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Post by moveablefeast on Aug 18, 2014 11:14:27 GMT
I don't....most teachers I know don't. How interesting. All teachers here do. I honestly had no idea some teachers don't. If you get paid year round here, it is because your pay has been divided out over the whole year. Teachers contract the school year plus the days at the beginning and the end of the year, but can be paid over 12 months so that they always have a steady paycheck. I get paid by time card so my summer paycheck is small (I am a .75 time administrator and not on salary).
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scraptag
Full Member
Posts: 243
Location: Pacific Northwest
Jun 28, 2014 23:03:10 GMT
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Post by scraptag on Aug 18, 2014 11:37:27 GMT
School went a week longer this year because of snow, and it seems to start very early this year with Labor day being on the 1st. I dread school starting. This feels like the summer that wasn't because it was consumed with home repair projects.
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Post by 1lear on Aug 18, 2014 11:47:05 GMT
I get sad when school starts because we have to be on a schedule. It's so easy during the summer-no making sure DS gets up for school and a lot less traffic.
I've told my kids that, if I could start over, I'd be a teacher. I'd love to have summers off.
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Post by hockeymom4 on Aug 18, 2014 11:52:23 GMT
Kind of looking forward to it. This is the first summer I worked full time, and we had terrible weather. It will be good to get back into a routine, and as much as I hate to admit it hockey!!! We are all very busy once the preseason starts (Monday with team training camp) DD plays, I manage and hubby is a coach. The only thing I am NOT looking forward to is lunches (am sure there will be a good lunch thread soon )
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Post by mama2three on Aug 18, 2014 11:59:16 GMT
My kids are crying bc their dad has to go back to work, not bc they are starting school. I still think they are picking up on your feelings. Crying because someone has to go back to work isn't a typical child response if the adults don't frame it as a horrible time. I teach. I've been home with my kids every summer since they were young. Every year when it got time for me to go back to work we prepped the kids. They didn't cry (well DS did when he first went to daycare when he was 4, but the younger one didn't). I think kids pick up on their parent's state of being. Are there not any new experiences they will have even though their dad is at work? I agree they are picking up on your feelings. My mother was a teacher, and while we enjoyed summers off, and most kids would rather have summer vacation than have to do school work, we were excited about starting off a new school year. New books, new backpacks, new supplies. I still get excited to pick out new office supplies! Mom would bring us to her school the week before school started and we'd help set up her room. Even as a small child I was unpacking books from boxes and putting them on shelves. As I got older I helped put up bulletin boards or wrote the kids names on their nametags for their desks. I didn't go to the same school, but I remember wanting to hear what the kid with the name I admired was like. Back to school was the start of a new adventure.
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Post by melodyesch on Aug 18, 2014 12:38:13 GMT
I imagine it is a hard adjustment if you've had that entire time with your whole family. My Mom was a stay at home Mom and we were at the pool everyday and playing outside until late and just doing tons of stuff. Now that my Mom is gone, summer makes me miss her a lot.
I don't have kids, but I drive by a small school on the way to work. It's situated on a street that's not very wide so traffic is, by default, caught in the drop off line. So summer for me means zipping past the empty school. School term means leaving earlier to either sit while the kids get dropped off or take a longer, alternate route. It is cute at the start, though, to see the kids in their new uniforms with all of their backpacks looking so excited.
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Post by melanell on Aug 18, 2014 12:59:11 GMT
You could try cultivating some gratitude that dad has this awesome job that allows you to stay home and homeschool AND he gets to spend the summers off with you. First world problems, baby. Isn't the whole point of her post that it's incredibly amazing that they get to be together like that? If she wasn't already grateful her post would be whining about all the reasons she dislikes summer vacation. I'm incredibly grateful that my parents scrimped and saved so that we could go to the beach every year. But I still cried every single year when we had to leave. First world problem? Of course. But just because you hate when something ends doesn't mean you didn't feel lucky to have it in the first place. I think it indicates the exact opposite. Oh, and my one son cries at the end of holiday break when DH goes back to work. And that's only 12 days. He'd definitely cry at the end of an entire summer with both parents home. Some kids cry. I don't think it means anything. I don't cry when he goes back. (Heck, I'm relieved. I need some alone time and it's hard to get with everyone home every day!) So he's not picking it up from me. But even though I'm relieved for a bit of quiet during the day again, it doesn't make me like packing lunches or chauffeuring or homework any more.
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Post by melanell on Aug 18, 2014 13:11:09 GMT
I agree with the posters who mentioned scheduling something fun as a consolation for the school year starting back up. I always list a bunch of fun things we'll be doing in the upcoming weeks as we head back to school. Whether it's typical fall fun or a movie, or a park, or upcoming special events. Anything to keep the focus on the fact that this doesn't mean the end of family fun. We just have to schedule it differently.
