Minding the kids during school holiday
Print Edition
SUMMER holidays bring headaches for parents who have to work during the day when children are out of school.
“We worry when my son is left alone at home,” said Shen Rujin, a working mother. “On the last winter holiday, I took him to work with me. My boss said nothing, but I really felt bad about it. My son was bored, too.”
Summer classes are one answer for parents looking for activities to fill the holidays.
Commercial summer classes and neighborhood activities are available in Songjiang. The commercial classes focus on academic tutoring, such as English, mathematics and Chinese poetry.
“I know my daughter doesn’t like it, but at least someone is taking care of her and she has friends to play with,” said Fang Jun. “It’s safer than leaving her alone at home.”
Neighborhood summer classes are mostly free of charge and cover a wide range of activities and education, including first-aid and avoiding dangerous situations. They may also involve tours to museums, libraries and art galleries. Teachers are drawn from university volunteers, certified teachers, doctors and firemen.
The hitch is their popularity.
“The free neighborhood summer classes have enrollment limitations, so it’s sometimes hard to get a child into them,” said Zhu Yan, a mother.
Family-style summer classes are a new trend among young parents. Two or three children will be taken care by a stay-at-home mom.
One of them is Tang Hao, who babysits her neighbor’s seven-year-old son along with her own six-year-old daughter.
“The two of them while away afternoons playing chess or ping-pong, instead of being glued to electronic devices,” Tang said.
Her husband, however, said he worries about who bears the responsibility if an accident happens.
The Shanghai Hexie Kindergarten offers a summer program based more on fun than learning.
“A happy, safe and health holiday doesn’t mean leaving children unchecked, nor does it have to dwell on academics,” said headmaster Zhang Lin.
His facility provides activities such as swimming, paper crafts, flower planting and taekwondo.
“Children still need their parents’ company most,” Zhang said. “An evening hour of reading with children is not that hard to do.”
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