JAWM No Winter Break

[rainbowmama]

I chose not to take two weeks off of school this year for winter break in order to end the school year early, as we hope to have a new baby in the house at the end of April. My kids don't love this idea. On Christmas, my mother asked about our schedule this week, and I told her we planned to do school. In front of my kids she sighed and rolled her eyes. This is not the first time my mother has complained that my kids do too much school. I really wish she would butt out!  /end rant

Edited December 26, 2016 by rainbowmama

[almondbutterandjelly]

((hugs)) We had planned on doing school last week and this week, but we keep getting sick.  I'm right there with ya, though.  If we weren't sick, we would be all over school.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

We generally don't take Christmas break either (well, only a few days) because we take a long vacation in California in Jan-Feb.  It's hard on my kids to hear the neighbors playing outside though, so I do at least drop to minimum schooling.  

 

Sorry your mom is being like that!  Such a pain to be contradicted in front of the kids!

[HS Mom in NC]

A baby on the way is a great reason to get more school in now.  Does she think you won't take time off when the baby comes?

[NoseInABook]

We rarely take the winter break either. We did this year and I'm slightly regretting it! 

[sbgrace]

Blech on grandma's undermining ways! I'd rant too.

We're on a different schedule than school kids. It's easy to point out our vacation in November or shortened days for friends if someone mentions the school kids' vacations. 

 

Edited December 26, 2016 by sbgrace

[Georgiana Daniels]

That was pretty rude of your mom! She should want her grandkids to receive a quality education, which for you means school during this season. Undermining your plans that way was certainly no help.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Are your kids unduly influenced by your mother? We have had no break at Christmas time before. One year we even did some school on Christmas Day in between celebrating! I just laughed about it when relatives thought that it was strange. Because honestly, it is strange compared to how most kids school schedules are arranged.

 

But I had confidence in our decisions. I joked about how the kids would need therapy. People tend to relax when we exude confidence in our decisions and don't get defensive. They might not totally get it but since they aren't in your unique circumstances, they don't need to get it. And honestly, it's not like there is just one way to handle schedules. Enjoy the freedom you have to make schedules that work best for you.

 

 

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[Heatherwith4]

Not cool for your mom to undermine you. We have done some unorthodox stuff with our schedules before, and when the kids complain, I remind them about the freedom we have to take off. We can go on vacation whenever basically or when daddy is off work we can be off, etc. I would probably do the same thing as you if I were expecting a baby.

[Anne in CA]

I have SO BTDT with relatives who thought we school too much/ at weird times, ect. None of them ever noticed that we were in Disney land the first week of Feb when it's totally dead and you don't have to wait in line for rides having a ball. None of them ever noticed the other fun things we did during regular school times. They just thought I was a controlling nut who made the kids do school all the time. They never saw the coop classes for juggling or the time off for nature walks or just to go to the beach when it was finally sunny. 

 

A baby coming is a super good reason to power through. I'd do it too. 

[rocassie]

We always take one because DH has a week vacation.  It's not always convenient, but I know when planning for the year so I can work it in.  My in-laws lament about my kids not having a "summer vacation" so I get it.

[Starr]

They will be happy on the other end. 

[FriedClams]

We're talking about a week off. We just moved. It was a long process and while we got the majors done, I'd like more of the minors caught up. We're also in a new town with no friends, so we don't have anything else to do. I figure we'll catch up, bank some time and travel more in the spring.

[RKWAcademy]

Ha.  Wonder if come May, she'll complain the kids don't do enough school?  My mom just complained that my kids aren't doing enough because we just moved and took some time off.  Sometimes we can't win.  I chose to ignore her! 

[RebeccaS]

For the first time ever, we took two weeks off-last week and this week.  I'm regretting it now because the kids just find ways to fuss at each other and it's chaos.  Dh also has off work which is just throwing us all off.  It hasn't been the most pleasant of weeks.  I'd rather have ended early.  Now I remember why we skipped the winter break.  :P 

[sewingmama]

I'm not suprised at her reaction....its Christmas and she was probably hoping to spend time with them. My inlaws kind of ruined our end of year schooling plans this year because they where dying to spend time with the kids. They are 70.. who knows how much time they have left so I just sighed inwardly, finished school early and let them spend time with the kids. Relationships are just as important as school...sometimes moreso. My 40 yo SIL was just diagnosed with leukemia...you bet we let the kids take all sorts of days off to spend time with her when she is well enough to do so.

Edited December 26, 2016 by sewingmama

[foxbridgeacademy]

Makes me thankful that I have a mother who stays out of it..... makes me very thankful that we don't speak to DH's mother who would never stay out of anything.

 

I think it's a great idea and I'm sure if she considered how stressful it would be to try and have a new baby and do school she would agree.

[rainbowmama]

I'm not suprised at her reaction....its Christmas and she was probably hoping to spend time with them. My inlaws kind of ruined our end of year schooling plans this year because they where dying to spend time with the kids. They are 70.. who knows how much time they have left so I just sighed inwardly, finished school early and let them spend time with the kids. Relationships are just as important as school...sometimes moreso. My 40 yo SIL was just diagnosed with leukemia...you bet we let the kids take all sorts of days off to spend time with her when she is well enough to do so.

 

My mother is in her sixties. I don't know her exact work schedule, but I know she's working today. 

[RootAnn]

:grouphug:  I hope you have a talk with her about this. Not cool for her to undermine you in front of the kids. YOU are the mom & get to make the decisions.

 

My kids aren't used to having so much time off (last week, this week). They have asked several times if we have school tomorrow, or the day after? How about the day after that?  :laugh:

 

I need to get stuff done or we'd be doing half-days. It'll be a rough restart, but we'll take it as easy as we can. Mine don't do well with lots of time off in terms of remembering things. We'll have forgotten everything. The only positive is that two of them are starting new math books, so there will be plenty of review at the beginning.  :coolgleamA:

[Spryte]

I'm sorry about your mom, but best of luck with the new baby!

 

When we were adopting DD, we didn't find out she was coming till 6 weeks before her due date. She was born in late spring, and I'd have loved to know far enough in advance to school through winter break!

 

You'll be glad you did it. The kids will, too. :)

[Farrar]

If she's toxic in general, obviously disregard, but if she's mostly pretty reasonable, I'd just talk to her about this. There are days that other kids are out - having a snow day and sledding or having a day off for something or other or going on some cool all school field trip or something and we're home and forcing everyone to do math. But then there are other times when school kids are starting school and we're having our vacation or out for a hike with friends or something. I think you need to drive home to her that a point by point comparison doesn't work.

 

Like Jean said, I often joke when I'm making the kids do school at a "weird" time like in the middle of July. I'll be like, I'm the meanest mom ever. *cackles evilly!* Hopefully your kids also know that comparisons are odious.