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Post by Kelpea on Aug 18, 2014 13:22:47 GMT
I'll be another naysayer. I cannot WAIT for my teens to be back in school. And thank GOD they're in HS sports which means they've been at a practice (she, two a days; he, three hours a day) since July. Keeps 'em healthy, occupied, and working on team building activities. And keeping them tired, and off the streets at night.
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Post by mdoc on Aug 18, 2014 13:56:40 GMT
I hate the end of summer, just because I am a big hot weather fan and I live in northern Illinois where winters can be long and brutal. Sadly, we didn't have much of a summer this year - lots of below normal temps; there were days last week when we never got out of the 50's. In August!!!!
Back to school doesn't bother me as much. D1 returned to college last week, which is exciting and sad (for me, not her) at the same time. D2 is finished with school and working, so back to school has no impact on her. D3 is starting high school and frankly, she's bored and ready to get back to school and have a routine. So let the school year begin!
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luckyexwife
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,069
Jun 25, 2014 21:21:08 GMT
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Post by luckyexwife on Aug 18, 2014 13:59:28 GMT
This is the worst time of the year. I hate it. Summer is magic. It's like this amazing 2 months when my family lives inside a bubble and the real world can't touch us. Summer is swimming everyday. It's endless play dates, fireworks every Friday, boats and snowcones and movies. It's no work, no bedtimes, no responsibilities. It's sleeping late every day and then going to brunch. Tons of family time, tons of friend time. Summer is happiness and innocence and being a kid again. And tomorrow, when teachers have to report back to work, it all comes crashing down I get so depressed this time of year. It feels like the end of the world. My kids are crying, I'm thinking of all the things I wanted to do but didn't. I despise back to school. This was just a vent. Does anyone else hate this time of year? I feel the same. My DH isn't a teacher, but he has more flexibility in the summer, and has taken lots of extra time off. We have made the most of it, and we loved all the family time. Our summer was magical, and I'm sad to go back to schedules and real life. But, I'm also making it fun for the kids. They are excited for back to school shopping, and getting all their school things together. We have made some fun plans for fall as well. We also talk about our favorite parts of summer, and I am planning on making a small memory book for each child based on their favorites.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 9, 2024 18:20:03 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2014 14:02:50 GMT
I love back to school time (except for shopping for supplies) I work full time, so it's not like I get more time with my son during the summer.
By the end of summer, I think he is getting bored too. He says he's looking forward to going back.
I think the routine of school is easier for me to follow (as far as mealtimes and such)
Fall is also my favorite time of year. Love the weather, smells, things to do. Look forward to vacation next week and also in November.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Oct 9, 2024 18:20:03 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2014 14:06:58 GMT
In talking with my sisters who both teach, I think one of the very largest perks for teaching is that long amount of time-off/vacation consecutively. One just moved into administration and didn't get that normal summer off....it was very tough for her this summer because she was so used to it. And many teachers don't really understand how rare that perk is and that it has very, very high worth as a benefit. Not many in a corporate environment are ever allowed to take that long of a sabbatical from their job -- especially not every year. For example, my job requires me to be in my chair every other Monday and then on the 1st and 15th of each month plus the beginning week or week and a half of the each new quarter and the first day or two of each month for other reasons. Add that to 3 different kids' school schedules (two universities and one HS), it's tough to find even a week to vacation altogether. Yep, agree with this. With my job, I cannot take more than 1 week of at a time. I would love to be able to even just take a 2 week vacation to travel across the country.
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Dalai Mama
Drama Llama
La Pea Boheme
Posts: 6,985
Jun 26, 2014 0:31:31 GMT
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Post by Dalai Mama on Aug 18, 2014 14:14:44 GMT
I think you need a reality check. MOST families don't have dad off work for the whole summer. Instead of being sad about him going back to work maybe you need to learn to be thankful for the weekS off you did get that most people don't. And,yes, your kids are picking up on your sadness. You need to knock it off. Or maybe your husband needs a job with one week of vacation for the entire year. This times a million. Suck it up or have your DH find a new job, one that won't throw your kids into sadness. Jesus, lady. Where the hell did that come from? The kids got used to having their father around all day and now they're sad that he has to go back to work. Sounds completely normal to me. Suck it up? Jesus lady, indeed.
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Post by jeremysgirl on Aug 18, 2014 14:25:56 GMT
I hate back to school time too. But not because of the time spent with my kids but because I have one kid who isn't very responsible with his school work and I will constantly have to be on him to get his work done. It is a real drag. I just hate it.
