Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Missing school for a holiday

15 replies

BeanCalledPickle · 12/08/2019 21:33

I have no good reason to take my kids out of school. I just want to go to Thailand and the best time to go is February so I’d extend half term by a week. Kids are year one and year three. I don’t want to go in the summer and even Easter is too late for me; my mental health takes a significant boost if I get winter sun. This really is about convenience and preference for us.

Part of me thinks just tell the truth and pay the fine but I would feel so guilty! What do you think? If they miss a week will fate intervene and they will be sick multiple times in the academic year? Will people judge me? Should I care?

OP posts:
BazaarMum · 12/08/2019 21:39

Tell the truth, take the fine. Some people will judge. Only you can say if you’ll care!

BazaarMum · 12/08/2019 21:40

And anyway, what lie could you tell to cover a week in Thailand? No way could kids that age stick to ‘we were sick’, and nor should they have to!

BringOnTheScience · 12/08/2019 21:41

Be honest.
Take the week.before the 1/2 term rather than the first week back to minimise the impact of missing the start of a new topic.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General education
Original poster
BeanCalledPickle · 12/08/2019 22:05

Oh I had thought about creating a story around family wedding or similar to see if they might authorise it! But then I thought no, if you are going to do it then own it.

OP posts:
Be1atrix · 12/08/2019 22:17

tell the truth and pay the fine and go! 100%. They're primary age. Go live it and love it.

Wolfiefan · 12/08/2019 22:19

Is there even a guarantee you would be fined?
But you can’t do this every year! y1 and Y3 fine but Y9 and Y11 NOT!

Cherryade8 · 12/08/2019 22:21

Yeah as long as your kids are keeping up and doing well at school then I'd go, be honest and just pay the fine. I think if kids are struggling to keep up with their studies I'd be more reluctant to go - I wouldn't want to add to their struggle.

YourSarcasmIsDripping · 12/08/2019 23:06

Let the school know and go. Enjoy it.

Odds are you won't even be fined, and if for some reason you are, it should still be a lot less than doing it in the school holidays.

You don't really need a reason beyond "I want to take my kids on holiday".

RedHatsDoNotSuitMe · 13/08/2019 00:31

No, they won't authorise it. Round here you wouldn't get a fine.

Please don't ask your kids to lie... They won't manage it and people will judge you for doing that. They'd understand about the holiday.

If your kids otherwise have 100% (ish) attendance, they won't care too much and will understand the opportunity. If your kids are generally below 90% AND THEN you take them away on holiday in term time as well, they'll not be impressed.

iMatter · 13/08/2019 06:34

Don't lie

"We are going on holiday to Thailand" is fine.

It won't be authorised and you might get a fine.

Own it

Whatever you do don't ask your kids to lie

AnguaResurgam · 13/08/2019 06:44

Agree with previous posters - do not lie or expect your DC to lie. It sets a terrible example. And of course makes life harder for families where the DC are genuinely ill, and that's a pretty shitty effect.

Just go unauthorised if you decide to go then

Also recommend light boxes, for management of seasonal disorders linked to light exposure

StarlightLady · 13/08/2019 07:35

Explain that you are going then because it is not practical to go at other times.

Any teacher worth their salts can make sure a child catches up after missing school for such a short period. What about if a child (or the teacher) is off sick?

Cravingcake · 13/08/2019 07:37

We have done this for the last 3 years (reception to yr 2). We haven’t been fined (we are lucky, it’s a small village school- not sure if that makes a difference).

I did speak to my DC’s teachers and say we’re going on holiday and asked if there was anything we can do while away (particular worksheets or reading etc). We have taken a couple of extra reading books and kept a diary of what we did each day - writing a few sentences of the days highlights and drawing pictures.

Original poster
BeanCalledPickle · 13/08/2019 13:22

Thanks all. I just have a massive amount of guilt even though I rationally know that a week makes no difference. I absolutely wouldn’t do this when they were older in any event.

To be fair I probably wouldn’t have done it now but I have a fair few friends with older children who say they regret playing by the rules all the time and if they had their time again they would take them out occasionally.

I won’t lie. I will just say that this is when it’s convenient to go and that is that. We will get fined. They have fined for one missed session. Though are quite happy to send them home for two days when they claim to be sick but that’s a separate thread!

OP posts:
Hoppinggreen · 13/08/2019 13:30

Fill in the request, it’s unlikely to be granted
If you get a fine pay it
Have a lovely holiday (missing The week before half term is probably less disruptive)

New posts on this thread. Refresh page