School Work During Summer Vacation?

Summer vacation is just around the corner with only a few weeks left until the kids are out until August. There are many summer camps, activities, learning opportunities and just plain good old summer fun to be had in the weeks ahead. This brings us to our question of the week. We hope you will join in the discussion and add your comments at the end of the article with your opinion and thoughts. 

Q: Should kids be required to do supplemental school work or reading during the summer or do you believe they should get to relax and play for the two months they are out of school? What do you do about this in your house?

A: I let my kids have fun during the summer vacation. We do not require any summer camps or activities that the kids do not ask to do. We spend a lot of time as a family, swimming and going away for short trips. 

We encourage the kids to read during the summer and we do not let them spend a lot of time playing video games or watching TV. Whether it is true or not, I feel like they lose brain cells by staring at the TV or games for hours on end. They act more lethargic and grumpy afterwards as well. I prefer they get outside and play when the weather is nice. Other than that, we just let the boys enjoy their time off from school. This would be different if they were struggling, but both of my boys do very well in school and do not struggle at all. My daughter, on the other hand, does require a bit more assistance in school as she is in a special needs program. We work with her more often but do not force her to attend any programs she does not want to do.  I do not think children should have homework or extra work during the summer. 

Tammy Bester, mom of three