Not every family has grandparent support. Not every parent has enough conditions for their children to participate in skills courses, summer camps or talent classes that last throughout the summer. Meanwhile, children are absent from school but parents still have to go to work normally. The gap in taking care of children in the summer months therefore becomes a constant worry for many families.
A female worker shared that every summer, her husband and she are "restless". Two young children are absent from school, while both husband and wife work shifts. Sending children back to the countryside is missing, worrying about children lacking caregivers. Leaving children at home is not safe because of fear of accidents, fear of children using phones and TVs too much. As for sending children to summer school and skills training, the cost exceeds the family's ability.
The above story is not isolated. For many workers with average and low incomes, summer vacation is not only a matter of time but also financial pressure. A semi-boarding course, skill class or summer camp can cost several million VND per month. For families with two children, this expense becomes even heavier.
One of the biggest difficulties today is the lack of public, safe playgrounds suitable for children during the summer. In many residential areas, especially in large cities, children do not have much space to exercise. Apartment yards are cramped, parks are far from home, and grassroots cultural and sports facilities do not meet the needs.
Due to lack of playgrounds, many young children have to stay at home, befriending phones, tablets, and TVs. This makes many parents worried that their children become dependent on electronic devices, reduce exercise, and affect physical and mental health. But prohibiting children from using electronic devices is also not easy, because parents are not present at home to manage regularly.
For older children, freely going out in the summer days also hides many risks such as traffic accidents, drowning, injuries, and exposure to harmful content on social networks. These risks make many parents want their children to have a fun summer and always be in a state of anxiety.
Many parents believe that summer should not turn into a "third semester" with a dense schedule, but it is also impossible to let children be completely free for a long period of time. What they need are safe summer living models, reasonable costs, management, guidance and help children develop life skills.
For children of workers and laborers, the demand for cheap summer activities, semi-boarding, and safe classes is very large. If businesses and grassroots trade unions coordinate with localities to organize childcare and summer activities for children right near workplaces or boarding houses, the pressure on parents will be significantly reduced.
Children's summer vacation needs to be seen as a social issue, not just a private matter of each family. Because behind the worry of "who will look after children" is the story of welfare, social security, grassroots cultural institutions and common responsibility in protecting and caring for children.