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raindancer
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,095
Jun 26, 2014 20:10:29 GMT
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Post by raindancer on Aug 18, 2014 14:31:15 GMT
And on the flip side? I love this time of year. I grew up in a college town. Every year, when the fall semester started, students flooded my home town. The town became vibrant and alive. People everywhere, football season, all kinds of cool live music...so to me, this time of year is more of a "new year" feeling than even new year's eve. Everything changes in August. I have never seen the end of summer as a negative, but a positive. A new start, a new beginning. When I sent my kids off to a new school year, it was a something to look forward to, not a time to mourn. Just a different perspective. Me too! I love to learn, and shop for school supplies, new sneakers and clothes, and fall rejuvenates me. The colors, the weather, the "feel" in the air all the way through November leading to Thanksgiving, a feast, family, the smells of fall. I agree, it's a far better "new year" than New Year's eve.
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Post by peasapie on Aug 18, 2014 14:44:06 GMT
I don't like having to have ready to pack lunches every day. I don't like driving DS to school, and now I'll be driving both of them to 3 different schools. I don't like homework with DS [HASH]1. I don't like having to be ready at a certain (early) time every morning. But I never get to sleep in in the summer, so at least i won't miss that. And I won't miss the boys fighting. I'm right there with ya! Hate the lunch and homework grind. I probably would have homeschooled, except that I teach and we needed my income/ insurance. The best day of summer vacation was the last day of school because the whole summer still stretched out ahead of us. We would always start a giant jigsaw puzzle and leave it out on a card table to work on. My kids would make summer wish lists of things to do and we'd get to most of it, little by little. They're grown now, but I still have their wish lists and it makes me (and them) smile. I was was always sad when the summer ended.
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Post by snappinsami on Aug 18, 2014 14:49:26 GMT
I don't mind it. Working full-time, summer doesn't mean as much for me personally, but I do like having the whole family get back to a regular routine. Plus, this year, we moved at the end of June, and DD doesn't know ANYONE in our new area yet. She's spent the summer holed up in the house. I'm sure she can't wait to get back to being with kids her own age, making new friends, etc. And I can't wait to get her out of the house. I haven't given her a lot of grief for not doing much this summer because it was out of her control to a large extent, but it'll be good for her.
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Post by peasapie on Aug 18, 2014 14:51:24 GMT
In talking with my sisters who both teach, I think one of the very largest perks for teaching is that long amount of time-off/vacation consecutively. One just moved into administration and didn't get that normal summer off....it was very tough for her this summer because she was so used to it. And many teachers don't really understand how rare that perk is and that it has very, very high worth as a benefit. Not many in a corporate environment are ever allowed to take that long of a sabbatical from their job -- especially not every year. For example, my job requires me to be in my chair every other Monday and then on the 1st and 15th of each month plus the beginning week or week and a half of the each new quarter and the first day or two of each month for other reasons. Add that to 3 different kids' school schedules (two universities and one HS), it's tough to find even a week to vacation altogether. How does your corporate salary compare to a teacher's salary? Where I live, teachers earn a lot less than most corporate jobs. Summer is an unpaid leave that many teachers try to find work to fill. It's all about choices, on both sides.
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imsirius
Prolific Pea
Call it as I see it.
Posts: 7,661
Location: Floating in the black veil.
Jul 12, 2014 19:59:28 GMT
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Post by imsirius on Aug 18, 2014 14:54:33 GMT
Feels like fall here already and it's only August! The temps are 10-15 degrees below normal and it's been a rainy, cool summer. While I love the lazy days, I feel like I am ready for school to be back because my kids are bored. I think it rained more this summer, than any in the last 10 years. We had a brutal winter too, so I feel we got ripped off.
I love Fall though!!! As much as I love summer, fall is special for us. I love the fall fairs, the cooler nights, Thanksgiving, hikes, pumpkin patch visits and our family favourite, is HALLOWEEN!
However, I do loathe the lunch thing too. We have a totally nut free school. (even sunflower seeds!) and it's so difficult to find things my kids like to eat that are totally nut free. We manage but it's a huge pain. I am also not looking forward to homework battles with my son. Although, this year may be a bit less pressure on him (and me) as we are finally getting an IEP put in place. I'm sure that will be another headache but hopefully with the SPED teacher on board, it will go a bit smoother for him.
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msliz
Drama Llama
The Procrastinator
Posts: 6,419
Jun 26, 2014 21:32:34 GMT
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Post by msliz on Aug 18, 2014 15:17:09 GMT
Goodness gracious, this thread took a weird turn. Myshelley, I'm glad you all had a fantastic summer! That's the stuff wonderful memories are made from. It's hard to see all that fun come to a close.
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The Birdhouse Lady
Drama Llama
Moose. It's what's for dinner.
