Summer break can lower mothers’ earnings and work hours when flexible or remote work is unavailable, tightening family budgets and widening the gender pay gap because fathers typically do not reduce summer work hours. Families also face financial and administrative burdens from arranging camps and activities that can cost hundreds of dollars per week per child. Scheduling difficulties can lead children to miss popular programs and spend time in less preferred activities. Summer is also associated with learning loss, with students backsliding by about 20% over the summer, especially in lower-income families. Many families respond with supplemental workbooks, reading lists, and activity kits, while some schools offer summer programming to address these effects.
"For mothers without access to flexible or remote work, summer break is associated with a significant drop in earnings and work hours. This tightens already tight family budgets and adds to the gender pay gap, as fathers don't tend to reduce work hours in the summer."
"Then there's the financial (and administrative) obligation of patching together camps that cost hundreds of dollars per week, per child. Some of my girlfriends have color-coded Excel files to keep all the camps and activities straight. If only."
"Then there's learning loss; studies find that students backslide by around 20% over the summer, and more in lower-income families. This has always been worrisome, but is even more concerning these days when many students' literacy levels and math abilities are faltering."
"So for those of us who can, summer comes with supplemental workbooks, reading lists and activity kits - "mommy school," as we call it. No wonder most mothers feel a swell of panic come May. No wonder there are suggestions for year-round school, and indeed, many public schools now offer some type of summer programming."
Read at Miami Herald
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