Preindustrial revolution, the youth were needed on the farms. All ages help supported the family farm during the growing season. Children were let out of school in mid May until mid September to help gather the crops. Today many children are still let out of school in mid May (like my Atlanta grandchildren were.) Most children do not go back to school until after Labor Day. And yet very few children have ever been to a farm! The food comes from the market and they still get their summer out of school! Why?
Summer is wasted on the youth for what do they do? Play with their friends, go to camp, and swim at the local club. They may take a lesson or two so the caregiver can have a few minutes of quiet. Children have at least two months to enjoy no stress of do this or that. Who really needs the time out of school? Why can’t they go to school all year? That is the subject of another newsletter. Meanwhile, the adults have maybe two weeks off from doing this or that and rarely back to back weeks. Much of our time off is when grandparents who come to visit their grandchildren because they are out of school! And of course that is extra work for parents.
When do the adults get a summer vacation? When do we get to play with our friends, go to camp or just swim in a pool? When was the last time you got to turn off? Really turned off… just play for several weeks or even days?
My wish for you is to take a summer vacation while the weather is warm and inviting. Just stop where you are.
Me enjoying the pool.
The world will be here when you return and surely your job will too. If children need the summer, surely we do too!
AlwaysHarriet 