School Breaks–Are They Always So Painful?

by Troy Pattee on February 24th, 2012

I’ve always questioned the need for February Break. Not from the teachers’ point of view of course because after a week with my kids pent up indoors it becomes obvious to even the casual observer that teachers need a break every month. And somehow they’ve managed to get it. There’s Fall Break, Thanksgiving Break, and then Christmas Break. And then a mere ten days after we return from Christmas Break, our school adjourns for Winter Break (seriously). Then comes February Break, Easter Break, Spring Break and, finally, Summer Break. When I was a kid we never had breaks. On Thanksgiving they would let us bring a turkey to school (if you had one). On Christmas Day they let us out an hour early.

But if today’s kids are getting softer, at least the teachers are getting smarter. In a brilliant move by administrators at our school, the week before February Break is when we have Parent-Teacher Conferences—more accurately referred to as “Let Me Tell You How Rotten Your Kids Are Day”—and then to prove the point, the school is closed for a week and the parents are forced to deal with the kids on their own.

At the Parent-Teacher conferences I’ve seen many a rookie parent try to stand up for their child and insist the teacher must be wrong. But by Tuesday of February Break most parents are forced to acknowledge the truth–the teacher is correct; their child really is rotten. Occasionally a parent may hold out until Wednesday or Thursday before breaking, but by Friday even the most optimistic rainbows-and-unicorns type parent will admit defeat.

And that is why I’m so grateful for the sponsor of this post, SALONPAS. By the end of February Break a pain relief patch is just what the doctor ordered. In fact, make mine a double. This week the boys and I have gone sledding, skiing, and skating. We’ve baked brownies, cooked crab, and fried fajitas. There’s not a PG-rated DVD at our local RedBox that we haven’t seen or a board game we haven’t played. It’s only Thursday, but in the words of Gloria Gaynor, I will survive.

Share this:

327 Responses to “School Breaks–Are They Always So Painful?”

1. Roxann says:

   February 28, 2011 at 9:57 pm

   http://twitter.com/ladyt64/status/42446546565988352

   http://twitter.com/ladyt64/status/42448281846034432
2. Chrysa says:

   February 28, 2011 at 9:50 pm

   tweet http://twitter.com/#!/LuckyJinxy/status/42446379506876416
3. Chrysa says:

   February 28, 2011 at 9:49 pm

   I like SALONPAS on Facebook.
4. Chrysa says:

   February 28, 2011 at 9:48 pm

   My tweets: http://twitter.com/#!/LuckyJinxy/status/42441562143207424
   http://twitter.com/#!/LuckyJinxy/status/42446056633548800
5. Mari says:

   February 28, 2011 at 9:40 pm

   I like salon pas on Facebook (Mari Doug)
6. Mari says:

   February 28, 2011 at 9:39 pm

   Required #2

   http://twitter.com/LuckyDuckyToo/status/42443636880838656
7. Mari says:

   February 28, 2011 at 9:37 pm

   Requirement#1

   http://twitter.com/LuckyDuckyToo/status/42442907470270464
8. kimbly says:

   February 28, 2011 at 9:30 pm

   http://twitter.com/#!/kimbly1020/status/42441451052875779
9. Suzanne DS says:

   February 28, 2011 at 9:18 pm

   Tweet

   http://twitter.com/spdls0215/status/42437694281887745
10. Suzanne DS says:

    February 28, 2011 at 9:17 pm

    Tweet #3

    http://twitter.com/spdls0215/status/42438151670726656
11. Suzanne DS says:

    February 28, 2011 at 9:16 pm

    Like Salonpas on FB

    suziep. santos
12. Suzanne DS says:

    February 28, 2011 at 9:15 pm

    Tweet #2

    http://twitter.com/spdls0215/status/42437694281887745
13. Suzanne DS says:

    February 28, 2011 at 9:14 pm

    Tweet
    http://twitter.com/spdls0215/status/42437400839991296
14. Karla Sceviour says:

    February 28, 2011 at 9:03 pm

    I tweeted the optional tweet
    http://twitter.com/ksceviour/status/42434635334029312
15. Karla Sceviour says:

    February 28, 2011 at 9:02 pm

    I like salonpas on facebook(Karla Sceviour)
16. Karla Sceviour says:

    February 28, 2011 at 9:02 pm

    I tweeted the messege
    http://twitter.com/ksceviour/status/42434428898783234
17. Karla Sceviour says:

    February 28, 2011 at 9:01 pm

    I tweeted my favorite wintertime activity
    http://twitter.com/ksceviour/status/42430422512185345
18. Sarah L says:

    February 28, 2011 at 8:54 pm

    #3 tweet:
    http://twitter.com/slehan/status/42431846969118720
19. Sarah L says:

    February 28, 2011 at 8:54 pm

    FB like Salonpas: Slehan
20. Sarah L says:

    February 28, 2011 at 8:53 pm

    #2 tweet:
    http://twitter.com/slehan/status/42431759819866112
21. Sarah L says:

    February 28, 2011 at 8:52 pm

    #1 tweet
    http://twitter.com/slehan/status/42431457444102144
22. Suzanne Lewis says:

    February 28, 2011 at 8:39 pm

    Liked on facebook

    txhottie_86 at yahoo dot com
23. Suzanne Lewis says:

    February 28, 2011 at 8:38 pm

    http://twitter.com/sll1038/status/42427841840812033
    http://twitter.com/sll1038/status/42428322663239680

    txhottie_86 at yahoo dot com
24. Liz M. says:

    February 28, 2011 at 8:24 pm

    I like SALONPAS on Facebook!
25. Liz M. says:

    February 28, 2011 at 8:24 pm

    Bonus tweet: http://twitter.com/#!/FakeGradSchool/status/42424319363645440
26. Liz M. says:

    February 28, 2011 at 8:23 pm

    Tweet 2: http://twitter.com/#!/FakeGradSchool/status/42424139948097536
27. Liz M. says:

    February 28, 2011 at 8:23 pm

    Tweet 1: http://twitter.com/#!/FakeGradSchool/status/42321604457402368