Free school days follow each other in rapid succession: help!

With three children, there is always something that keeps editor Laurien busy. She likes to write about everything that has to do with (her) children and raising them. A tip: read it with a wink. This time her column is about all those free school days that follow each other in rapid succession.

“It has just been vacation. The May holiday is two weeks with us, which seems to differ per school. Unfortunately we just had to work, but we were able to take care of most of the free school days for the children. Furthermore, a day at grandma’s and playing with friends and girlfriends, then they don’t have to go to after-school care. For the third time I check my own agenda, the calendar of the boys’ primary school and after-school care and the app of the nursery of the youngest. In addition to the holidays and public holidays, there are also a lot of study days and they are often forgotten by us. Often we can catch that last minute, but not this week.

Fortunately, the after-school care is open and we have a holiday package. This means that the boys can be taken care of during the holiday weeks and on school days off, when the shelter is open. And so I take the boys from school to the BSO on this study day. ‘You haven’t signed up the boys for the morning,’ I am told by one of the employees. oops. There goes my plan? I explain that I have a holiday package, but this does not appear to fall under ‘holiday’.

Free school days, study days, holidays and public holidays: help?!

It is a study day of the school teachers and that does not fall under vacation for the boys. Okay, logical in itself, but somewhat confusing, because when can I bring them? They always go to the shelter on Fridays. I should have brought them in the second part of the day, that is, the afternoon. They are registered for that by default, I know that again. Fortunately, the head office was called back and forth and the morning was also arranged.

A few weeks later I suddenly see two orange blocks in my agenda. Oh dear, orange means ‘dates for the boys’. On two school days that can only be one thing: they are free. Of course those orange blocks are not there all of a sudden, I put them in myself, but they are only now striking me again. Switching gears, because it’s a holiday, the after-school care is also closed. Then I only take one day off and the man has to catch the other day.

We take our youngest to daycare, which saves a bit. Maybe I can get some work done in between, I mutter to myself. Fortunately, I check the KDV agenda a day in advance: closed, because it is a public holiday. Okay, so the youngest is home too. Then do something fun with the kids, work will come tonight. #momstruggleisreal

It’s summer vacation in nine weeks… #momstruggles

I’m already browsing ahead in my agenda, because you never know, and see even more orange blocks. First and second day of Pentecost, the day after a study day for the teachers. Another study day later in June and therefore an orange colored Friday. Half a month later, there are many light pink blocks: summer holidays. My god, all those free school days, I can’t keep up! I used to enjoy this period full of holidays, read days off. The only difference with now is that I didn’t have children then and worked as an employee. Day off for me, expense for the boss. Now I can take time off more easily, but that costs money, because I’m my own boss… Moreover, it now seems to be a lot more days off than I can remember as a child. How wonderful that was actually…

I get a message from the man. He is sitting alone on the terrace of Artis where he took the boys. They play in the playground, he would have liked me there for a coffee in the sun. Not cozy at all, of course: they are free, the youngest is at daycare and I’m at work. The weather is really nice and I’m having trouble concentrating on all those approaching deadlines. We conclude that from now on we will plan the holidays and study days and other free school days better. Better as in: either both work and look for childcare on time, or (better option): take both off and go out with the children together. We will never get those moments back and those deadlines… we will see that again.”

Laurien: “There lies your mother’s heart on a Danish square in a thousand pieces”