Posts: 7,351
Location: Alaska -The Last Frontier
Jun 30, 2014 17:15:19 GMT
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Post by The Birdhouse Lady on Aug 18, 2014 16:47:04 GMT
My daughter went back to school this morning. I wish summer was just starting. We had such a great summer I wish it would never end.
The things that I don't like about back to school are
1. the schedule 2. packing lunches 3. homework and projects (ie: science fair)
The things I like about back to school are
1. She gets to learn new things 2. She gets to spend time with friends 3. New school supplies
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amom23
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,410
Jun 27, 2014 12:39:18 GMT
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Post by amom23 on Aug 18, 2014 17:02:49 GMT
We've had a great summer, but super busy. With summer sports camps, baseball, weight lifting for FB, vacations, etc. there is no sleeping in and lounging around all day for my house. I like the start of school. My kids are always ready go back (even if they won't admitt it). It's always exciting to see what the new year brings.
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Post by doesitmatter on Aug 18, 2014 17:12:33 GMT
No - I like the change of routines and activities along with seasons.
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oh yvonne
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,062
Jun 26, 2014 0:45:23 GMT
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Post by oh yvonne on Aug 18, 2014 17:28:19 GMT
OMDL people, she was just venting! I feel the same way about summer ending. We love it. The fun summer day camp, weeks at the grandparents and cheer camp, vacation Bible school, family vacation... flip flops all summer and overnight play dates during the week. That all comes to a screeching halt for back to school. This thread has made me think though, about MY attitude towards summer ending.I need to do something to cheer my girl up, she's sad about school starting too. She's already dreading all the homework and frustration (thanks, Common Core). I'm going to work on focusing on the positives about school starting again. Really, cause I'm moping around too. Wish I could think of something.
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craftchickapowpow
Full Member
My Circus My Monkeys
Posts: 206
Jun 26, 2014 16:12:18 GMT
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Post by craftchickapowpow on Aug 18, 2014 18:10:02 GMT
I hate the thought of getting up at the butt crack of dawn. I hate the idea of going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark. I hate that the rain will start soon and it won't stop until next July. The only bright spot is football and a new season of tv shows.
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scrapaddie
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,090
Jul 8, 2014 20:17:31 GMT
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Post by scrapaddie on Aug 18, 2014 18:20:48 GMT
How interesting. All teachers here do. I honestly had no idea some teachers don't. Really??? I get paid from September till June. That's our school year. If you teach year round then that would make sense....it is interesting. Here, teachers have no choice, they get paid all year, but work wig though may... The school basically keeps their money to pay throughout the summer. They used to give teaches a choice to be paid just 10 months, but financially it is better for the school to spread it out!
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ddly
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,020
Jul 10, 2014 19:36:28 GMT
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Post by ddly on Aug 18, 2014 18:25:18 GMT
I don't....most teachers I know don't. How interesting. All teachers here do. I honestly had no idea some teachers don't. We have choices for pay: - twice a month for 10 months, no pay in July and August - twice a month for 12 months - twice a month for 10 months plus a lump sum payment at the beginning of July for July and August i do twice a month for 12 months. Lisa D.
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Post by Merge on Aug 18, 2014 18:27:08 GMT
I think some of us are responding to the overly dramatic tone. "It feels like the end of the world, my kids are crying, I despise this time of year."
That's a bit much for a vent and sounds a lot like the OP's a drama queen whose negative attitude has rubbed off on her children.
I'm a teacher. I get being sorry that summer is over. But the end of the world? Really?
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scrapaddie
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,090
Jul 8, 2014 20:17:31 GMT
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Post by scrapaddie on Aug 18, 2014 18:33:26 GMT
In talking with my sisters who both teach, I think one of the very largest perks for teaching is that long amount of time-off/vacation consecutively. One just moved into administration and didn't get that normal summer off....it was very tough for her this summer because she was so used to it. And many teachers don't really understand how rare that perk is and that it has very, very high worth as a benefit. Not many in a corporate environment are ever allowed to take that long of a sabbatical from their job -- especially not every year. For example, my job requires me to be in my chair every other Monday and then on the 1st and 15th of each month plus the beginning week or week and a half of the each new quarter and the first day or two of each month for other reasons. Add that to 3 different kids' school schedules (two universities and one HS), it's tough to find even a week to vacation altogether. I was well aware of the perk. Are you aware that teachers have no paid vacations.... No bonuses.... And work very long days ( i was there by 7 and left 4:30 or later) with no lunch 6 days a week. Then there as the classes taken over the summer to keep skills and certificate current. Many of my business friends get 6. Weeks or more paid vacation... Eat out for lunch and complain about bonuses... Which seem huge to me. I am not complaining because I knew what I was getting onto and I actually loved teaching I cannot understand how my friends can enjoy their jobs in the corporate world... No summer was ever long enough for me. It was when I got to be a real mom:)
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