Why is winter vacation a full week?

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sat, Jan 04 2025, 9:33 pm

amother Antiquewhite wrote:

Have your teens prepare sandwiches to take along on the trips. That way you don’t need to deal with the cleanup of lunch at home.

Some ideas bagels and tuna with cut up cucumbers and grape tomatoes on the side. Stop by the bakery on the way to your trip and buy fresh hot bagels.

Cream cheese sandwiches, squeeze yogurts and string cheese. Cut up fruit on the side.

Make plain pasta and place in a large ziploc bag. Serve it in bowls with cottage cheese and cinnamon and sugar when you have lunch at your destination.

If you get stuck just grab a box of ready made frozen PB and jelly sandwiches that you defrost and are ready to go. They sell them at Target.

My kids are so so picky. I wish this would work.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sat, Jan 04 2025, 9:38 pm

Also another issue is, even if we’d want to go oot and visit family they have different vacation from us. So technically we can go for shabbos but by then we have to leave Sunday already to be back on time. If we leave Wednesday (so we have more time), all families are already back in school, and anyways no one can host us for that long

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sat, Jan 04 2025, 9:38 pm

Busybee5 wrote:

Ha we've had 2 weeks + here in England. My toddler is so ready for playgroup! It's crazy.

Wow!! I’m so sorry for that!
For some reason I thought it’s less vacation in England

amother

↑ Tomato ↓

Sat, Jan 04 2025, 9:40 pm

amother OP wrote:

Wow!! I’m so sorry for that!
For some reason I thought it’s less vacation in England

England goes on the secular calendar who is off from Xmas through NY

↑ Busybee5 ↓

Sat, Jan 04 2025, 9:45 pm

amother Tomato wrote:

England goes on the secular calendar who is off from Xmas through NY

Yes so my kids have been off since 20th December. One restarted on Thurs 2nd. The others start Monday, and toddler on Tuesday. It's not easy, but I've been off work too, and my dh also for most of this time so all in all it's been nice. It went fast as we went away twice, once for a Simcha, and last Shabbos we were away because my older boys were off yeshiva just for that weekend. I'm quite ready for routine now!

↑ Busybee5

Sat, Jan 04 2025, 9:46 pm

amother OP wrote:

Question remains is a week really necessary- especially with the strain it puts on families

Don't the teachers and morah's need a break, especially over Chanukah? A week really isn't a long time.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sat, Jan 04 2025, 9:48 pm

Busybee5 wrote:

Don't the teachers and morah's need a break, especially over Chanukah? A week really isn't a long time.

Idk do they need so long? Is there more burnout in the teachers in the schools that have less vacation?

MommyPhD ↓

Sat, Jan 04 2025, 9:52 pm

I get you, OP. Where we live kids are off a full week in December, full week in February, two weeks at Pesach, full week in June between school and camp, four(!!) weeks between camp and school. And three days at Thanksgiving. It's a nightmare for working parents. I'm lucky the nature of my job means I can plan to take off to watch them, as they're little, but it's so much to take off.

amother

↑ Antiquewhite ↓

Sat, Jan 04 2025, 9:53 pm

Trip ideas
Scavenger hunt at the mall
Nature centers ( there are free ones)
Roller skating
Ice skating
Sledding with hot cocoa
Great Lakes Science Center
Aquarium
Rainforest at the zoo
Toboggan Chutes

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sat, Jan 04 2025, 9:56 pm

amother Antiquewhite wrote:

Thanks so here’s the story:

Scavenger hunt sounds great- can you help me set up? Also that’s maybe a 2 hour activity- what about the rest of the day?

Roller skating and ice skating I can’t do with my toddler
Sledding maybe- but Kids hate being cold 😬
Science center we’ve done many times (we have a membership bought last winter break)
Aquarium costs
Rainforest we loved used to go once a month but it’s closed down now
I was looking into toboggan but it costs

Good ideas though thanks for looking

amother

↑ Antiquewhite ↓

Sat, Jan 04 2025, 9:59 pm

amother OP wrote:

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sat, Jan 04 2025, 10:01 pm

amother Antiquewhite wrote:

Have your teens make a list of items to search for. They take pictures of all the items as they walk around.
It can be things that have to do with your family jokes etc; at the end of it have a surprise or buy them something exciting. Go for ice cream or buy a game that’s fun for everyone.

Interesting. Ok thanks. What do I do with the rest of the time (say we get there at 10, home by 12:30/1)

amother

↑ Antiquewhite ↓

Sat, Jan 04 2025, 10:02 pm

amother OP wrote:

Interesting. Ok thanks. What do I do with the rest of the time (say we get there at 10, home by 12:30/1)

If you want ideas of what you can do at home am happy to list ideas for you.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sat, Jan 04 2025, 10:03 pm

amother Antiquewhite wrote:

If you want ideas of what you can do at home am happy to list ideas for you.

Yes ideas of what an exhausted Mom can do that will keep kids 2-15 happy and won’t make a mess! Thanks

amother

Maple ↓

Sat, Jan 04 2025, 10:03 pm

OP,
Just here to say I feel you. It's tough.
We also have a week off.
My husband and I both work and can at most take off 2-3 days pushing it, with a pay cut.
When kids were little it was easier.
When u have babies through teens it's very complicated to make everyone happy, especially if you can't travel and need to work part of the time.
Especially when half the class is going to Mexico or the Bahamas or at least Florida, your teens are not going to be happy with 'a daily schedule' and 'wholesome free outings', they just won't.
I love my kids to pieces, and love family time. I also completely understand OP.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sat, Jan 04 2025, 10:04 pm

amother Maple wrote:

l

Thank you I needed to hear this. This is exactly the situation, so happy at least someone understands.

↑ MommyPhD

Sat, Jan 04 2025, 10:06 pm

amother Vermilion wrote:

In Lakewood where I live kids are not off on Thanksgiving (unless their school has a in-service day!)
Kids have Friday and Sunday(boys) or Friday and Monday for Chanukah.
Most schools have Friday and Monday for midwinter, some schools have Tuesday as well.

I don't find that it's too much but there's are always parents that complain that it's too much vacation!

Sounds like a dream

amother

↑ Antiquewhite ↓

Sat, Jan 04 2025, 10:08 pm

Ideas for at home

Bring snow inside. Set up 9x13 pans and have the kids go outside and fill them with snow. Give them plastic cups to play with. Bonus points if you add mentchies or lego figures to play with as they act snow scenes out.

Have hot cocoa with whipped cream and marshmallows ready to go after their indoor snow time.

You can buy kits for decorating wooden magnets for cheap on amazon.

Buy canvases and have a paint party. You can follow any online tutorial or have the littles paint what they wish.

Kosher.com has really fun drawing tutorials.

Make edible art snowman.

Bake sugar cookies and buy a snowflake shaped cookie cutter. Decorate with icing and clear or blue sprinkles.

Make snow out of shaving cream, salt and glue.