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Would you still allow the overseas trip after missed homework and lying?

62 replies

Atatotallossagain · 20/09/2026 14:09

For context our 14 year old ND DD has come a long way both academically and regarding her own personal development within the last year or so. We know that and are so very proud. She also had to have a very big operation at the end of last year which was critical for her physical health and she flew through that raising thousands for charity afterwards doing a physical challenge that many she knows didn't even complete with full health. That got her a lot of recognition not only with the charity but the school and rightly so.

Two months ago she met a boy who's based overseas and they became quite close. They speak most days via WhatsApp and he gave her some jewellery she hasn't removed since he presented it to her when the two families met for the final time on said holiday. He's a nice boy and I like him very much. His presence, even though he's overseas, almost seems to have armed her and given her more confidence as well to just deal with life.

Here's the problem. He has a big family celebration happening during half term and he asked her to go. We can manage it. The finances are no problem and the timing basically works though she would have to have part of the first morning back after half term off. It's a ten hour flight away though, so it's not like us popping to France or something.

We said to her she could go if she achieved certain things in four different areas. She has smashed two (one personal and one sport related), one she's doing ok in (getting what they call stars for academics) and one of which she seems to be flailing in - getting her homework done on time (which equally means she's not getting as many stars as she should as clearly the teachers won't give them for work that's late). In addition, every time something isn't handed in on time it's sanctioned (rightly) by the school.

We asked her if there was any more homework outstanding and she lied saying there wasn't but there is. This means that had we not caught it, that would have been another sanction.

I really want to take her on this trip. But she lied. I said no sanctions was the baseline though I know that everyone makes mistakes and they really push them at the school. It's a number of sets of homework a night. There is also a lot of extra curricular stuff they are expected to do as just part of their development. It's very full on with long days and early starts. But where do I draw the line? I have implied to her that she just won't be able to go now. I don't know if I should reasonably enforce that or not. What would you do?

OP posts:
SoThatsTheWayItIs · 23/09/2026 08:04

They really won’t give a crap about half a day. There is no future angst here but your own. Chill!

labradorservant · 23/09/2026 08:00

Dear school. X is missing half a day of term. I assume this will be an unauthorised absence. Thank you!
You don’t need to ask permission. Just accept the consequences. My children have missed the odd day. Have been transparent. They’ve still achieved great results.
Sounds like she’ll get more out of the trip confidence wise than 3 lessons at school.

Atatotallossagain · 23/09/2026 07:56

@SoThatsTheWayItIs No I gave her the criteria because I knew it would be what the school would look at. I was trying to give her guidance regarding what she needed to be careful of. I would also add that I would not have asked the school for permission had I not wanted her to go. I was hoping they would see it in the round but they didn't.

OP posts:
Atatotallossagain · 23/09/2026 07:54

@Nocameltoeleggingsplease Yes of course they can't physically frogmarch her to the school but it would still be unauthorised. There are situations where children miss school with their blessing for various things (they have matches one evening they are expected to attend and saturday school for example and a child might be authorised to not attend for this or that). In this situation they are not doing that so I won't go against them. Why would I cause extra angst with them in the case of a future situation?

OP posts:
SoThatsTheWayItIs · 23/09/2026 07:48

Atatotallossagain · 23/09/2026 07:42

@rookiemere then apologise

Are you ND yourself OP? You appear quite rigid in your thinking and your responses are quite abrasive a rude.

I would take her on the trip anyway. No need to lie to school just say you are going. There will be no consequences for missing half a day.

Your approach was wrong from the start and set her up to fail. Don’t do that again.

Nocameltoeleggingsplease · 23/09/2026 07:46

Atatotallossagain · 23/09/2026 07:10

@CloudyWithAChanceOfCustard No because of the time zone differences the last days means we miss half a day of term. I said that in my OP. I just checked. It’s right there! Therefore the school can say she can’t go and I am not pretending she’s ill so she can go.

School have refused permission because they are not allowed to give permission. They can’t actually stop you and they won’t fine you for half a day. They just aren’t allowed to say it is ok so it goes down as unauthorised.

I’d take her and actually I’d praise her for taking the rejection well. I’d say you need a plan for homework and for her to agree that she doesn’t have her phone while she does it, if that’s possible.

CarrotJuiceandTurmeric · 23/09/2026 07:44

I find the whole thing a bit odd- 14yo going abroad to stay with the family of a boy you don't really know, wtf? But I'm assuming there is more to it and that side of things is actually ok, you just haven't put all the details here.

I would let her go 100%. She is doing well generally. You think the trip will be a positive for her. I'm ND and really struggled with homework as a teen- it's one of those areas where exec function disorders really make things hard and you can end up "freezing"- just being stuck and unable to function- however much you want to do what's required and however motivated you are. Then lying about it because you can't explain why you haven't done it. Using threats (even gentle ones) really doesn't help- if anything it just makes everything more fraught and difficult, and puts her in position where she feels she has no option but to lie because she can't explain herself. What worked for my son (who has similar issues) is sitting together at homework time, talking through what needs to be done, then I'd get on with some admin while he did the homework. Sitting together really helps with focus and creates a calm helpful atmosphere, whereas threats have the exact opposite effect. (Appreciate that it is not always easy to find the time for this stuff, but I would recommend trying it as a matter of priority.)

