As a parent in Taiwan, or in Asia generally for that matter,
what do you with regards the kid’s school on Dec. 25, which is on thursday this year {i wish i had a few more days}
Before my kids were born, we used to get the day off as something called R.O.C. Constitution Day.
Then came the DPP and they wiped that away, earning my everlasting condemnation.
~~
What do you parents do with kids in the regular Taiwanese primary/secondary school system ?
Taking them out adds to the homework, and the feeling that they are ‘different’.
I feel personally, that they are already labeled as ‘different’, so why not max that out?
Christmas morning doesn’t really work in the afternoon or the next weekend.
what do you parents think?
Should I keep my 2nd grader out on Thursday?
Dunno. Mine’s 9 weeks. I’m thinking, though of dressing him as an elf on that day and instructing him that he’s completely at liberty to take a massive stinking explosive turd in his pants on that day. While at school, obviously.
[quote=“TheGingerMan”]As a parent in Taiwan, or in Asia generally for that matter,
what do you with regards the kid’s school on Dec. 25, which is on thursday this year {i wish I had a few more days}
Before my kids were born, we used to get the day off as something called R.O.C. Constitution Day.
Then came the DPP and they wiped that away, earning my everlasting condemnation.
~~
What do you parents do with kids in the regular Taiwanese primary/secondary school system ?
Taking them out adds to the homework, and the feeling that they are ‘different’.
I feel personally, that they are already labeled as ‘different’, so why not max that out?
Christmas morning doesn’t really work in the afternoon or the next weekend.
what do you parents think?
Should I keep my 2nd grader out on Thursday?[/quote]
I think it is acceptable to remove your child for Christmas day but make sure he/she does a day of extra homework during Chinese New Year!
My daughter is going to school that day like everyone else. Mom and I have to work too, so we’re moving the whole shebang to Saturday instead. We’ll let her have her presents Thursday evening, though. I wish we didn’t have to do it this way. Constitution Day was mighty convenient when it was around.
I won’t work past 5:00 pm on a Christmas Eve, and not at all on Christmas Day. We will be continuing that policy with our daughter. She will be required to spend Christmas Day with her family.
My kids are going to school. We will open presents on Christmas Eve and then they might find something from Santa in the morning. If they’ve been good.
My son’s school (public preschool & elementary) is spending two days celebrating Christmas:
Wed morning they are making a Christmas clock
Thursday morning they have a fashion show and party
Thursday afternoon they are going to sing Chinese-language Christmas carols at the Old People’s home near his school
They also did a Christmas clothing collection for charity today.
That’s more than I would have arranged on a day off, and probably more than we did at home! Anyway, I am not taking my kids out of school on the 25th because Christmas is not that important to me, but if it was an important celebration for the family, and I felt the children would gain something from it other than “another day off”, then I would.
I always take Christmas Day off. If I were a parent, I would take the kid out of school that day, and I would let the school know why. It’s Christmas, after all.
Christmas is huge in our family, we started decorating and reading Christmas stories shortly after Halloween. I found that after having kids I somehow morphed into my own mother and now spend Christmas day singing, opening presents and cooking turkey dinner for the crowd I usually invite over.
So my kids are definetky not going to school. Only my oldest is in kindy so far but I cannot imagine letting any of then spend Christmas in school anytime in the future.
I’ve kept my son out of school on Xmas Day for the last 8 years.
This year, I am under pressure not to.
It’s quite evident that Ginger’s world is upside down, as i’m even considering working on Xmas day.
Something I have never done, except in the service, or in civvy life for at least double time.
And a half.
Xmas is not really the same on the 27th or 28th, is it?
I used to miss Christmas stuff and get a litle upset about being left without it so much here. But over the years I’ve become more and more accepting. I do the best I can and it doesn’t bother me so much anymore.
I miraculously get a serious 24hr bug annually on Christmas eve forcing me to stay home Christmas day. Will be the same this year, in fact i can already feel it coming on. This year for the first time my daughter is looking a little poorly as well. :liar:
Its all work & school for everyone – we will have Chinese New Year off…
The children got their presents this morning ; and they pretty much figured out the Santa thing, but they are keeping up appearances to ensure them actually getting presents (nice and materialistic)
As I am Dutch giving presents for Christmas is already odd – it should be Dec 5th…
Thankfully, my kids are both home today. Miracle of miracles.
It’s truly smashing to take in the expressions and whoops of delight on the younglings’ visage.
Extra double time and a half for the sweat induced by preparation.
I think a “…deserve a cognac or two!..” is in order:
Jeepers. Little Johnny can’t go to school today cos he’s special. It’s bad enough with the hao ke’ai and surreptitious photography and all the other crap. What need to make to make them feel even more alienated/different than they already are???
We did presents last night (we cancelled son’s piano lesson). They opened their stockings this morning, were very excited and had lots of fun, and then went to school.
Little one took his whole stocking with him to kindergarten to show everyone! What chance of that back home?
I’ve never worked or went to school on Xmas and neither will any of my children. I was considering working this year on this lovely day, but I slipped up and mentioned it to my mother who in turn informed my grandmother and then I was quickly called by both warning me that they would disown me if I did. That is a big no-no in my family.
Therefore I told the company sorry no-can-do. And anyways, at my corporate job back home I had a few Asians that worked for me and they would, without fail, each would take off two weeks for CNY to go home.
Good point. I’ve wrenched much with that particular spanner in the works.
Only two real alternates in that scenario.
Go under.
Go over.
I ain’t one for going under, especially with company.
If one is heading into some flak, one might as well not conform to the expectant flight path.
One copes with alienation in tangible, subjective means.
Might as well make the most of it, turn a substantially negative shituation into some positive hues.
Being of mixed blood meself, I know the real nitty gritty receiveing end of growing up a freak in cultures seemingly a galaxy away. I would mention more of the nomenclature of letting the freak flag fly, but that would be evasive…
p.s. upon stumbling unto the ‘ke’ai’, trying to train the younglings to commit some of their reserves to bolster the tactical withdrawal, all in good order back to the perimeter, what?
HuZZaH!
'Tis Boxing Day, indeed!
Presents opened on Christmas Eve.
The Young Cowboy went to school on Christmas Day. Christmas Day we had a bit of a ‘Christmassy Dinner’ thing I put together.
He was hinting that a long week-end might be ‘good for the family’…nod nod nudge nudge…‘Know what I mean?’
Maybe next year.
