JJ’s school shut down for the day today because of the Royal Adelaide Show. This meant that I either had to find childcare for the day or look after him myself. I chose the look after him myself option.
It’s therefore fortunate that I work four days a week and can go into work tomorrow instead. It felt like Friday to me today, so tomorrow I’m going to be a complete mess not knowing what day it is.
This is only the beginning of ‘pupil free days’. When I went to school I don’t remember pupil free days probably because they never happened. Now I hear about them all the time and will be experiencing them myself – the first one being in November.
The school staff don’t sit around on these pupil free days and drink martinis and gossip about how great it is they’re getting paid to sit around and drink martinis. I think they go and do staff development. I’m not quite sure why staff development doesn’t happen during the school holidays – the 12 weeks or so that teachers get a year? I’m not a teacher so I don’t really know and I’m sure there’s good reasons why the whole school has to be shut down for a day so this staff development can happen. Actually, they just need time out from the kids I’ll bet.
But it’s damned inconvenient for us parents. Not only do working parents have to find care for their children during holidays, but also care has to be sought for other days the school is shut. I wouldn’t mind if I had the same amount of holidays as school students get.
More adjustments huh Jen? That’s what parents constantly do…adjust to what their kids need. It’s great that your job gives you that extra leeway. Hugs to you and JJ….