On Break

On Break

No, I’m not taking a break from blogging.

Instead I am referring to the inconsistencies with breaks in the school calendar.

Let’s take this weekend for example.

President’s Day, or Presidents Day, or perhaps Presidents’ Day – choose your preference because I can’t find an official grammatical presentation for the holiday.

On the school calendar this holiday coincides with mid-winter break, the vacation time of no school that occurs between winter/Christmas vacation at the end of December and beginning of January and spring break, usually in April.

My kids, who go to Catholic school had a half-day on Thursday, were off Friday, and have Monday (the actual holiday) and Tuesday off, then back to school on Wednesday.

Laura, who teaches in public school, has Monday (the actual holiday) through Friday off.

This means there are only two school days where everybody will be off school.

We are asked, and most people are, when a long weekend like this approaches, “Are you doing anything for ___?”

The answer is most invariably “No.”

And not just because the different school calendars have different break times. Spring break for the kids is the full week after the same vacation for public schools the full week before. One week Laura will be home while the kids are still in school and the following week I will be home with the kids while Laura has gone back to work.

So this time? Why aren’t we doing anything special or going anywhere?

Mostly it has to do with teeth.

There is a dental appointment on Monday and two orthodontist appointments on Tuesday. Combine that with the inconvenience of a 6 month old’s nap schedule and any “quick” getaway is pretty much pointless.

Even summer vacation has different start times.

Some day we will be able to have a mid-year break other than Christmas together.