A card from Fair Play by Eve Rodsky
School Breaks (Kids; Non-Summer)
For your kids’ non-summer vacations like winter and spring break, you have plenty of advance notice to plan. Still, don’t wait too long. The holidays creep up quickly. But when it comes to parent-teacher conferences, school construction, snow days, smoke days, and every other scenario that has you scrambling for childcare, this cardholder must be able to pivot quickly and CPE like a pro.
Holding this card means owning all three
Conception
Your children have breaks outside of summer
Planning
- Working in concert with “Childcare Helpers” cardholder to ensure appropriate childcare or camp
- Planning for childcare/camps/playdates during breaks, half days, and days off
Execution
- Hiring (negotiating terms/contract)
- Ongoing communication and supervision
- Making payments
- Purchasing/providing meals and snacks for helper
- Reimbursing: Gas, meals, and other reimbursements
- Termination issues
Suggested Minimum Standard of Care
Are you prepared in advance for something other than 12 hours of screen time?
A starting point. You and your partner agree the real standard together, and the holder meets it without reminders.
Holding it well
- The holder owns all of it: noticing, planning and doing. No “just tell me what to do.”
- Agree the Minimum Standard of Care together, then let the holder meet it their way.
- Not working? Bring it to the weekly check-in and re-deal it. Don’t take it back mid-week.
Put this card on your table
Deal it, agree its standard, and see who holds what. Free.