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How do kids even survive the summer without DoE grants?

Steve Fast
@SteveFast
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Trump withheld $6B of Department of Education funding starting on July 1. Squishes on both sides of the aisle screamed bloody murder, so eventually Trump relented and disbursed $1.3B for summer programs. How did kids survive the summer in the past without government money?

At the risk of sounding like an old fogey, I'll tell you how. During summer my mom had my brother and me busy hoeing the garden, watering the trees and the lawn, picking and canning cherries and peaches, sweeping the garage floor, and mowing the lawn. When I was old enough to mow without supervision, she had me mowing neighbors' lawns for pay. By the time I was done with all my chores, I was glad to have time to read a book, play in our dirt pile, or ride my bike. And I learned quickly not to say that I was bored because my mom immediately had a task for me to do.

Between 7th and 8th grades, I worked for my uncle in his boot and tack shop. When I was in high school, I worked a summer for a neighbor's paving company, filling cracks on roads and runways with hot asphalt - the worst job I ever had. Another summer I helped my dad scrape and paint a neighbor's wooden corral. And I helped my dad fix the fence on my grandpa's ranch many summers.

I can't say I enjoyed most of the tasks at home or the jobs I got away from home. But I learned a lot of skills from them, and I learned to work. Looking back, I'm glad that my parents made me do them and do them well. They taught me skills much better than any government program could. And they taught me to be a contributing member of the family at an early age.

Too bad that Trump disbursed the $1.3B for summer and youth programs.

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Discussion (30)

  • John H.@JohnH
    Steve Fast (View Post):

    When I was in high school, I worked a summer for a neighbor’s paving company filling cracks on roads and runways with hot asphalt – the worst job I ever had.

    I have often imagined that that is the worst job there is. Even worse than roofing in the summer.

  • Ekosj@Ekosj

    I’m speculating here, but I’d wager it’s to cover summer salaries for teachers who staff up summer programs that serve as day-care when school is out. It squares with the June jobs numbers which showed that government education jobs increased by 75000 or so.

  • JustmeinAZ@JustmeinAZ

    I spent grades one through four on Guam , living for two years in a quonset hut (no AC), no bike helmet or knee pads, running through the boondocks barefoot. I don't even remember if it was hot. It was fun and I'm still alive.

  • Sandra Blondie Bright@Blondie

    Along the same line, there is a radio spot that I have heard at least 5 times today claiming that one in 5 kids does not have a proper nutritious meal in the summer. I really want to know where they get their stats cause I call bull. How did we ever survive when school was out and the government couldn't feed us?

    I spent my summers pretty much the same as yours. Helped with chores around the house and helped my granddad and uncle in tobacco.

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