When my children were all in grade school, I would dread the onset of November! It seemed that starting in November and running right up until the holiday vacation break, there would be so many school activities—parent nights and open houses, band and orchestra concerts, pageants, plays, field trips—you name it. There were weeks when I think I was at the school every night! Of course, it wasn’t the school’s fault that I had three kids, but I still couldn’t help but think that there were a few too many activities and expectations for child participation during the holiday season.
I wonder if there isn’t a way to consolidate or spread thing out—I would be perfectly happy going to a band or orchestra concert in January or February—it doesn’t have to be part of the holiday season hoopla. And, while I understand that the schools are trying to cram a bunch of stuff in before the end of the term and before kids are let loose for the holiday break (and the month of September is dedicated to kicking off the school year)—my opinion was that it was really too much!
Add the grade school obligations to church, family, holiday travel, sports and civic groups, and other activities and you’ve got a recipe for a lot of stress and chaos. All of this is just my own opinion however, and I also confess that my children have all moved beyond the grade school years so it doesn’t affect me as much. Still, I would love to hear other opinions and hear what those of you who have children in grade school think (especially if you’ve got more than one). Do you think there are too many school activities and academic expectations during the months of November and December?
Also: I Can’t Believe Summer is Over
Balancing Business Concerns and the Holiday Party Season