It’s that time of year again with midwinter vacation looming, and I just wanted to voice my opinion on this matter.
As working parents with tight budget and children of various ages and stages, how does one satisfy everyone on all levels? Why are the schools continuing to give this unnecessary break when we just had Chanukah vacation and snow days?
This has become and unnecessary and expensive pressure and something needs to be done. If girls in older grades need a break from heavy workload let them have week of no tests or homework or let them do an activity in school or supervised trip. If the teachers need a break, perhaps some other sort of supervision can be arranged?
Anyone have good ideas?
Overworked and exhausted mom.
(TLS welcomes your letters by submitting them to letters@thelakewoodscoop.com)
I was waiting for that one, every year some ppl feel the need to complain about midwinter vacation!!
Schools are not baby sitting service. Most out of town places have much more than 3 days off. No need to be pressured to spend. Bake cookies with your kids, sit on the couch and read them stories,do a&c with them…
I love midwinter vacation and my kids love it too!!
If you want schools to accommodate working parents maybe they should give off on all legal holidays??? And let’s hear the complaints then….
You must be a stay-at-home mom or a teacher who’s schedule is not very disrupted by the children being home. Good for you! Most of the mothers in this city are working and do not have that luxury.
Most mothers work in Lakewood industries that do not give off for legal holidays.
youre obviously not a working mom so youre able to say that
As a working mom myself I feel your pain! The crazy thing is I teach in the Yeshiva system but my break doesn’t overlap with my children at a different Yeshiva school. It ends up getting very complicated… and my husband cannot take off work to help out.
Aside from that I see that my kids look forward to the break- their school is off for an entire week. It gives them the energy until Pesach Break. Many people like it too because it’s much cheaper for certain travel destinations than end of December when public schools are off for two weeks.
Good luck! Hope you get through it quickly and on a budget!
That is actually a great idea! Give the children off on Friday (a very short day, regardless) so that families that never get a chance to go away for Shabbos can do that, and have supervised trips on Monday and Tuesday. The trips should be supervised by volunteers (that do not work, perhaps) so that the teachers can have the time off. This could be done for the younger grades that have children who cannot be left alone at home, while the older children can go on the trip as assistant supervisors, if they so desire. This is a win-win; the teachers get the day off, the parents have options that do not involve taking off from work or finding ways to entertain their children, and the older students can decide on their own!
To Lakewood Mom
This is not out of town Lakewood is supposed to be built around the Yeshiva but the amount of Bitul Torah this causes is a outcry! Mothers are working so the fathers need to take off from yeshiva to babysit I’m sorry but it’s a churbon!
I disagree! Children need a break too so that they continue to learn and grow in school!
I never got winter breaks when I was growing up. We had school on Sun. too (I’m a girl) I survived!
Lakewood mom, Im with you!
I live on a block with 16 house and all the kids have a blast midwinter vacation. They haven’t seen their neighbors in a couple of months due to cold weather and they literally all spend vacation time just being home..they are in and out of each other’s homes…playing with the other’s Chanukah present (your own becomes boring fast). Most of us teach so we’re all here, but the 2 mothers that work full time know that their kids have 14 other mothers right there…
Writer, your feelings of pressure might be coming from yourself. You may feel that mid winter break really defines as vacation going break…it doesnt! Why are ypu pressured to take your kids somewhere? Are you worried your kids will feel deprived so you must take them away.
I think it’s safe to say that 70% of Lakewood does not go on expensive trips and vacations. If you wanna do “something” take them to a store..each kid can buy a baking thing and go home and bake.
I’ve met many many families in the nosh aisles choosing stuff for Smores or rice krispies treats.
The parents set the tone in the house.
If mid winter morning you’re already mad …well then good luck.
Wake up happy and do something with your kids. Not “go somewhere ”
Ps..look around …many many people are home doing the same..you’re not the only one with no spare cash to “go”.
Also- relax.
I do have the cash to go, but we stay home. The pressure is ridiculous. Stay home, kids sleep in their own beds, we have chilled out days and pizza for supper and fun projects and maybe a day trip or two. That’s what we always did growing up (out of town, for the record) and my kids are just fine without a “big trip.”
When I went to school we even had English on Shushan Purim!!!
That said, I agree with you. A Friday & Sunday (for boys) should be off so that families can go away for Shabbos and kids can sleep in a bit.
Your Monday, Tuesday idea seems like a great idea, even if parents have to pay a little extra. This gives everyone an option of what they want to do.
The original reason for mid-winter break was to save energy. We had an energy crisis in the mid 1970’s and it was deemed necessary to close schools, public and private, to save energy. When the crisis ended and the following year rolled around, no one remembered the energy crisis. All of a sudden, it became a “break”, a time to take a vacation from school.
