 

[Darwin333]

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

Bah, it is the modern day. I say we do exchange programs with 3rd world countries. Send them to replace kids in sweatshops for the summer and the kids they replace can come have a nice leisurely summer working the fields, eating well and getting a full nights sleep.

 

[Darwin333]

I'm conflicted on this. Given how stupid most kids are when they get out of school part of me says that they should abandon breaks and teach more, The other part of me says that the Department of Education is such an utter failure that 20% more class time will leave the kids just as stupid as they are now.

It would give them 20% more time to teach them how to pass a standardized test to make the schools stats look better.