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AIBU?

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Original poster

Going to school on your birthday?

131 replies

DinnaeFashYersel · 04/09/2023 08:47

My 15 year old birthday boy has headed off this morning seething with injustice at being made to go to school on his birthday.

He's never had the day off before but claims "everyone" else does and is full on grumpy teenager 😂about it.

Do people really give their children their birthdays off school?

Am I unreasonable to make him go to school or should I have given the wee snowflake the day off?

(Note for context: we are in Scotland so this is the 3rd week of term and not the first day back)

YABU: unreasonable, wee snowflake should be resting in his bed playing on the xbox
YANBU: get his erse to school

OP posts:
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MrsDrSpencerReid · 05/09/2023 09:31

My DS has always taken his birthday off, however it was his birthday on Friday and he went in because they were going to laser tag for double sport so it was like a built in birthday party. The worker made all their vests light up and play happy birthday, he thought it was brilliant 😂
He also said each teacher sang happy birthday at the start of each lesson and gave him chocolates, turns out it’s not so bad going in on your birthday after all!

I will say we’re not in the UK and attendance is a bit more relaxed here, if there were such a thing as fines etc he’d definitely be going in every year!

MachinesOfGod · 04/09/2023 21:15

PuttingDownRoots · 04/09/2023 08:58

I spent my 16th birthday doing my GCSE maths and French exams.

In the real world nothing stops for birthdays... you just have to get on with things and celebrate on the evening or at the weekend.

That's not strictly true.

I'm 37 and always book either a day or a weeks annual leave for my birthday (depending on what plans I've got for it).

BackToOklahoma · 04/09/2023 20:16

We value education so would never take a day off school for a birthday.

🤣

NavyLeague · 04/09/2023 20:14

My kid had their birthday this year on an A Level exam day. He survived.

We value education so would never take a day off school for a birthday. Lots of great memories and celebrations on other days.

Takoneko · 04/09/2023 19:44

I teach in a girl’s secondary and nobody seems to want a day off for their birthday. The done thing is come in and wear a birthday girl sash and a huge birthday girl badge and spend the whole day walking around holding gift bags with a helium balloon trailing behind them. It’s quite sweet really. I don’t know if it happens the same in mixed or boys schools. Some of them even buy each other flowers on their birthdays,

Qilin · 04/09/2023 19:39

I never had a day off school for my birthday.

DD's birthday almost always fell in the school holidays. When younger she was more upset that she didn't get to go in on her birthday! 🤷‍♀️

I teach and most children are in on their birthdays.

silverretrieve · 04/09/2023 19:32

I’m 23. When I was at school, most people liked going in on their birthday as they’d usually have a fuss made out of them by their mates, a birthday badge, cards. The girls usually got presents. There would usually be a birthday outing or house party, so they’d spend the day talking about that at school. I was one of the people whose birthday always falls on a holiday so felt like I missed out on getting my birthday acknowledged! Ever since my 17th birthday I took the day off education and work if I didn’t have it off already.

Daisyislazy · 04/09/2023 19:32

usernother · 04/09/2023 19:23

Why?

Because I wanted him to have a nice day

BackToOklahoma · 04/09/2023 19:29

(Primary) School always make a bit of a fuss of them on birthdays and the birthday child normally hands round sweets or equivalent so I don’t think many children are that sad about going to school on their birthdays.

It was that fuss that one of my kids hated. Even when we asked for them to not do the whole, badge, singing, stand up in assembly thing, the school still did it. She didn’t go in on her last few birthdays at primary and was much happier.

MojoDojoCasaHouse · 04/09/2023 19:28

My August born child is very smug about never being at school on her birthday. Pain in the arse organising parties though. The October born child goes to school as normal.

usernother · 04/09/2023 19:25

Daisyislazy · 04/09/2023 15:34

I let my DS stay off

Why?

usernother · 04/09/2023 19:23

Why?

thaegumathteth · 04/09/2023 18:26

Ds is usually off because it's very close to Christmas. It's rubbish cos nobody is free that day.

Dd is September and has almost always been at school.

Twentypastfour · 04/09/2023 18:22

(Primary) School always make a bit of a fuss of them on birthdays and the birthday child normally hands round sweets or equivalent so I don’t think many children are that sad about going to school on their birthdays.
Secondary I can see being annoyed and by then there is no singing or special birthday cushion to sit on of course! But by then it’s just tough isn’t it? Like others, I sat at least one GCSE on my birthday.

megletthesecond · 04/09/2023 18:19

Yanbu.
Having birthdays off is an adults privilege. Kids need to go to school.

UsingChangeofName · 04/09/2023 18:16

@BackToOklahoma Well, at 4, turning to 5 years old, it was clearly a concept that the parents had suggested to them.

BackToOklahoma · 04/09/2023 17:29

@UsingChangeofName I only did it when my kids asked, as did other parents I know. None of us were ‘making’ our children have the day off.

MerryMarigold · 04/09/2023 17:27

YANBU. Surely by 15 you recognise the "EVERYBODY has a much better life/ better parents than me." I usually just shrug and say, "I doubt it."

UsingChangeofName · 04/09/2023 17:26

Yes, there are plenty that do.
I've come across it on here, and I've come across it in real life, as a teacher.

"Oh, I didn't bring Jayden-Leigh in because it was their birthday" was not uncommon in one school I taught at.

BackToOklahoma · 04/09/2023 17:19

Such an odd concept to make your dc miss their birthday at school.

lol. I don’t think anyone is ‘making’ their child be off school.

UsingChangeofName · 04/09/2023 17:08

Such an odd concept to make your dc miss their birthday at school.

As so many others have said, he should be grateful he isn't having GCSEs, A Levels and Finals on his birthday. Or, and my dn had, picking up his A-level results on his 18th birthday.

shivbo2014 · 04/09/2023 16:36

My birthday is tomorrow so it was nearly always the first day back at school and I never had the day off.

Original poster
DinnaeFashYersel · 04/09/2023 16:21

He's home now. Got his presents. Getting a fish supper from the chippy for his tea. And cake. He is celebrating with his friends next weekend.

Happy boy despite being forced to go to school for the day. 😂

OP posts:
turkeyboots · 04/09/2023 16:18

My birthday falls on or near a bank holiday weekend so always had a day off school the same week! DC go to school when their birthdays fall on a school day, but more often than not they fall into half term or Easter break.

Bluevelvetsofa · 04/09/2023 16:17

I was always doing exams on my birthday when I was at school.

At the start of term, even if you give them the day off, they’ll probably be on their own, because everyone else is at school/ work.