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Karin
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rayne89
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If I didn’t view education as important do think I would be homeschooling? I could have 6+ hours a day of peace and quiet to myself.
I know everyone has different views on how to educate children, and obviously we have different ideas how this should be done. God Bless.
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Karin
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Karin
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Catholic90
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What’s with the “parents” in quotes??
Yes, I am most concerned with my kids having “fun”! They are KIDS. They are supposed to have fun, to be bored, to be KIDS, for crying out loud! Whenever else in their lives will they ever have this chance again?? Never. (Unless they become a SAHM parent to their children and give their kids the opportunities, but it never really is the same ever again.)
Karin, we will never agree on this point. I firmly believe that kids do need 2-3 months off to go swimming, biking, playing, and being kids. Kids are burning out at an alarmingly fast pace these days, and much of that has to do with the pressures that we as parents who live vicariously through our children put on them. Maybe WE didn’t graduate in the top 10% of our class, but our kids certainly will because we all know THEY are the smartest ones in school! And even if they don’t have it in them, they better darn well do it anyway because if they don’t, WE look bad! I think that is BUNK, but many parents think that way.
Give me my happy, content, bored children any time over the stressed out, anxiety ridden, tense, depressed children of overachievers.
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socalcarmelite
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I think kids should have long summers, even 3 months. As adults, in the USA, we work too long and hard. We might as well enjoy ourselves as children. Also, I spent most of my childhood summers with my extended family in Europe. I am almost trilingual now, and this has proved useful in both job and personal life. I has a lot of fun with my cousins, even when it did rain, and was able to experience another culture. I would not have been able to do this if it was not for our long summer vacations. 
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Karin
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So with all things said Catholic90… I say that we need to agree to disagree on this.Yes, I am most concerned with my kids having “fun”! They are KIDS. They are supposed to have fun, to be bored, to be KIDS, for crying out loud! Whenever else in their lives will they ever have this chance again?? Never. (Unless they become a SAHM parent to their children and give their kids the opportunities, but it never really is the same ever again.) I am sorry but you are right…we will never agree on this. Yes FUN is part of being a KID but so is an education and learning.
Karin, we will never agree on this point. I firmly believe that kids do need 2-3 months off to go swimming, biking, playing, and being kids. Kids are burning out at an alarmingly fast pace these days, and much of that has to do with the pressures that we as parents who live vicariously through our children put on them. LOL!!! By all means I do not live through my kids. I was a kid already,thank you! Kids are burning out becuase their parents are over extending them in other activities throughout the school year. Maybe WE didn’t graduate in the top 10% of our class, but our kids certainly will because we all know THEY are the smartest ones in school! And even if they don’t have it in them, they better darn well do it anyway because if they don’t, WE look bad! I think that is BUNK, but many parents think that way. I am not asking that my kids graduate in the top 10% would be nice thoughI am asking that they apply themselves to their studies so they can get into a good college (hopefully on scholarship) and then on to a profession that can support them and make them happy!
Taking 2-3 months off of school was instituted to alllow kids that lived on farms to be home to work the harvest and planting season. This really does not apply to most kids now adays! So why keep doing something that IMO is Archaic(sp?) ??
Give me my happy, content, bored children any time over the stressed out, anxiety ridden, tense, depressed children of overachievers.FYI this does not describe ALL kids…this describes a very small percentage I am sure. I know that it does not apply to my kids
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Karin
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pnewton
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The Texas legislature tried to start after Labor Day a couple of years ago, but left a loop hole by which districts could get a waiver with cause and start earlier. I think every district in Texas used this “exception.”
I have watched the school year creep earlier and earlier and am glad to see the brakes finally put on these school administrators. I want to have time with my children in the summer. Educators should be able to teach the subject in the time alloted. Perhaps if they stuck to the basics, they would find success.
The education system has plenty of time to indoctrinate, I need my time to innoculate, lest they end up reprobate.
I have watched the school year creep earlier and earlier and am glad to see the brakes finally put on these school administrators. I want to have time with my children in the summer. Educators should be able to teach the subject in the time alloted. Perhaps if they stuck to the basics, they would find success.
