Question: When Time says Summer Vacation is bad for the kids who can least afford to, are they talking future carpenters?

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Answer #1:

It always amazed me how as kids we new what was best for us and yet no one listened. Now as adults we forget what was best, presume what is best and still don't listen to the kids.

Answer #2:

Long vacations teach kids there are more important things in life than work. We can't have that... we've got an ecosystem to destroy gosh darn it!

Answer #3:

I am at a disadvantage not having read the article, but there is value in physical labor -- both for the academically inclined and the not so academically inclined. Kids don't have as many chores today (obviously) and they are not working alongside their fathers and uncles in the summer as many of us did a generation ago. Summer vacation for me meant driving a tractor -- long days in the field, preceded and followed by milking cows, cleaning the barn, etc. -- much of which we were spared during the school year as dad and mom took care of the morning barn duties -- and we replaced mom in the barn at night.

In the summer of 1970 a 100-mph straight-line wind took the roof off the barn. I was 12 and this was a very exciting event, made even more so by the way my sisters husband, a pretty good carpenter, used his summer vacation that year to come and help us rebuild. I learned a lot about carpentry and hard work from this great man, recently out of the Navy and a jack-of-all trades par excellence. He is suffering with cancer today and I would ask for any prayers that can be offered for him.

Yes, kids need time to be kids, but there is no reason why that has to be just goof-around and game-playing time. They can learn valuable life lessons out of school as well (or better) than in school much of the time. Carpentry? Bring it on!

Oh -- and by the way -- I think I had adequate goof-around and game-playing time -- both in the summer and (especially) during the school year!





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