I grew up in the American public school system (and a decent one at that). One thing I could never understand was the purpose of summer break. I understand that to many kids, summer break was a sacred multi-month period but to me, the opportunity cost seems significant. In those summers, I learned geometry, physics, biology, multivariable calculus, and read tons of books while other kids had "traditional" vacations that did nothing to reinforce what they had learned the year before.

I know that rest and relaxation are also important to fostering a child's creativity and independence, but there is certainly a tradeoff, and I am wondering if we are nowhere near the correct balance.