The education system has plenty of time to indoctrinate, I need my time to innoculate, lest they end up reprobate.
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luvthelight
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arghhhh this topic frusterates me to no end. i am entering my senior year of high school and cannot BELIEVE that people want to get rid of summer vacation, for MANY reasons. to begin - like so many people have already said - WE BURN OUT! i leave for school ideally around 715 i get home around 230. i take 1/2 for a break, and then work till dinner. then go to swimming. then come back home and work until at least 1230 but am typically getting in bed closer to 2. and many days i cannot make these practices and am STILL up this late. granted i take high classes - but this type of schedule is not unusual for me & my friends! i also spend the vast majority of my weekends working. over my 1 week spring/christmas breaks i have tons of hw as well. i actually have a great deal of hw to be doing this summer too. to get a decent job you HAVE to go to college, graduate school is commonplace. in hs you push yourself to the maximum to get ahead.
additionally, not on the work load, i have a summer job that i need! as i just told you my daily schedule i have no time for a job during the school year, therefore my summer job is necessary so i can have enough money for hte year, for movies, going out with friends, gas for my car, payments on my car, ect.
no - kids NEED summer if you are too concerned about children forgeting everything, buy them review books, take them to museums, read with young children. if you are too concerned about time wasted, ask the school about assigning summer review work to be collected (we students hate this work, but trust me, we will do ANYTHING to save our summers).
additionally, not on the work load, i have a summer job that i need! as i just told you my daily schedule i have no time for a job during the school year, therefore my summer job is necessary so i can have enough money for hte year, for movies, going out with friends, gas for my car, payments on my car, ect.
no - kids NEED summer if you are too concerned about children forgeting everything, buy them review books, take them to museums, read with young children. if you are too concerned about time wasted, ask the school about assigning summer review work to be collected (we students hate this work, but trust me, we will do ANYTHING to save our summers).
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Catholic90
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Catholic90
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Yes, I am most concerned with my kids having “fun”! They are KIDS. They are supposed to have fun, to be bored, to be KIDS, for crying out loud! Whenever else in their lives will they ever have this chance again?? Never. (Unless they become a SAHM parent to their children and give their kids the opportunities, but it never really is the same ever again.) I am sorry but you are right…we will never agree on this. Yes FUN is part of being a KID but so is an education and learning. My kids learn just as much outside of a classroom as they do inside of one.
Karin, we will never agree on this point. I firmly believe that kids do need 2-3 months off to go swimming, biking, playing, and being kids. Kids are burning out at an alarmingly fast pace these days, and much of that has to do with the pressures that we as parents who live vicariously through our children put on them. LOL!!! By all means I do not live through my kids. I was a kid already,thank you! Kids are burning out becuase their parents are over extending them in other activities throughout the school year. There is life beyond academics. Sports, clubs, music, volunteering…Just as valuable as academics. Many times, more so. Maybe WE didn’t graduate in the top 10% of our class, but our kids certainly will because we all know THEY are the smartest ones in school! And even if they don’t have it in them, they better darn well do it anyway because if they don’t, WE look bad! I think that is BUNK, but many parents think that way. I am not asking that my kids graduate in the top 10% would be nice though I am asking that they apply themselves to their studies so they can get into a good college (hopefully on scholarship) and then on to a profession that can support them and make them happy! What if your kids don’t want to go to college? (not all kids are college material, you know.) What if they want to join the military? Go to trade school? Taking 2-3 months off of school was instituted to alllow kids that lived on farms to be home to work the harvest and planting season. This really does not apply to most kids now adays! So why keep doing something that IMO is Archaic(sp?) ?? I still live in a rural area (my parents still farm). My boys go out to help them in the summer. Is it still “archaic”??
Give me my happy, content, bored children any time over the stressed out, anxiety ridden, tense, depressed children of overachievers.FYI this does not describe ALL kids…this describes a very small percentage I am sure. I know that it does not apply to my kids Goody for you. Actually, the percentage of depressed kids is rising. Haven’t you been keeping track that childhood and teen suicide rates are rising? It is the 3rd leading cause of death among teens!*
As adults, in the USA, we work too long and hard. Thank Corporate America…MONEY MONEY MONEY…that is all that they care about. European workers (most) get 2 months vacation per year paid.
