Easter, Anzac Day and school holidays: Why the month of April will be hell for Kiwi parents

School-aged children will have just eight days of school in April. Photo / Getty Images

Kiwi parents may be looking forward to sending their kids back to school in a few days, but the reprieve enjoyed over the next 10 weeks will be countered by what could be the toughest month since the early days of Covid lockdowns.

Come April, school-aged children will have just eight days of school to attend: four at the beginning of the month and four at the end. Should a teachers-only day be thrown in the mix, that number would become seven.

Thanks to Easter, Anzac and the school holidays, kids will be out the gate on Good Friday, April 7, for a two-week term break and won’t return until Monday 24. Rough.

But it’s not over yet. After one day back at school on the Monday, they’re off again for Anzac Day on Tuesday. And just to kick you while you’re down, daylight savings ends on April 2, so you’ll have bedtime adjustments to contend with too.

The battle of April is an annual event for working parents, but 2023 is the toughest it’s been in recent times: Last year kids were in school for a total of 10 April days, and nine in 2021.

While news of this pending doom may feel like a hot shower on sunburn, some Kiwis have started putting the call out on social media for employers to show kindness to parents with school-aged kids.

Employers, please be kind to caregivers in April.

Kids are at school for just 7 days the whole of April - school hols, Easter, ANZAC day.

— Lou Draper O’Reilly (@LouDxx) January 23, 2023

For employed parents unable to work from home - those parents will find themselves managing their children in between emails and Zoom meetings - April could well use a decent chunk of your annual leave, or they’ll have to ship the kids off to the grandparents or a school holiday programme to get through the month.

Roll on May, mums and dads, where there’s not a term break or public holiday in sight.

For more parenting news and advice check out the Herald’s parenting podcast One Day You’ll Thank Me below.