I don’t think that’s the case everywhere. I went to school in the 60’s and we had mid winter vacation. Also, the high schools gave mid winter vacation after midterms to give the students a break. As a bubby, whose children work full time, I feel bad for all involved. The kids look forward to this break but the parents have to juggle their already too full schedules. It’s hard to find a solution that will satisfy everyone, but some of the ideas in these comments seem interesting.
I am a non working mother and I love having my kids home on snow days and the like. The problem with midwinter is two fold. I can’t afford to do the trips! You say don’t feel pressure? When my girls come home from school they’re talking abt all their friends trips to Florida or snow tubing etc I feel bad! they’re good girls so they don’t demand that I take them but you can hear in the way they talk. Cookies just don’t cut it! That works when they’re five. By the time they hit third grade they’ve had enough of that.
The other problem is my boys. If I can afford a trip how can I tell my boys that I’m taking my girls on a fun trip while they are in yeshiva? I want my boys to be proud to be going to learn and not resent that the girls are doing fun things while they have to sit in a chair all day!
Free trips???
supervised by volunteers????
Where do you live????
It does not have to be a trip; it can be any activity that does not have to be done by the regular teacher. A project, games, ballyboo day, etc. are all good ideas.
I live in a town called Lakewood that has many opportunities for chesed, and many people who are willing to do said chesed. I am sure that in each class there is at least one mother who does not work and would be happy to get involved.I would, and I am not even a parent! Or, upper high-school girls can get involved.
Where do you live????
Same old, same old. Noone is changing anything because of complaints or compliments. It’s good to vent sometimes though, so keep at it!!
I’m sorry but all those mothers that have the luxury of being stay at home moms should please stop being so selfish and think about others who go to work happily to support their families while their husbands sit and learn
How about the wives who go to work to help their husbands who work all day help make ends meet…
I will keep my comments to myself about whether it is a good thing or a bad thing because those that agree agree and those that disagree won’t agree. However now that it is here it is a wonderful time to use to be mechanech your child how to sirens an of day as well as to spend time with him. The schools provide service many other days of the year, not on these days so use them wisely. It will send a very strong message to your children.
just to put things in perspective, my sister who grew up in lakewood and moved to another town told me that in her area, if a family goes to florida for pesach they keep it to themselves cuz they are embarrassed to admit florida when all their friends are going to greece and switzerland. Florida is nerdy…
and midwinter means cancun, etc. not snow tubing.
but for me, I find it extremely stressful and unnecessary cuz my husband and me have to work and our girls are home bickering…
and nudging… and want to do something…
so here is my suggestion: friday off so people can go away for shabbos.
Monday and Tuesday– in school vacation. contests, spelling bees, no homework, no tests, perhaps a story, ballyboo day
And when do the teachers get a break?
2 months in the summer…
or when those working in an office, retail, wholesale etc.get a break…
Erev Rosh Hashana, Erev Yom Kippur, 2 days before Succos, Isru Chag Succos, Chanukah, Shushan Purim, a week or more before Pesach, Isru Chag Pesach, Erev Shavuos, July, and August. All days that non-teaching, working mothers do NOT have off, even though the children are off. Keep in mind that most non-teaching, working mothers do not have off legal holidays, either.
Why is this a unnecesary and expensive pressure. The schools schedule it as a break to give a few days off. Days off don’t have to translate into going on outings or to who knows where. Your family can relax for a few days.
I take my children to the dentist on Mid-winter that way I don’t have to worry about them missing school. I work and look forword of not having to wake-up my children to go to school. I love the break from homework
I do feel sorry for my children. They do feel left out. Their classmates are going to Florida or to a resort etc. Why has this become the norm? Where are the school principals and our Askanim and Rabonim?
Lakewood Cheder has no winter break this year
Mid-winter vacation is nothing new. It is definitely annoying for working parents, but I feel the kids need it. The winter is long and my kids are worn out from school. They have a hard time sitting all day and then come home to do homework. A break gives them energy to hopedullly carry them until pesach.
I don’t remember doing anything special with my kids when they had mid winter vacation. I certainly couldn’t go to Florida and even sending them to ice skating was too expensive for me.
I am a working mom. I understand that big kids need a break but the younger elementary kids definitely don’t! I don’t even mind if they have off Friday, Sunday, and Monday but I think Tuesday is pushing it. Kids need structure and I find that by the time Tuesday comes around they are so kvetchy and longing to go back to school.
A BREAK FOR THE KIDS AND TEACHERS ARE NEEDED!! If you were still in school you would not complain about a break! And if you were a teacher it would be one of your few off days to relax!! Just because you don’t want your kids havin a break, Be considerate of other kids and teachers!!