WTF: Summer Breaking
We Talk Friday
(WTF)
This is a semi-regular series that I will run on Fridays to hold discussions on a current topic from the week gone. The aim is to keep them light and conversational, though some might be heavier - regardless of the content topic itself though, just have some fun engaging and discussing with whoever happens to put in the effort in the comments section below.
We Talk Friday Ep. 13: Summer Breaking
It was the last day of school in Finland and the last for Smallsteps at that school, as she will shift to a more music orientated school in the fall. Yes fall - or "autumn" as I actually call it. The summer hasn't even started yet, but it is going to be about 10 weeks off for the school kids, which will take them through to mid-August.
Who is meant to look after them?
Sure, I am not working at 100% at the moment (or even close to it), so it is fine. But most years both my wife and I have been working and we get four weeks of leave each summer. That means, that even if we didn't have any overlap, we would still be about two weeks short. In the past we have had grandparents look after her here and there, but they are advancing in age rapidly and aren't as comfortable with it as earlier.
Smallsteps is getting older now and can spend more time by herself and with friends in the neighbourhood, but I just wonder what it is like for the parents working full-time with younger kids. When Smallsteps was younger and it was more of an issue, it was also Corona time, so we were able to take turns working from home as necessary. That is not as much the case now though.
There are various "summer clubs" that can go for a week or so, but they are pretty expensive for what they are, and still, they will only cover a week of time. Smallsteps wasn't interested, once she found out her friend wasn't going to go to one. I think they both would have had a ball doing arts and crafts, or some sport thing.
But this year, I don't mind her staying home.
This year, I get to be a stay at home dad who gets to spend a lot of time with her, doing whatever we want on each day, without it having to be anything special at all. This year, we get to hangout together, potter around the garden, or go to the city by tram, or kick a ball around in the park. This year, there will be no pressure to be anywhere else.
The last time I had this opportunity, was in 2021.
That is not that long ago, but Smallsteps was a lot younger then and I was also recovering from a stroke, which meant that I wasn't exactly "in the right mind" for pretty much anything. We did stuff, but I don't really remember that much of what we did, and I definitely wasn't present for it, as my head felt disconnected from my body, not to mention the distance to other people.
This will be daddy-daughter summer.
And just maybe, she will be old enough to remember these times together, and cherish them in her future. Whether she does or doesn't isn't the point though. The point is that we have a slice of opportunity to spend time together, and who knows if we will get another chance.
Ten weeks of summer holidays though.
It wasn't like that when I was a kid.
Taraz
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We have kindergartens here to take care kids while their parents at work, which has been as much expensive as a private school.
One of the benefits of remote working is that parents (especially wife) can both take care of kid/s and work during the day, thus jobs or departments which provide remote working are demanded for this reason here.
But these are for small kids, right?
Remote working is good for some things, but it also turns the home into a workplace, rather than a sanctuary for the family.
Kids up to 5 or 6 years old.
As a parent staying around kids in their tender age is always a beautiful moment for them because that is actually the time most parents dedicate their time in staying with them. Smallsteps is actually growing up as she can actually do somethings on her own if she stays alone and probably she might not be bothered but you know as kids they like to explore which gives them happiness especially when hanging out with friends.
It is good for kids to be bored enough in their holidays that they go and explore the world and look for adventure.
It's shaping up to be a great summer for both of you! Actually, all three of you as your wife will not worry about where Smallsteps would have to go. I'm sure Smallsteps is old enough to remember this Summer of Fun and what great bonding time for her and you! Hooray for summer vacation :D
I think it is going to be a lot of fun for us and one of the great things about Finland in the summer, is the sun won't set until very late in the evening, so even if working, the day is far from over :)
4 weeks is not too bad in terms of vacation. Most companies in US start with one or two weeks of vacation...
Yeah, I never complain about that. It is three weeks usually in Australia. The other thing that has changed in Finland is that the break period is more spread out. When I first came, the country almost shut down in July.
I hope you are able to make the most of the time you have with her. I honestly thought your stroke was longer ago than that. It's great that you seem to be recovering fairly well. We still have two half days of school left, then I get to work on all of my summer stuff with the kids and students gone.
At times it feels it - sometimes it feels like it was only a few weeks ago.
Does this mean you can cram 4 months of work in?
It's really only like two and a half months. I plan on taking a bit of time off, so whatever gets done gets done.
Different term/holiday system. We do 10 week terms with two week breaks at quarter, mid and three quarters and end of year is like 6-8 weeks or something. The kids I know (including my homeschooled lot who only followed school terms because gymnastics runs on school terms otherwise the closest we get is bunkering down a bit in school holidays as everything is insane then) reckon this one is preferable as they think not having the occasional breaks in between would cause them to burn out moreso than they already are. As far as I'm aware the ones I know don't have direct experience with anything other than the system we have over here but I do know that some of them have friends that have relocated here or elsewhere and also have online friends.
Actually when we would have been at school it might have been 12 week terms as I do recall it getting shorter at some point. Or maybe that was just at uni as I remember the one I was going to at the time calling them "shorter, smarter semesters" which most people attributed to less teaching time while charging the same amount (which understandable, but from memory the lecturers were available for the same amount of time, you could just make appointments with them to discuss anything you were having problems with/wanted to talk about rather than just seeing them in class and there was supposed to be more individual study time but uni students fresh out of school and desperate for freedom to "do whatever they wanted" and not be scheduled to within inches of their were unlikely to realise/use that).
Your summer plans sound pretty good.
For sure. But... They also have a few weeks off for Christmas, a ski holiday week and an autumn holiday week here. And, Smallsteps has only been going to school 8-12 most days... I don't get it! :D
Question for you... Did you often talk to your lecturers at uni? From my memory, I might have gone to talk to them once or twice in four years.
Not really in first year of my first course (lots of mostly stupid reasons behind that). I did a bit more in second year of my first course when I realised they were helpful/useful. Second course I was still not talking as much to the lecturers as I should have been as the mostly stupid reasons persisted but it was more than the first course, and I did end up with one of the more "interesting" lecturers as a facilitator and those of us that had that particular lecturer were like D: until we got into our one on one meetings and realised they were an infinitely better facilitator than lecturer but I don't know if that counts XD
It sounds as a great plan for Smallsteps!
You will have too much to write about.
It is great you will have more time to expend together, she will for sure appreciate it forever.
Enjoy the summer!
I am hoping that this summer the writing will be pretty calm and fun :)
Mainly Fun I guess. Always something fun and reflective reading over here!
Absolutely, summer break is a priceless time for parents and their kids especially with all the pressures from work and life.
I agree that the biggest challenge is for full-time working parents especially with short summer vacations and limited affordable childcare options.
In some places, the childcare is not an option at all. Here, there are okay options at least, but it is still expensive.
Our favorite neighbor often jokes that she may fall in her garden some day. I keep on telling her that she will still live at least 10 more years. She has various health problems but keeps on going. Impressive really.
People take life for granted and don't really live it. This is mostly out of fear of failure, rejection, and being judged by others. Strange way to live.
How many days of summer vacation did you have when you were a child? In Soviet times we had 3 months of summer vacation. Now my children also have 3 months of summer vacation.