You do seem to be speaking out of both sides of your mouth. On the one hand, you want your kids to get scholarships (money) so they can get into a “good” college and get a profession that supports them (money). Once they get into this “profession”, they will never again be allowed summers off (unless they become school teachers!). You seem to say our kids don’t work hard enough because they get 2-3 months off during the year, but our adults work too hard because they don’t get 2 months off like the European’s do! Which is it?
All I can say is if it became mandated that we were going to year round schools (but it will never happen in our Catholic schools here, so I don’t have to worry about it), I would be homeschooling just so we would have summers “off”.
I don’t believe in burnt out kids.
As Luvthelight says, if you are so concerned your children will forget everything over the summer, maybe you should be tutoring them or supplying them with supplemental information.
Originally Posted by Catholic90
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Yes, I am most concerned with my kids having “fun”! They are KIDS. They are supposed to have fun, to be bored, to be KIDS, for crying out loud! Whenever else in their lives will they ever have this chance again?? Never. (Unless they become a SAHM parent to their children and give their kids the opportunities, but it never really is the same ever again.) I am sorry but you are right…we will never agree on this. Yes FUN is part of being a KID but so is an education and learning. My kids learn just as much outside of a classroom as they do inside of one.
Karin, we will never agree on this point. I firmly believe that kids do need 2-3 months off to go swimming, biking, playing, and being kids. Kids are burning out at an alarmingly fast pace these days, and much of that has to do with the pressures that we as parents who live vicariously through our children put on them. LOL!!! By all means I do not live through my kids. I was a kid already,thank you! Kids are burning out becuase their parents are over extending them in other activities throughout the school year. There is life beyond academics. Sports, clubs, music, volunteering…Just as valuable as academics. Many times, more so. Maybe WE didn’t graduate in the top 10% of our class, but our kids certainly will because we all know THEY are the smartest ones in school! And even if they don’t have it in them, they better darn well do it anyway because if they don’t, WE look bad! I think that is BUNK, but many parents think that way. I am not asking that my kids graduate in the top 10% would be nice though
I am asking that they apply themselves to their studies so they can get into a good college (hopefully on scholarship) and then on to a profession that can support them and make them happy! What if your kids don’t want to go to college? (not all kids are college material, you know.) What if they want to join the military? Go to trade school? Taking 2-3 months off of school was instituted to alllow kids that lived on farms to be home to work the harvest and planting season. This really does not apply to most kids now adays! So why keep doing something that IMO is Archaic(sp?) ?? I still live in a rural area (my parents still farm). My boys go out to help them in the summer. Is it still “archaic”??Give me my happy, content, bored children any time over the stressed out, anxiety ridden, tense, depressed children of overachievers.FYI this does not describe ALL kids…this describes a very small percentage I am sure. I know that it does not apply to my kids
Goody for you. Actually, the percentage of depressed kids is rising. Haven’t you been keeping track that childhood and teen suicide rates are rising? It is the 3rd leading cause of death among teens!*As adults, in the USA, we work too long and hard. Thank Corporate America…MONEY MONEY MONEY…that is all that they care about. European workers (most) get 2 months vacation per year paid.
You do seem to be speaking out of both sides of your mouth. On the one hand, you want your kids to get scholarships (money) so they can get into a “good” college and get a profession that supports them (money). Once they get into this “profession”, they will never again be allowed summers off (unless they become school teachers!). You seem to say our kids don’t work hard enough because they get 2-3 months off during the year, but our adults work too hard because they don’t get 2 months off like the European’s do! Which is it?
All I can say is if it became mandated that we were going to year round schools (but it will never happen in our Catholic schools here, so I don’t have to worry about it), I would be homeschooling just so we would have summers “off”.
I don’t believe in burnt out kids.
As Luvthelight says, if you are so concerned your children will forget everything over the summer, maybe you should be tutoring them or supplying them with supplemental information.
