PAM BAL
LIFE REPORTER

Humber students who have children could face challenges during March break, said Liz Sokol, co-ordinator of Humber’s counselling services.

Children at the Humber Arboretum camp take a break from winter activities to decorate treats. (Courtesy)

“It’s primarily around the children being off and having to sort out arrangements for your kids,” she said.
One solution is a day-camp offered by the Humber Arboretum for children aged five to 13 next week for $190.
Camp director Vicki Griffiths said she doesn’t get a lot of students’ children at the camp.
“Not too many students, but more children of staff and local kids too,” she said.
Griffiths said the camp can take 40 children during the break and also offers early morning and late afternoon care.
Ivette Paraskevopoulos, a continuing education student at Humber, works full time and has two children.
For March break, she said she made arrangements for her mother-in-law to take care of her four and seven-year-old children.
“The difficulty for me is to find the time to drop them off and pick them up,” she said.
“The problem is if they’re off for the week and you’re supposed to spend time with them and you’re not able to do it.”
Sokol said there is no easy answer when it comes to balancing school with family life.
“Some people feel like they’re being pulled in 50 directions, some people feel like they have no space and they’re being squeezed.”
Sokol said it’s a matter of making priorities.
“It may be working less hours, it may be the kids one night a week going to a babysitter,” or taking turns babysitting with another parent, which would give you one night to do a lot of homework, she said.
Sokol said to make arrangements ahead of time.
“If you haven’t prepared in advance and it catches you off guard, it’s going to be stressful.”