Why is winter vacation a full week?

amother

DarkCyan

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 9:08 am

amother Honeydew wrote:

I feel like this thread is split between working mothers with no time off snd mothers that either don’t work or have lots of flexibility or can just take time off with no repercussions.

Ppl are struggling to see the other side.

Saying just deal with it is like telling a hard working mother struggling financially to ‘let them eat cake’

Yes. This. And dh and I don't work high paying jobs that we can afford vacations or time off. I teach and he's a Rebbe, and neither of our schools do "winter vacation". BH neither do our boys' yeshiva. But our girls (aged 9-13) have a whole week off. We can't take off (not that we could afford to fly away on vacation anyway) and the girls end up staying home for days on end. (We don't live safe walking distances from friends, and also coun on 13 yo to "babysit" 9, 10, and 11 year olds.)

They do crafts, baking, reading, board games...but after the first couple days it gets kinda depressing for them.

amother

Cream ↓

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 9:10 am

amother Antiquewhite wrote:

Honestly, op you want to complain and vent which is ok but you need to take some ownership too. An unstructured week is great for kids and it’s your job as a parent to take care of your kids and give them good memories.

You can’t outsource everything to schools. If you don’t have a week together when are you spending time together. A lot of people aren’t going away and have no extra funds but are looking forward to this time. You need to stop complaining and try to make this better.

Not for us, but for your kids sake who deserve a vacation from school.

You can throw tomatoes, I’m making a salad for lunch. Hiding

Sorry but you really don’t get it and your posts are a little obnoxious. I know you’re trying to help but most people don’t have the energy to make a mommy camp every day for a week, especially when they’re working full time and there are teens involved. “Just” take them to the mall, the library, messy projects, cook in advance… all of that takes so much energy and won’t help the teens at all. Following up with more and more suggestions isn’t going to help.

OP I really get you. Tbh I love the vacation and wouldn’t want them to shorten it, but I don’t work full time anymore. My personal vent is that schools create half the tuition crisis by making it so hard for a mother to work.

My suggestion and I don’t know if anyone said this yet, is try to find friends who aren’t away. Even if “everyone” goes somewhere, there are always some kids in town (or before or after their vacation) who can meet up. I invite them to my house because I’d rather watch 2 kids who can entertain each other than 1 bored kid. I can’t work then, but at least I’m not exhausted at the end of the day.

For teenagers, can you drop them off somewhere? I’m blanking on the names but I’m pretty sure there are some free places around here, or they could bundle up and walk to Rita’s. Also now’s the time to let as many devices as you’re comfortable with (and more). Your kids won’t be damaged by spending way too much time playing computer games for one week and it will make vacation exciting for them in a different way.

amother

↑ Cream ↓

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 9:14 am

amother OP wrote:

Just talking to DH about it. Basically we are forced to spend money we don’t have. Keeping the kids busy with day trips is just not realistic. We can do a mini vacation away for maybe $300. Then we can’t also go visit family for shabbos because that’s another expense. Even $300 is way way out of our budget. Literally just trying to figure out how to cover bills for the month.

Mini vacation is what most people do. Pittsburgh and Columbus both have things you could do for free or low cost.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 9:14 am

amother Cream wrote:

Thanks, so about friends who are not away, my teens are not interested in that. They want to play with their friends, not random kids. And for my little ones maybe I can find kids around but then it’s just more kids for me to watch 🤷‍♀️

Yes we do a lot of devices. But can someone explain to me how that is healthier than having a shorter vacation? Because it sure doesn’t make sense to me?

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 9:17 am

amother DarkCyan wrote:

Ya I don’t understand why people say this is necessary and healthy

amother

↑ Cream ↓

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 9:17 am

amother OP wrote:

It’s very different when your kids are older. I also try to create good memories but it’s a lot harder with so many ages and stages

And yes I can work and get hired help but then it’s even longer unstructured time for my teens.
I’m not asking the school to babysit my kids (my teens don’t need babysitting), I’m saying that the parent body comprises of more than just those going away and it puts an undue pressure on those families. The other school in our area has Thursday- Monday. An unstructured week is really hard for teens too, not only parents

Which school has Thursday-Monday?

amother

Fern

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 9:22 am

amother Antiquewhite wrote:

They have two weeks off Pesach and two to three weeks off in Tishrei and just had Chanuka vacation and 10 weeks in the summer. That's plenty of time to spend together? And Shabbos and Sunday too, every week of the year.

It's my job as a parent to take care of my kids which includes feeding and clothing them and paying tuition, also talking to them and training them to behave... no its not my job as a parent to give them unlimited time off and they can make their own memories.

So glad my kids only have two days off!

amother

↑ Mimosa ↓

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 9:26 am

YDT Elementary. Middle school and HS girls have a little more.
Elementary girls12:15 Thursday through Mon
Ydt boys 12:45 Thursday through Mon
Thursday is a "travel day"

I'm really shocked at the poster who called OP a brat.
She's not bratty or entitled. She's stressed, and I totally understand her.

What are the days of your vacation, op? Mon-mon?

I still think you should go to family for shabbos.

Pittsburgh and Columbus are great science center trips.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 9:28 am

amother Mimosa wrote:

We have Sunday through Sunday, start again Monday.

We can go to family for shabbos but that’s $400 just gas and tolls. And then the rest of the week we have to fill.

amother

↑ Cream ↓

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 9:41 am

amother OP wrote:

We have Sunday through Sunday, start again Monday.

We can go to family for shabbos but that’s $400 just gas and tolls. And then the rest of the week we have to fill.

Where’s it $400 gas and tolls? I’ve gone to family in NY some years, that was also a fun inexpensive trip. But you need to take off more work.

Btw if you ever want to just vent here, you can always put that in your OP for more sympathy and less suggestions. I totally get that.

amother

↑ Mimosa ↓

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 9:43 am

amother OP wrote:

Right so that’s a few $100 already I think. What is there to do in either of those places for all ages that is free or low cost for 2 days?

If your great lakes science center membership hasn't run out, you can use it at Pittsburgh science center (has a cool ropes course and rock climbing room!) Or COSI in Columbus. And sleep there in a cheap hotel overnight with indoor pool if you can afford, to make in a two day trip. Otherwise it's a full day trip. Both cities have restaurants that are kosher. But you can also do easy meals on your own.

Also, if you have EBT, check out museums4all. Some museums have discounts ($2-4/pp) For up to 4 ppl usually. (E.g. Call them, cuz like I think stan hywett house in akron would have each person, no limit for $1-2. Same for hale farm n village. I wouldn't recommend for winter because it's lots of outdoor walking and beautiful grounds. Store to memory for spring through fall.)

you can do something like the paint night or such ideas on this thread that work for you, and then have everyone cleanup house and go to Rita's as a treat.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 9:45 am

amother Cream wrote:

Gas each way is about $100-$150. Tolls are about $50 total. So that’s between $300-400