Vacation Creep

So far this school year, my kids have had five holidays. Winter break starts on Thursday, Dec. 20 -- and school doesn't start again until more than two weeks later. By then, they will have had 71 full days of school and 16 vacation days. Plus a couple of sick days, here and there. That's less than five school days for every day off.

Not exactly a real world scenario. In my last job, I had 10 paid vacation days a year, a sprinkling of national holidays like Thanksgiving and July 4th, balanced against roughly 243 days worked. With means I ALREADY would have used up all vacation taking care of my kids during their school breaks before the school year was half over.

Now, don't get me wrong. I love vacation days with my kids. School is not meant to be daycare. I also am cognizant of the fact that teachers and administrative staff need days off, too, to recharge their batteries.

But for parents who work full-time, this "vacation creep" from our kids' schools plays havoc with work/life balance. We all know how tough it can be to find short-term supervision for school-age children. And even accommodating workplaces cannot have dozens of employee children running around for days on end. And for some businesses, their "busy season" coincides with the same times schools schedule long breaks.

I don't think the disruption is good for children, either. The interruptions to school routine disrupts kids' ability to learn. Unpredictable temporary childcare, extended play dates and time alone at home stresses kids as well as parents.

I wish schools could offer a solution, parents would organize co-ops or more mini-camps existed. Maybe certain teachers, coaches or after-school staffers who want or need extra income could run a vacation school, complete with a few hours of academic games or stimulation, for kids whose parents don't have unlimited flexibility. Maybe -- now this makes my wish list -- far-thinking companies could offer on-site holiday camps for employee children.

Do you have innovative solutions? How do you manage your kids' time off when you don't have any?

By Leslie Morgan Steiner |  November 30, 2007; 7:00 AM ET  | Category:  Free-for-All
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