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AIBU?

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Original poster

To let the kids have a day off school?

91 replies

Mrsaskalot · 04/01/2026 19:46

We always go away every year on New Year’s Day and take the kids away for a nice night. We’ve had so much family dramas we just weren’t able to go. DH is off work tomorrow & Tuesday and the kids go back to school on Tuesday.

Would you go for it? Or is it a bit unreasonable considering they’ve had two weeks off?

OP posts:
anonymoususer9876 · 04/01/2026 20:57

There's a real misunderstanding that in primary it doesn't matter so much if the children miss days. But children in primary missing lessons means they have gaps in their knowledge and understanding.

For example, year 5 maths I'll teach a lesson on two digit by two digit multiplication on one day and the next day we'll move on to three digit by two digit multiplication. If your child is good at maths and knows their times tables, and understand the principles, then they'll catch up quick. But if they don't, then they may struggle. I'll support where I can but a lot of my time is taken helping kids self regulate with behaviour. Or they may miss how to use a relative pronoun in English and get confused the next day when others In the class are using them. Or miss a ket bit of the story in English from the text being studied.

Illness can't be helped, but term time holidays - I'd really think about how well your children cope with gaps in their knowledge.

Zov · 04/01/2026 20:53

Auroraloves · 04/01/2026 20:30

Agree with you, miserable

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It's comments like this that make me glad I'm not a teacher. Too many entitled parents who think there's nothing wrong with keeping Kayden or Okayden off school whenever it suits. 🙄 As a pp said, these same parents will be crowing later on in the year when their kids don't want to come to school, or their grades start falling.

Houseshmouse · 04/01/2026 20:50

Yes, 100%! Life is too short. Enjoy your break!

Zov · 04/01/2026 20:49

Mrsaskalot · 04/01/2026 20:42

No haven’t booked yet still deciding. Waiting to see what hubby thinks too. I’m in both minds they are all in primary school and nursery. They will love it and have the best time but also don’t like the thought of them returning Wednesday when the kids have been back a day but I don’t think it will make a huge difference and they will all settle back in fine.

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You clearly HAVE already decided then! 🙄

LemaxObsessive · 04/01/2026 20:48

Absolutely not, don’t make them start the spring term on a back footing. Stop trying to be different

Confusion33 · 04/01/2026 20:48

If you haven't booked yet I wouldn't, but at the same time I really dont think one day will make any difference especially for a nursery aged child.

Original poster
Mrsaskalot · 04/01/2026 20:43

Stompythedinosaur · 04/01/2026 20:38

I wouldn't. Go at the weekend?

Can’t hubby at work! :(

OP posts:
Original poster
Mrsaskalot · 04/01/2026 20:42

Electricsausages · 04/01/2026 20:32

Your going to anyway
your just looking for validation

No haven’t booked yet still deciding. Waiting to see what hubby thinks too. I’m in both minds they are all in primary school and nursery. They will love it and have the best time but also don’t like the thought of them returning Wednesday when the kids have been back a day but I don’t think it will make a huge difference and they will all settle back in fine.

OP posts:
Stompythedinosaur · 04/01/2026 20:38

I wouldn't. Go at the weekend?

Bunnycat101 · 04/01/2026 20:38

For this I wouldn’t. I’m not too fussed about taking a bit of extra time at the end of term but I tend to avoid the start of term as establishing new routines is important and this is a night away that could happen any time. There isn’t really a reason why you couldn’t do this next weekend.

LadyMonicaBaddingham · 04/01/2026 20:37

Electricsausages · 04/01/2026 20:32

Your going to anyway
your just looking for validation

Quite. Then people get pissy because their child becomes a school-refuser and it begins to affect them...

Electricsausages · 04/01/2026 20:32

Your going to anyway
your just looking for validation

Zov · 04/01/2026 20:31

No. They've just had 2 and a half weeks off. It's the first day back of the new term. Send them in.

Lamentingalways · 04/01/2026 20:30

I wouldn’t personally but I wouldn’t judge you if you did.

Purlant · 04/01/2026 20:30

Can’t you make a nice memory at the weekend?

Auroraloves · 04/01/2026 20:30

Tuesdayschild50 · 04/01/2026 20:28

Loosen up for God's sake!!
How miserable.

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Agree with you, miserable

Auroraloves · 04/01/2026 20:29

I would go. Are the children in the same school?

Tuesdayschild50 · 04/01/2026 20:28

Miranda65 · 04/01/2026 19:52

Completely unreasonable. School holidays are already very long, so you fit your social life in accordingly.
Education is important and essential (not to mention the discipline discipline of turning up when you're supposed to). Yer, bizarrely, so many people on here think that it's optional.

Loosen up for God's sake!!
How miserable.

HloldingonbYathread · 04/01/2026 20:27

Go for it 110% it won’t out your kids up or down academically and life is short and should be enjoyed

schoollane · 04/01/2026 20:27

I definitely would if primary, probably not secondary. Sorry you had a tough Christmas.

BrendaSmall · 04/01/2026 20:27

ItsameLuigi · 04/01/2026 20:20

When me and my siblings were in primary school, my brother (he would have been about 10?) forged a letter from the primary school. It had lots of misspellings but my mum assumed the receptionist had just been a bit tipsy when she wrote it (🤣). The letter said we returned a day after we actually did after Christmas break. My mum only clocked on when she went to get milk and saw all the kids in their uniforms heading to school!! 😭

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🤣🤣
my mum never received letters that were sent home from school via us 🤣🤣

DiscoBeat · 04/01/2026 20:25

If early primary age I would

marriedtosoulmate · 04/01/2026 20:24

Hiptothisjive · 04/01/2026 20:11

Ummm no. They just had two weeks off. School isn’t optional when you feel like it. That includes family days out.

Depends on how old your kids are but basically you are saying that when they get older they can take a day off from work because they need a day out (without booking it or lying about being ill).

They’ve had a tough Christmas, I think they can be cut some slack on this occasion. The kids deserve a couple of nice days before heading back to school. Best to go back happy than miserable.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 04/01/2026 20:23

I wouldn’t. I think the settling in on the first day, and then first week, back is important.

The teachers will probably explain a lot of what’s going to be happening on the first day.

Also, they’ve just had two weeks off, and it seems bonkers to take more.

ItsameLuigi · 04/01/2026 20:20

BrendaSmall · 04/01/2026 20:14

Yes I would, and we have previous, we’ve accidentally muddled up the date they’ve returned to school 🤣

When me and my siblings were in primary school, my brother (he would have been about 10?) forged a letter from the primary school. It had lots of misspellings but my mum assumed the receptionist had just been a bit tipsy when she wrote it (🤣). The letter said we returned a day after we actually did after Christmas break. My mum only clocked on when she went to get milk and saw all the kids in their uniforms heading to school!! 😭