夏天对孩子和父母来说都不是一个假期

夏天对孩子和父母来说都不是一个假期

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 .

正如我儿子的夏令营手册所言，夏天的吸引力就像冰棒和斑驳的灯光一样永恒。这是自由的季节;是与大自然母亲交流的时候。

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.

对于成年人来说，夏天是自由的对立面，我们希望夏天一开始就结束。它标志着在白天我们工作的时候有一个安全自由的地方可以离开我们的孩子。只有回到学校才能把我们从这场混乱中拯救出来。

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.

现在，夏天是一年中现代育儿压力达到顶峰的时候。父母们感到时间紧张，手头拮据，总是担心孩子们做得不够。

Summer break and jobs don't mix

暑假和工作不能混为一谈

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.

根据美国劳工统计局的数据，如今大多数双亲家庭也是双职工家庭，父母双方都有工作。此外，目前有五分之一的儿童与单亲生活，这一数字在最近几十年翻了一番。总的来说，这些趋势意味着，在大多数家庭中，夏天的时候没有人照看孩子，也没有人在一天结束时去接孩子。

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，家长们必须提前安排暑期活动，在需要的营地找个位置，填写大量的表格。然后，父母必须拿出数千美元来支付夏令营的费用。最后，父母必须重新安排他们的生活，让他们的孩子去露营。

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.

如果父母负担不起夏令营的费用，很多人也负担不起，那么他们要么去参加少数几个有补助的夏令营，要么申请夏令营奖学金。如果这行不通，而且往往行不通，他们将需要提出另一种负担得起的计划，而这种计划的质量也可能很差。根据美国全国暑期学习协会(National Summer Learning Association)的数据，低收入家庭的孩子比富裕家庭的孩子更有可能缺失暑期学习的经历，从而导致学业落后。

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.

让暑假压力更大的是，越来越多的人觉得，我们的孩子在假期里没有做足够的事情来取得进步。过去，一个好的暑假的标准是安全而有趣的。如今，越来越多的家长觉得，他们必须精心安排孩子的暑期经历，以确保他们离开学校的时间既富有成效，又充满乐趣。

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.

近年来，国会议员们早就把目光投向了美国不完善的儿童保健系统。保守派和进步派政客都在讨论这个问题，讨论带薪育儿假和幼儿教育的提议。然而，很少有人讨论暑假。

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.

人们很容易相信，解决夏季儿童看护危机是我们应该独自处理的事情。但证据表明，暑假几乎是每个家长的问题。我希望我们的领导人和政策制定者认真对待它。