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Karin
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Perhaps with my youngest I will look into homeschooling…it sounds like a wonderful alternative to public schools that are riddled with problems and then I can save the $3000 plus on tuition to a Catholic SchoolQuote:
Originally Posted by Catholic90
*Yes, I am most concerned with my kids having “fun”! They are KIDS. They are supposed to have fun, to be bored, to be KIDS, for crying out loud! Whenever else in their lives will they ever have this chance again?? Never. (Unless they become a SAHM parent to their children and give their kids the opportunities, but it never really is the same ever again.). *My kids learn just as much outside of a classroom as they do inside of one. Well goody for them! My kids also learn outside of the classroom as I have stated earlier.
Karin, we will never agree on this point. I firmly believe that kids do need 2-3 months off to go swimming, biking, playing, and being kids. Kids are burning out at an alarmingly fast pace these days, and much of that has to do with the pressures that we as parents who live vicariously through our children put on them. There is life beyond academics. Sports, clubs, music, volunteering…Just as valuable as academics. Many times, more so. I agree that these activites are important but they are not more important than education.
*Maybe WE didn’t graduate in the top 10% of our class, but our kids certainly will because we all know THEY are the smartest ones in school! And even if they don’t have it in them, they better darn well do it anyway because if they don’t, WE look bad! I think that is BUNK, but many parents think that way. What if your kids don’t want to go to college? (not all kids are college material, you know.) What if they want to join the military? Go to trade school? *If a trade school made them happy then by all means…but out here trade schools do require a basic amount of education…they are not that easy to get into. as to the military, I think I know my kids pretty well and the eldest does not follow orders very well so I dont think so…also to advance in the military you need an education.
*I still live in a rural area (my parents still farm). My boys go out to help them in the summer. Is it still “archaic”?? *Your parents I assume do not rely on your kids to do all the labor on the farm or a large majority as in the olden days?? If they do then by all means take off the summer so you can help bring the harvest in!
Give me my happy, content, bored children any time over the stressed out, anxiety ridden, tense, depressed children of overachievers.FYI this does not describe ALL kids…this describes a very small percentage I am sure. I know that it does not apply to my kids
Once they get into this “profession”, they will never again be allowed summers off (unless they become school teachers!). Or they work in Europe…which is an option
I don’t believe in burnt out kids. Neither do I and mine are not
As Luvthelight says, if you are so concerned your children will forget everything over the summer, maybe you should be tutoring them or supplying them with supplemental information. LOL!! Thank you I do…it is a shame that more parents dont then their kids could stop wasting my sons time in Sept. relearning things that they forgot!
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wabrams
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I knew a kid whose mom valued him learning 24/7/365. He had homework assignments given by his mother during the summer, etc. Know what happened to him? Became a complete social idiot by high school. Plenty of book smarts, no common sense. Always thought he was smarter than everyone else, etc. College wasn’t much better. Haven’t seen him since we all finished school. No one has much to do with him anymore.
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Karin
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Love that one…guess that is what happens when you dont get your 2-3 months off in the summer…NOT (IMO)! Parents need to learn the balance that works for their kids between school work and liesure. I ahve to say that my kids are very well adjusted socially and academically …guess I found the right balance.
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CathyD
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Not to burst any happy Texan’s bubble…
The Missouri Legislature also passed a law several years ago that said schools couldn’t start before Labor Day. There weren’t any penalties for breaking the law, though, so all the school districts went right back to starting in August. Since then, the date has been creeping back to earlier and earlier. My kids start August 16.
As a person with an August birthday, I thorougly enjoyed my birthdays, hanging out at the pool, goofing off with my brothers and generally NOT being in school. I feel it is my sacred mission to make sure no other kid with an August (14th) birthday has to be stuck in school on his/her birthday!
Not sure what I can do about it, though.
Cathy
The Missouri Legislature also passed a law several years ago that said schools couldn’t start before Labor Day. There weren’t any penalties for breaking the law, though, so all the school districts went right back to starting in August. Since then, the date has been creeping back to earlier and earlier. My kids start August 16.
As a person with an August birthday, I thorougly enjoyed my birthdays, hanging out at the pool, goofing off with my brothers and generally NOT being in school. I feel it is my sacred mission to make sure no other kid with an August (14th) birthday has to be stuck in school on his/her birthday!
Not sure what I can do about it, though.
Cathy
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