Like a pig bursting out of its pen, your humble editor dashed about frantically (eternal office worker), ready to party nonstop for three days—until the following sights scared me back home where I played the role of a quiet, well-behaved man for three days.
The whole country was in chaos. Parents who had excitedly planned parent-child trips and made tons of itineraries were left staring at the sea of people, completely baffled.
Now that the holiday is over, those who should be in school are back in school, and those who should be at work are back at work; meanwhile, there’s another group of envy-inducing people who have just set off on their journeys with their kids.
The clever parents avoided the May Day rush by taking a few days off for their kids. Airfares dropped, trains weren’t crowded, highways weren’t jammed, and tourist spots had hardly anyone—you could take photos however you liked. Pure bliss.
Teachers were depressed. Around every short holiday, a few kids would always disappear from the class. Some asked for sick leave, some for personal leave, and some even straight-up said they were taking their kids out to play for a few days (teachers: internally, they were pretty much crushed). Short breaks were two or three days, long ones went up to half a month.
With classmates gone, children noticed the reason right away. Back when I was a teacher, I asked a little kid (preschool, three and a half years old):
Where’s your good friend XX?
The kid replied unhappily:
At kindergarten, the little boat of friendship between parents and teachers capsizes like this ↓
Parent: Kindergarten isn’t about classes anyway—it’s just playing. Take a week off and take the kid out for a nice trip to see the world.
Teacher: … Nearly half the kids in the class took leave, the remaining ones were scattered and low-spirited; the kids who came back after leave also struggled to adapt back to the usual kindergarten life for a while.
In elementary school, the little spark of trust between teachers and parents is extinguished like this ↓
Teacher: We hope all parents will not take leave to travel during regular teaching periods, as it may affect the learning progress and the mood of other students (serious face).
Parent: Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. While the kids’ academic load is still light these years, it’s better to avoid the peak times and broaden their horizons.
Your humble editor interviewed several adults of different ages by the roadside to hear their thoughts.
If a child takes leave to go on a trip, would you accept it?
@Post-70s: Traveling itself is good, but not during school time. A child’s studies are the most important—they shouldn’t get into the habit of taking leave casually.
@Post-80s and 90s: That’s acceptable. Taking a few days off doesn’t affect studies much—the experienced know~ going far is more important than burying oneself in the classroom right now.
Supporters: 68% vs Opponents: 32%
So here’s the question:
1. Do you accept your child taking leave to go on a trip?
2. Would you actively take leave for your child to take them out to see the world?
3. What age do you think is the cutoff before taking leave for travel has little impact?