It happens every year. The school calendar says the building’s closed for a week. Your boss says the office definitely isn’t.
Winter and spring breaks are rough on working parents in Bergen County. A little planning goes a long way, though.
Look at the calendar now
Pull up your district’s calendar as soon as it’s posted. Mark every break, half day, and teacher work day. Breaks may not line up across towns, so a cousin in the next district over could be off on totally different days. Half days right before a break can be sneaky too.
Then line it up with your work calendar and circle the days when nobody in your house can be home. Those are the ones to solve first.
Who covers what
Family is usually first on the list, and grandparents or other relatives might be glad to take a day or two. Trading days with another family from class works well too. You take their kids Monday, they take yours Tuesday. If you have a partner, split the week so you each take some time off. Some local programs also run day care or camp just for school break weeks. Most families end up mixing two or three of these.
Why a break camp can be a good fit
Preschoolers like routine. A break camp gives them a full, busy day while you work, and they get to play with friends instead of spending the afternoon on a tablet.
A few local centers stay open year-round for exactly this reason. Paramus Daycare, for example, offers winter and spring break camp for preschoolers with drop-off for working parents. Call early and ask about availability before a holiday week.
Treat it like any other child care decision. Visit if you can. Ask about the daily schedule, and find out who will actually be with your child. If it’s a new place for your kid, ask if you can visit together first. A familiar face on day one helps.
There’s a nice federal resource for this, too. The ChildCare.gov tip sheets include a “Look, Listen, and Ask” guide just for picking a school vacation or summer program. Quick read. A few questions to bring along:
- What are the drop-off and pickup times?
- What will the kids do all day?
- Do I need to pack lunch and snacks?
- Is the cost per day or per week?
If you can grab a day off
Make it count. A walk at Van Saun County Park, a stop at the library, a drive to see holiday lights. Little things like that can turn a random break day into one your kid remembers. Or just stay in pajamas until ten. That counts too.
Last tip: keep one or two backup sitters on your list, with their numbers saved in your phone and your partner’s. It takes five minutes, and it saves a lot of panic when someone gets sick the night before.