You've got yourself into a corner on all this but you're an adult and can get out again. Talk to her about what she's been doing well. Register that the homework has been harder and suggest some new strategies to try (like the above). She commits to seeing whether the new strategy works and talking to you (rather than lying) when things get harder. (I'll say it again- if you want her to talk openly to you about her struggles rather than lie, please don't attach threats to any of it!) If she agrees to try, she goes on the trip.

Atatotallossagain · 23/09/2026 07:42

@rookiemere then apologise

OP posts:
rookiemere · 23/09/2026 07:40

Apologies just saw your update

rookiemere · 23/09/2026 07:40

Were you really going to put a ND 14 year old on a 10 hr flight alone to stay with a group of adults you and she have never met, based on her online relationship with a “boy” who seems nice? If so I am glad for her safety alone that this dubious trip is not happening.

Maybe you were planning to go with her in which case I apologise.

Atatotallossagain · 23/09/2026 07:37

@MyPeachBiscuit we know the family. We don't have any alarm bells. I am not sending her on her own which would clearly be silly. It's a trip overseas that would have meant spending some time with him and a trip away for us.

OP posts:
MyPeachBiscuit · 23/09/2026 07:29

For me the idea of encouraging/allowing a neurodivergent 14 year old girl to have a relationship with a boy living in another country rings alarm bells. I don't think it's healthy for girls of that age to have online relationships or to fly out to meet an overseas boyfriend. That seems like a huge safeguarding risk.

Dorosomethingbeautiful · 23/09/2026 07:27

Why would you even consider taking a 14 year old on a 10 hours flight to be with her boyfriend for a family celebration?

BendingSpoons · 23/09/2026 07:22

School were always going to refuse absence for a holiday. If you really wanted to go, you would just accept an unauthorised absence. However a 10 hour flight is huge, so maybe for the best.

CloudyWithAChanceOfCustard · 23/09/2026 07:21

Atatotallossagain · 23/09/2026 07:10

@CloudyWithAChanceOfCustard No because of the time zone differences the last days means we miss half a day of term. I said that in my OP. I just checked. It’s right there! Therefore the school can say she can’t go and I am not pretending she’s ill so she can go.

They can’t refuse! All they can do is grant an authorised absence or an unauthorised absence. It’s still acknowledging an absence. They don’t have any power to ‘refuse’!

Telecone · 23/09/2026 07:17

Behaviour aside, why are you encouraging your 14yr olds relationship with a lad in a other country? This should be something that fizzles out in a month.

Atatotallossagain · 23/09/2026 07:10

@CloudyWithAChanceOfCustard No because of the time zone differences the last days means we miss half a day of term. I said that in my OP. I just checked. It’s right there! Therefore the school can say she can’t go and I am not pretending she’s ill so she can go.

OP posts:
CloudyWithAChanceOfCustard · 23/09/2026 07:06

Also…schools don’t ‘refuse’ giving time off. And your request was for ‘part’ of one morning ffs, so an hour? Two hours? The permission would be for authorised or unauthorised absence. At the worst you would be given ‘unauthorised absence’ for that hour/two hours. That’s not ‘refused’! They don’t refuse!

Stop being so bloody dramatic!

Dozer · 23/09/2026 07:04

Agree with PPs that your criteria were U but I’d not be allowing or paying for a DC of that age to visit a girlfriend or boyfriend in another country, or thinking that an online romantic relationship was good for them.

CloudyWithAChanceOfCustard · 23/09/2026 06:59

School have refused what? It’s half term!

I think you are just making excuses now. You sound bloody cruel to me! Your DD never stood a chance…it’s almost as if you were wanting her to fail.

SleeplessRoads · 23/09/2026 06:57

What?! School don’t get to decide if she goes or not - you’re her parent. You said it was in half term?

And DD has gone from wanting to go on this very important trip to being at peace with not going because school say no within a few hours? That’s unbelievably mature of her…

Cartouche · 23/09/2026 06:51

How can school refuse permission for a trip at half term?

Atatotallossagain · 23/09/2026 06:42

@tigerlily9 it is because of the homework. It’s too much of a concern. I have no bargaining chips. I am bitterly disappointed as I really wanted to take her and I told her the school would refuse if the homework issue continued but she didn’t listen. Anyway, she knows why she can’t go. She has accepted it. It’s done.

OP posts:
tigerlily9 · 22/09/2026 22:56

Atatotallossagain · 22/09/2026 18:26

It's all a moot point. School have refused permission.

Ok you may have an out here then.
I would’ve said that as they already getting a sanction from School as a punishment, I would probably have let them go because they’ve done so well in all their other areas and it would be a double punishment for the same mistake, and they had a lot of conditions but I am nevertheless concerned because homework is very important and it might need to be that we re-prioritise moving forward.
however if School have said no then you may have to say to her. This was reason why homework was one of them because you can understand why the school has said no - if she was on top of the homework they might’ve said yes or you could’ve argued with the School about it but as she isn’t it’s put you in quite a weak bargaining position to argue with the School to let them take her out for the additional time.

JoyousWriter · 22/09/2026 22:50

Bloody hell. Do you always put such a massive amount of pressure on her?