Okay, I don’t actually have children currently attending grades K-12, but I do have grandchildren who attend public school, so I am up on all the start dates and school vacations. While my own grandchildren don’t start school for a couple of weeks, my nieces and nephews started back last Monday (8/7.) That seems was too early to me. When I was a kid (yes I known that only us old folks start sentences in this manner) we didn’t go back to school until after Labor Day. I realize that with the earlier start dates, the school vacations during the school year are longer and more frequent, which I suppose is nice.
My friends who have children affected by the earlier start date are divided on the issue. Some would prefer to see a longer summer break and others prefer more time off during the school year.
From a strictly personal standpoint I am always happy when the kids go back to school. Living in a resort community which must accommodate a visitor population four times the actual population during the summer, I am happy to see the end to traffic jams and restaurants so crowded you can’t get a foot in the front door. I do find by the time mid August rolls around, I am more than ready for cooler and shorter days, as well as a quiet town where I can take solitary walks and dine in my favorite restaurants without having to wait for two hours.
In order to celebrate a return to school I am giving away Kindle copies of Hopscotch Homicide FREE for two days only – August 12 and 13, 2017. (That is Saturday and Sunday)
FREE 8/12 – 8/13 – http://amzn.to/2uynXlY
To be eligible to win a $5 Amazon Gift Card, comment below and let me know if you think kids should have a shorter summer vacation and more breaks during the year or a longer summer vacation.
Random Thoughts and Meaningless Musings 
I like the longer summer vacation.
I feel that kids should have a longer summer break, because, they have so much homework at the schools here during the year they don’t have time to be a kid. On top of that some teachers send school work home to do over the summer. Which I think is totally ridiculous.
I like the longer summer break. I grew up in a resort area and we worked during the summer. My kids are all grown, but I do have grands. It just seems too early to be back in school.
Well, to be honest, I was the teacher and too often had to deal with the common skill loss often occurring after long vacation breaks. So I liked the eight weeks for summer, and then we got two weeks in October, December, and March. All of which came at just the time we needed a breather… Now as a student? They would say longer vacations at anytime of the year! In fact many would say wight weeks of school in June & July, two weeks of school in October, December, and March…done!
I like the longer summer break versus the shorter.
My daughter is in college now but we had shorter summers and more breaks in the school year which was nice. The only draw back she was in the marching band auxiliary which started practice 2 1/2 weeks before school so her summer vacationers really short.
When I was in school, we didn’t go back until the week before labor day and got out in early June. The kids here start next week and I think it’s crazy. We also start so early because if we miss school for snow days, we make them up in early July when school is over. I think kids should be able to enjoy the whole summer and not stuck in school before Labor day.
I like longer summer breaks for my grandkids. I am like you and
I also didn’t go back until after Labor Day. I always find it sad that the little boys of summer are gone for another year.
I am guardian to two high school grandkids and prefer the frequent breaks during the year. Less “I’m bored” time.
Like you, Kathi, we had a long summer break. I always enjoyed it. So my vote is for long break.
Our governor in Maryland mandated that students don’t return to school until after Labor Day, so this is the first year in a long time that the kids don’t go back in August. Plus, school was out June 1 since we had no snow days. This gives our kids a full 3 month break. The only problem I see as a retired teacher is the summer slide in skills. Still, I love having the long summer break to do things with my grandchildren. Having multiple breaks during the school year is nice, but it is difficult sometimes to get the kids back on track when they return.
Granted our situation was different, but with two children that have learning disabilities, they would have been better served with a shorter summer break and longer or more breaks throughout the year. They just lost too much of what they learned. Ultimately we chose to remove them from the public school system and home school. They thrived in that environment. Kristen is now a part time college student on the Dean’s list.
I don’t have any children so it really doesn’t matter to me how much vacation time is given in the summer. However, I can see teachers point of view about them being off for more than 8 weeks makes the start back more difficult. I do believe that they should be off for the whole months of July and Aug. As an adult I would not like the year round schedules.
I don’t have kids so it really doesn’t bother me but if I had a pick a way I would choose more days off during the week.
I’m old, too. 😉 We always went back after Labor Day. I’m for fewer breaks and a longer summer break.
I am a recently retired elementary special education teacher. In my small district, we have most of June, all of July, and part of August off for the summer. So I don’t know what it would feel like to have breaks at other times of the year. I have mixed feelings about it!
Shorter summer’s with breaks during the years. This is the British system and has studies backing up less info being forgotten but still providing refreshed students/teachers.
Longer summer breaks like we had when we went to school
I remember those longer summers in between school years and I prefer them.
I like a longer summer vacation. Our schools started back August 3 but the last day scheduled for school is May 9. I personally like they way they have it now.
I still have 3 in school though one is a senior this year and one in the Army so I really like a longer summer. It’s more time for family stuff and more chances to just unwind!
I like the longer summer breaks because I’m able to spend more time with my grandchildren, but must admit I’m looking forward to school starting on August 21st. I also believe there is validity to the studies saying less information is forgotten with shorter breaks.
I believe more breaks during the school year is better. Kids get burnt out on learning and need breaks.
My grandsons went back to school this Wednesday and they have 3 weeks off for Christmas and 2 weeks off in the Spring.They would go to school everyday if you let them. They had workbooks to keep them sharp. They are in !st grade and 4th grade. My son, their dad, never loved school like these 2 do. The did have a wonderful summer our 4 house circle was full of kids as my sweet DIL draws kids like honey.
Longer summer for sure! The weather is better, too cold during the school year to do anything outside.
A shorter summer means they retain information and don’t have to reteach things already taught, when they go back. At least that’s what the school claims….. But my kids are grown and my grandbaby’s are not old enough for school yet, so it doesn’t matter much to me.
I believe in a balanced school schedule where the children have vacations year round and shorter bursts of academia as they move through the school year. Allowing for more absorption of the content.
I always liked a longer summer vacation. Where I live now, school starts early and ends early.
I can relate to the ‘When I was in school…’ lol I fall into the group that I no longer have kids in K-12. I know, I used to love longer summer vacation growing up, but as a mom, I liked when school started early, and the kids could get back into a routine. I didn’t have to hear about one being bored. I know, for my grandson, who isn’t in Kindergarten yet, with his parents both working and no PTO, it’s better that he’ll start school early when the time comes.
When I was in Kindergarten and 1st grade we started after Labor Day, but from 2nd grade on, we started a few days before Labor Day. I think starting a few days before Labor Day is okay, but starting in early to mid-August is too soon! It’s odd to go to the beach, have it still be summer and no kids, no lifeguards because everyone has started school early.
Longer vacation
I am a retired teacher and I feel that year around school is the best idea. When kids start school they have lost so much of the information from the previous year that I found myself repeating and going over what the teacher the previous year taught them. Yes some retained the information but many didn’t so I feel a shorter vacation but several breaks is better for them and also some of the parents also who have to work.
I think that the break is long enough. These days it seems like the kids (at least around here) are out of school more than they are in school.
I think a shorter summer vacation. They get a lot of days off during the school year and they get bored with a long summer vacation.
I would have liked a shorter summer vacation and more breaks through the year when my son was in school. We used to take long week end getaways when he had days off. You could save because of being off season and less crowds.
I love summer so as a kid and when I did have a child in school I would have said definitely a longer summer break.
Being a teacher, I prefer a shorter summer break with more breaks during the year. I strongly agree with all the comments about the loss of skills and information the students experience over a long summer break. More breaks during the year leads to better retention of information. It’s a teaching technique called “chunking” that is proven to work.