夏天對孩子和父母來說都不是一個假期

夏天對孩子和父母來說都不是一個假期

As my son's camp brochures told it, summer's appeal remains as timeless as popsicles and dappled light. It's the season of freedom; a time to commune with Mother Nature .

正如我兒子的夏令營手冊所言，夏天的吸引力就像冰棒和斑駁的燈光一樣永恒。這是自由的季節(jié);是與大自然母親交流的時候。

For grown-ups, summer is the antithesis of freedom, a season we look forward to ending once it begins. It marks the end of having somewhere safe and free to leave our children during the day while we work. Only the return to school can save us from this mess.

對于成年人來說，夏天是自由的對立面，我們希望夏天一開始就結束。它標志著在白天我們工作的時候有一個安全自由的地方可以離開我們的孩子。只有回到學校才能把我們從這場混亂中拯救出來。

Now, summer is the time of year when the pressures of modern parenting hit a crescendo. Moms and dads feel time-crunched and cash-strapped, all the while worrying that our kids aren't doing enough.

現(xiàn)在，夏天是一年中現(xiàn)代育兒壓力達到頂峰的時候。父母們感到時間緊張，手頭拮據(jù)，總是擔心孩子們做得不夠。

Summer break and jobs don't mix

暑假和工作不能混為一談

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the majority of two-parent households today are also dual-income households, in which both parents work. Also, 1 in 5 children currently live with a single parent, a number that has doubled in recent decades. Together, these trends mean that, in most families, there is no one around to watch the kids during summer or pick them up at the end of the day.

根據(jù)美國勞工統(tǒng)計局的數(shù)據(jù)，如今大多數(shù)雙親家庭也是雙職工家庭，父母雙方都有工作。此外，目前有五分之一的兒童與單親生活，這一數(shù)字在最近幾十年翻了一番?？偟膩碚f，這些趨勢意味著，在大多數(shù)家庭中，夏天的時候沒有人照看孩子，也沒有人在一天結束時去接孩子。

First, parents must arrange for summer activities in advance, securing a place at in-demand camps and filling out a high tide of forms. Then, parents must come up with thousands of dollars to pay for the camp, or camps. Lastly, parents must rearrange their lives to get their kids to camp.

首先，家長們必須提前安排暑期活動，在需要的營地找個位置，填寫大量的表格。然后，父母必須拿出數(shù)千美元來支付夏令營的費用。最后，父母必須重新安排他們的生活，讓他們的孩子去露營。

If parents can't afford camp, and many can't, they need to either seek out one of the few spots at a subsidized camp, or an camp scholarship. If that doesn't work out, and it often doesn't, they will need to come up with alternate, affordable, plans, which are also likely to be poor quality. According to the National Summer Learning Association, low-income children are more likely than their wealthier peers to experience summer learning loss, and fall behind in school as a result.

如果父母負擔不起夏令營的費用，很多人也負擔不起，那么他們要么去參加少數(shù)幾個有補助的夏令營，要么申請夏令營獎學金。如果這行不通，而且往往行不通，他們將需要提出另一種負擔得起的計劃，而這種計劃的質量也可能很差。根據(jù)美國全國暑期學習協(xié)會(National Summer Learning Association)的數(shù)據(jù)，低收入家庭的孩子比富裕家庭的孩子更有可能缺失暑期學習的經(jīng)歷，從而導致學業(yè)落后。

Compounding the stress of summer break is the growing, nagging feeling that our kids aren't doing enough to get ahead during their time off. The standard for a good summer break used to be safe and entertaining. Today, a growing number of parents feel as though they must curate their children's summer experience, ensuring that their time away from school is productive as well as fun. Enter the specialty camp.

讓暑假壓力更大的是，越來越多的人覺得，我們的孩子在假期里沒有做足夠的事情來取得進步。過去，一個好的暑假的標準是安全而有趣的。如今，越來越多的家長覺得，他們必須精心安排孩子的暑期經(jīng)歷，以確保他們離開學校的時間既富有成效，又充滿樂趣。

In recent years, lawmakers have turned a long overdue eye to the inadequate child care system in the United States. Both conservative and progressive politicians have addressed the issue, discussing proposals for paid parental leave and early childhood education. Summer break, however, is rarely discussed.

近年來，國會議員們早就把目光投向了美國不完善的兒童保健系統(tǒng)。保守派和進步派政客都在討論這個問題，討論帶薪育兒假和幼兒教育的提議。然而，很少有人討論暑假。

It's easy to believe that fixing the summer child care crisis is something should be managing on our own. But as the evidence makes clear, summer break is nearly everyone parent's problem. I wish our leaders and policymakers treat it seriously.

人們很容易相信，解決夏季兒童看護危機是我們應該獨自處理的事情。但證據(jù)表明，暑假幾乎是每個家長的問題。我希望我們的領導人和政策制定者認真對待它。