- Holiday school vacations can be difficult for working parents.
- Experts would like to see more flexible work schedules and four-day workweeks.
- Year-round schooling could also help alleviate pressure, they say.
Even before November started, I was stressed about the number of days my kids had off over the coming two months. There was Veterans Day, Thanksgiving break, winter holidays, and even a teacher in-service day thrown in for good measure. Then, my first grader missed 10 days of school due to pneumonia, and my fifth grader was struck with a stomach bug.
My husband and I are both self-employed, so with some wrangling, we were able to create a schedule that allowed us to meet our deadlines despite the kids being home seemingly constantly.
We’re lucky to be able to do that. And still, I kept thinking, “There must be a better way.” So, I reached out to four experts on the workplace, policy, and sociology to see how we can better align the schedules of working parents and kids. Here’s what they envision.
Make flexible work policies the norm
Courtney Murphy, founder and CEO of WorkWell People Solutions, would like to see flexible work arrangements become the norm. She says they not only benefit parents and others with family obligations — they also serve employers by increasing productivity and job satisfaction while reducing burnout.
“The ideal scenario for working parents combines hybrid work with flexible hours, focusing on outcomes rather than time spent,” Murphy said. “The key is to shift from managing employees’ time to managing their work, holding them accountable for results rather than hours logged.”
A sample policy might say something like, “Employees are empowered to manage their work schedule to meet both personal and professional responsibilities, provided all job duties are fulfilled, and team collaboration is maintained. Regular communication and coordination with managers about scheduling is expected.” If set work hours are important, the company could add, “Official operating hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Employees should align with these where practical.”
This approach would be tricker for service professionals, but Murphy said “creative solutions like automated services during peak family times, staggered schedules, or job-sharing could provide the necessary flexibility” for those parents too.
Adopt a 4-day work and school week
Joelle Moray, author of “What Are We Doing?! Radical Self-care for the Hustle Culture,” says, “A world where the four-day week exists for both employees and their families is a world I very much want to live in.”
In her ideal scenario, students would complete their education during four longer school days, which better aligns with parents’ traditional 9-5 work schedules. Some employers are already pivoting to a four-day workweek, and those that are unable to could offer remote work where possible, she said.
Melissa Loble, chief academic officer at Instructure, an education technology company, would also like to see a four-day academic week, with an optional fifth day with a more flexible structure.
On that day, students “could engage in sports activities, work-study, internships, or other types of activities that can be coordinated through the school.”
This approach would provide supervision during the workday while also giving “students a ‘breather’ day where they feel less pressure from the hectic school day and pursue their non-academic pursuits,” Loble added.
Choose year-round school
Margaret M. Quinlan, a professor and director of Health & Medical Humanities at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, has a two-part solution: year-round schooling and remote work after 2 p.m.
A flexible afternoon schedule “would maximize quality time with family while still fulfilling work responsibilities,” Quinlan said. It would also be handy for parents like her who need to take their kids to many therapy appointments in the afternoons.
She added that the US could also pivot to a shorter summer break, following countries like Australia and Japan.
In addition to reducing the challenge of finding and paying for summer childcare, “This would minimize summer learning loss and ensure that kids have access to nutritious meals and care during these breaks,” Quinlan said.
