How Other Countries Handle Summer with Kids
From Canada to Iceland to Croatia, I’ve learned a lot about how the US could do better.
Digging into the problems and potential solutions for how to care for kids during the summer in the US is a big topic of interest for me, personally and professionally. Around the start of summer camp registration back in January, I revised my essay on the little-known history of your desperate summer camp struggle but also came up with some ideas for solutions for how we can make summer work a little better for families. I’m also really interested in how our supervision culture closes off responsibility stepping stones for kids, and makes summer care even more logistically challenging for working parents. My conversation last week with Lenore Skenazy, the founder of Let Grow, has planted new ideas about the importance of kids’ independence.
This week, I’ve decided to broaden my perspective by finding out more about how families across the globe handle summer care and kids. While my research was not comprehensive, the stories I heard from parents in other countries really highlighted for me how the US has a unique set of circumstances that makes summer so challenging. I was not able to find any other Western country that has the combination of long summer breaks, no mandated paid vacation time, minimal subsidized options, and a dominant cultural belief that kids need constant supervision, especially in public places. Clearly articulating all of these factors really helps me understand how we find ourselves in Hunger Games-like registration battles and spending thousands per kid per summer, just so parents can continue their jobs.
Most of the responses I gathered were from Canada and Europe. However, my research into Nigeria, Mexico, and Costa Rica, also gives some important insight into how less wealthy countries deal with summer and kids. Those three countries don’t have robust government safety nets, but Costa Rica, for example, doesn’t have a long summer break, and families with young kids may be more likely to live multi-generationally and rely on grandparents and relatives during school breaks. In Nigeria, Mexico, and Costa Rica, middle and upper-class families may already have full-time domestic workers who can fill some of the care gaps when school is out.
So without further ado, get ready to be extremely jealous about how much better summer with kids sounds in so many other places. These responses were edited and condensed for clarity.
Dana Publicover, Head of Marketing, Lives in Hamburg, Germany with twin almost 7-year-olds.
“Summer holidays are only about 6 weeks in Germany, starting mid-July and going to around September 1st. There are a lot of people who take vacation the entire month of August but most working parents seem to take most of their time off during the summer break (in fact, friends have told me about how they request this time off up to three years in advance to beat their coworkers to the punch!). Some camps fill up by February and others always seem to have space. They’re not as expensive as the US (Most I saw were from €100-300 per week for a full day.) The camps are also more interest-based (art, music, cooking, or sports.) Most people I know tend to do one week of camp at the most, then lots of travel. This is my first year as an employee in Germany (I was freelancing before) but I’ve got generous vacation time and a fairly flexible schedule so we will probably do one week of camp and then balance the rest with my husband and his work schedule.”
Victoria Wilson, Realtor, Lives in Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal. Mom to an almost 6-year-old.
“My son's private school is available year-round. Although it is not ‘traditional structured learning’ during summer months and is more play-based, they are still open during regular hours including after-school care. In summertime, there are more field trips and outdoor activities. On many summer days in downtown Ponta Delgada, you will see classes of kids holding hands and walking on the sidewalk on their way to a water park or an educational trip. It is my son’s favorite time at school because every day is a little different. Each school has matching outfits or t-shirts and you will see the different groups attending festivals or children's days. There is no increase in tuition for the summer months, although there is a small fee that helps cover the transportation or costs associated with the field trips. His monthly private school costs are approximately $300, which includes a snack and fresh homemade lunch daily.
Other private schools in the area are similarly priced and they have similar schedules, although some close during August for repairs or maintenance. Many families go on vacation for August anyway.
Public schools on the other hand usually close during the summer months, and kids usually attend ‘ATL’ which in translation stands for The Free Time Activities Network. The program is provided by the city council. It’s free to elementary-age children in the Ponta Delgada area. Other municipalities have their own similar programs in place.”
Blessing Adesiyan, Founder of MH WorkLife, and mom to a 15, 6, 4, and 2-year-old who lives in Lagos, Nigeria.
“In Lagos, Nigeria, summer care is a bit uneventful. The summer school break typically starts mid-July and runs through the end of August, Kids are usually home with family members, nannies, or neighbors. A lot of families rely on the older sibling (usually young girls) to care for the younger siblings to close the gap in care. Similar to the U.S, families do not have enough leave to cover these school breaks. It's not uncommon to see parents taking their kids with them to work if they absolutely cannot find childcare. Some workplaces encourage this, especially when a parent is working long hours, and there is a gap in care at some point or throughout the day.
Affluent families use summer as an opportunity to take their kids out of the country for a long vacation, some to Europe, and some to the Americas for summer camp.
Most families where both parents work engage low-income live-in nannies who support the household and keep the kids occupied. They also enroll them in nearby summer camps if they can afford it. Unfortunately, there are no subsidized camps that I know of. Although some churches and other religious centers may offer vacation camps for 1-2 weeks. Kids do entertain themselves in public spaces especially within low-income communities, as you move towards affluent communities, you tend to see less of that.”
Dana, Victoria, and Blessing all decided to leave the US and move abroad in the last few years. If you are interested in reading more about their decisions, check out this article I wrote about them in 2022.
