Why is winter vacation a full week?

amother

↑ Honeydew

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 9:50 am

Ny to Baltimore round trip in a minivan is about $250 including tolls and gas.
Nothing is free.
Mothers are saying they barely have $200-300 to spend on a week vacation. There is a huge disconnect between the haves and have nots.

Everything costs

Gas
Tolls
Bowling can easily be $70 for a family.
A science center that is $20/person is $120+tax for a family of 6
Even a trip to ice cream will set up back $50 minimum. And will get you maybe 1 hr of entertainment.

There are very few cheap options out there

Or as smother poster said just let your teens roam freely. Make them babysit your kids. Give them unlimited screen time.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 9:50 am

amother Mimosa wrote:

Another idea. Do minor stuff beginning of week.
slurpees/rita, painting/library...

Go on Wednesday to Pittsburgh. Stay overnight at a cheap hotel with pool.
Visit the science center (girls wear tights or leggings for sports room there)
Drive Thursday to NY and spend shabbos there. Drive back Sunday afternoon.

Thanks! We don’t have the money to do 2 trips (overnight and NY).

Also again, all this means I need to take the week off of work 😬

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 9:51 am

amother Cream wrote:

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.

I’m really asking why the schools do this, and if they actually think it’s productive

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 9:51 am

amother Honeydew wrote:

Right exactly

amother

Begonia

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 9:51 am

I have kids in different schools no one has the same week of vacation. Trying to figure out childcare is a pain. Dh when he was alive had work most of the time. If I was lucky his hours matched up with one kid. The vacation is come to work with Mommy for a week. Thankfully there was an older sibling who could take them out for a bit.

Not every house is a 2 parent family that has extra money to take off.

amother

NeonYellow

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 9:54 am

Go speak to the hanhala of your school and ask them to reinstate optional school week of vacation. Cleveland used to have the week off and then in school activities for the week for those who didn’t go away. Your older kids and their friends can volunteer to be the counselors and the younger ones can enjoy day camp type of activities. Cleveland used to have school on Sundays for the girls also.
I’m a huge proponent of don’t complain , try to fix. Be the organizer and if you are correct that there are many others in your shoes they will be happy to join.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 9:58 am

amother NeonYellow wrote:

We tried. We’re told that people want to go away. Unfortunately I think the preference goes to the desires of the parents with money.

amother

↑ Cream ↓

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 10:06 am

amother Honeydew wrote:

I agree with most of what you said (everything is a stretch when you’re struggling) but actually the museums suggested would be free, slurpees are $1-2 pp, and there are some really cheap (and occasionally free) bowling options around here.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 10:13 am

amother Cream wrote:

Museums may be free (or 2 per person, which would be let’s say $12) and then gas to drive there. Slurpeess are great at $2 a person that’s $8 so that’s $20 for the day (before gas). Great that’s one day. What about the other days. Bowling can be free but then you gotta pay for shoes I think I ended up spending $25 last time just for shoes

amother

Burlywood

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 10:42 am

Op your older kids could volunteer in a elementary school,preschool, or daycare if they have school when you have off. Lots of teachers and staff ate sick in the winter and usually need more staff. Then you could work on entertaining the younger kids.

If you know of a friend family in your position do playdates.
Chuck e cheese
Work on purim costumes/theme purim.
Have the kids organize already for pesach.
Have the kids make creative meals for themselves in the betty crocker. Or use the time to teach them.
Pay your kids money to entertain the toddler chop veggies for supper, and help organize or do certain jobs and then they get to buy something at 5 below or the dollar store. Borrow a frum DVD from a friend to watch when you have work hours. - for a toddler I would buy a new very cheap toy-or even borrow and have the older ones entertain. *I think if your so tight you could as a Simcha toy gemach or gemach that has toys. Sometimes all the kids needs, are a change.

Get all help you could get. Could a family member come to you?

I wouldn't try to accommodate all your different ages. I would rather work with what you have. So maybe let the toddler nap a little longer to spend time with older kids mid-day during nap time. Older kids can stay later at night and like I said get paid as your assistant during the day.

I think you have a worthy cause with the school. I would complain now but also find out when they usually make their schedule you want to call them before the new school year when they make up their new schedule and give them your point if veiw. Hope that they cut it down by a day or two. Don't expect they will stop midwinter break completely

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 10:47 am

amother Burlywood wrote:

My kids don’t want to volunteer on their vacation.

I don’t have any family local at all, and some family just came for Chanukah. And no one else with kids has break the same time.

amother

↑ Mimosa

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 10:49 am

amother OP wrote:

We tried. We’re told that people want to go away. Unfortunately I think the preference goes to the desires of the parents with money.

Sorry, that's ridiculous.

Again, get a bunch of people in your circumstance to call. You are for sure not alone.

And I don't think there's any reason for such a long break.
It's not helping anyone.

amother

Lightgreen

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 11:00 am

Ds has 33 kids in his class. I polled and exactly 4 families including my own are staying local. We have a long weekend vacation. That’s what I call insane! It is the absolute norm to go away nowadays. I will probably end up going on my own with the kids that have off overnight to some cheap hotel. Go swimming there and maybe chuck e cheese.

amother

↑ Cream

Sun, Jan 05 2025, 11:09 am

amother OP wrote:

We tried. We’re told that people want to go away. Unfortunately I think the preference goes to the desires of the parents with money.

Or the fact that most parents want it (and of course the teachers.) It’s frustrating to be in this situation, but the school won’t change it if it’s the minority.