Allison Venditti, Founder of Moms at Work lives in Toronto, Canada, with kids aged 12, 10, and 6.
“Childcare in Canada is often just as complicated as in the USA. Our breaks are not shorter; summer is nine weeks. We have a March break and holiday breaks. Just like in the US, some people rely on family, some people have childcare.
Summer camp sign-up starts in February and day camps can range from $15 to $75 a day depending on the camp. There’s a huge mix of camps available so usually people do one ‘fancy’ camp and then less expensive community center camps.
Some of the public education systems run ‘summer school’ which is from 9-12 pm for July. I did that for 2 years for my kids and it was free. However, my kids spend a good chunk of their summer entertaining themselves, and spending time with friends. My kids head to the school to play baseball, road hockey, and more. This isn't true for ALL neighborhoods but for many kids, summers are spent in the laneways and running around and going to the public pool. Some parents are more helicopter-y, but in general, there is a lot of walking to school alone, hanging out with friends after school, and coordinating with other parents to check and see if our kids ran by.”
Carolyn Zelikow, Founder of The Field School of Hvar, in Hvar, Croatia, and a mom to a 2.5-year-old.
“We live on the Mediterranean coast of Croatia, which is a popular destination for summer travel. Almost all families work in tourism. This busy season coincides with school holidays. Preschool and kindergartens close in August, and grade schools are closed from the third week of June until September. Aside from the camp that I am launching this year, there is no private daycare, regular afterschool program, drop-off program on weekends, or local camp. Mothers and female relatives frequently leave the workforce or scale back their hours significantly to support children.
Croatia is one of the safest countries in the world and because most communities are entirely walkable, school-aged children play unsupervised on beaches, parks, and piazzas all day and into the night. Many families enjoy a routine of long lunches and swimming every day, so babies and toddlers are very visible in public spaces. Teenagers have a lot of freedom, too. They commonly stay out until 4 or 5am, biking over fields to parties in neighboring villages. It sounds idyllic and it is, but we have our issues. A typical Croatian salary is a little north of $12,000 per year and prices here are at least equal to those of the US. You can imagine how challenging it is to support a multi-generational family on a single income. I've created a program here called The Field School of Hvar that aims to lighten the load for local families, while also addressing an unmet need for enlightened family travel. For foreign families, we provide village-style co-living, on-site coworking, a robust program of parents-only and whole-family activities, and a full-time program for kids. We also admit local children, so for parents of young kids living in Hvar, this helps bridge the care gap.”
Snaebjorn Gunnsteinsson, an entrepreneur from Iceland, currently living in Charlotte, NC and Dad to a 6 and 9-year-old.
“Summer break for kids in Iceland is about 3 months. There are a variety of subsidized city or town-sponsored camps available. They are affordable [ed note: around $110 per week for a full day, and city residents may have access to additional subsidies] but fill up quickly so families don’t always get a spot. There are also private camps at market prices. Camps are often closed in July, and this time is typically bridged by parents being on vacation. Many (perhaps most) Icelanders are entitled to 6 weeks of vacation per year. But shift workers and those working in essential services (doctors, police, etc.) will typically have to take their vacations staggered over a longer period to keep coverage. And yes, kids can roam around freely once they are of certain age. Perhaps starting age 7-8 in the neighborhood, and perhaps 9-10 to go around town.”
I did a little more digging into Iceland’s camp structure and found that the city of Reykjavik has a structure called “Leisure centers” that provides summer camps for kids 6-9, and then enrichment opportunities for kids 10-16 to match their interests, like sailing, animals, or art. They also offer a paid job program for 8th through 10th graders to help with elementary kids during the summer, [GENIUS!] Iceland also has explicit city programs for children and young people up to age 30 with disabilities in the form of afterschool and summer programs. I have heard from US parents that out of school time is a particular pain point for families that have kids with disabilities, as many camps don’t have the training or resources to support these different needs.
It’s hard to hide my jealousy as I prepare to spend a lot of money on childcare and camps while sweating in Durham, NC this summer. While the city-sponsored camps in Iceland and Portugal sound completely dreamy, what I find myself envying the most is the culture that came up from several people of having safe and walkable environments like in Croatia and Canada where kids can explore on their own and are part of the fabric of society.
If you are a reader who lives outside of the US, feel free to share how summer works where you are. US readers, feel free to share your envy and/or weigh in on which of these places you’d most like to transport yourself to this summer.
Let Grow recently posted how two American moms created a neighborhood summer camp and recruited the older kids to be counselors: https://letgrow.org/start-a-camp/
Seems like this, like so as many other care related things in the U.S., falls into the moms will handle it category. So many summer camps, if you can even get a spot, don’t even cover the full day. It’s the same problem with the school day and the lack of available affordable afterschool care. Why? Because there is an assumption that a parent, probably mom, will just be there, nevermind that most moms work outside the home.
I’m an American living in Portugal and the whole thing seems much more relaxed here. More affordable options and the default seems to be full day, plus many families take summer vacations. It’s not uncommon in my neighborhood to see a sign posted on a local business or restaurant door that they are closed and on holiday for 2,3, or 4 weeks.