Birthday day off school.

[Helpmeout124]

I know this will be controversial but I'm allowing my son to have 1 day off school to take him to London for his birthday, usually he goes to school on his birthday and will again next year but he's been having a really hard time at school lately, lots of friendship issues and coming home upset. And to be completely honest I just feel like he needs this. He needs a day where the 3 of us myself, him and his stepdad get away and just have a day that's all about him. We're going to London on the train first thing, we wants to go both museums, see the sights of London, go shopping at hamleys, and then I've booked tickets to see the lion king at the theatre in the evening, it's going to be a fantastic day and hopefully one he will always remember, but I feel a little guilty for booking it on his actual birthday ( a Wednesday) and not waiting for the weekend.

OP, I'm a teacher.

Under under normal circumstances, I'd have a bit of an eye roll at days off for birthdays etc. But, given the circumstances you describe, I think it would be a lovely day.

It'll be unauthorised but, if his attendance is otherwise good, it doesn't mean anything in the grand scheme of things.

I've permitted my exh to take our children out of school for holidays when they were younger - only after the attendance data has been submitted to the LEA of course 😉

Not all education happens in the classroom.

I've spoken to the teachers on every occasion they must be sick to the back teeth of me, but only when I said I was going to move him to a new school did they refer him for the sessions

This isn't because they don't care (hopefully!) but because finding is limited and we have to justify every child who is referred. They will select the children who they feel are most in need.

If you have spoken to them many times and are dissatisfied, write to the Governing Body.

Like I say, I'm a teacher. I was a Parent Governor at my child's school and I had to write to the Governing Body about bullying that wasn't addressed. That was awkward but it had to be done.

Unfortunately, bullying can be a very difficult pattern to break.

To be totally honest not much has been done, they always seem to sympathise with me but don't offer much of a solution, at the end of last year the main culprit was moved to a different class and swapped with another boy who was causing the same problems in another class. On the first day of this (year 4) my son came home sobbing, the new boy had strangled him. It seems like a never ending cycle. My son isn't a boisterous boy, he prefers to play with the girls and isn't part of the (football boys) as he calls them. Which is why they target him I suppose.

I completely agree with this. You're being ridiculous in letting him have the day off for his birthday.

I see no problem with this and found myself laughing at the first comment as it was so ridiculous

Don't worry about it fgs have a lovely time, your sons emotional wellbeing is a 1000% more important. It's one bloody day and a special treat.

@Growlybear83 really? REALLY?

Ridiculous

Urgh.. ignore the Haters OP! Get on that train and have yourself a Fantastic day! Sounds like he's going to have the best birthday 🥳

let me guess
the lion king tickets are much cheaper mid week

all those saying they have a day off work on their birthday, fine, that's your AL to allocate as you see fit/your employer allows
school is not like that

you are telling your son that-
education doesn't matter
the rules don't apply to him
its OK to lie to get what you want

instead you can tell him that-
what's happening at school is rubbish but I will always stick up for you
you parents and the school are on the same side
education is important
we deal honestly and directly with other people, even when that's difficult or inconvenient
you love him and will will celebrate his birthday the best way you can at a suitable time

Lashings of hyperbole being unleashed by some. 😂

Sorry but I wouldn’t do this. I would however follow the complaints procedure at the school. Record everything. Make sure to have a written copy of all communication and escalate as far as necessary.
I would also do all I could to find another school or home school.
One day off for his birthday won’t sort this.

Barely. £9 a ticket cheaper.. really not the reason at all. I wouldn't be taking him London at all if I was that hard up for £27 would I

and the lying?

Who said I was going to lie?

How will going to London on his birthday solve coming home in tears? It won't will it? It is just an excuse for the day off. If your child is in tears everyday then deal with that by speaking to the school about his problems and supporting him to go to school. Taking the day off and using his unhappiness as a reason is really stupid. You could do something nice on the evening of his birthday.

It won't solve it obviously, I never thought it would. It's just a nice thing to do for my son who is struggling. Of course I have done and will continue to do all I physically can to help him. I don't see how sending him to school to be bullied on his birthday is the right thing to do for him either. But if you've never had a child who's been bullied you wouldn't understand.

I completely get why you are doing it, but I’d just do it on a weekend. I also couldn’t ring the school and say my child was unwell, I couldn’t lie, I would worry it was tempting fate. But you said you weren’t planning on lying, so are you being upfront with the school and saying you’re having a day out?

I'm going to say mental health day, which is true.

Here here 👏

But it’s fine to send him every other day to be bullied? By that logic you shouldn’t send him at all.
It does sound like a nice day. But at the weekend when you’re not supposed to be at school.

He will be beyond knackered the next day at that age so you are looking at two days off school. (Unless you booked a matine, in which case you won’t fit in much more than one museum before hand.)

I never work on my birthday. He's having a bad time. You're teaching him that when things are bad - focus on the good and you'll eventually pull through. Enjoy making memories in London! X

When I take my kids out of school I just tell the truth. If you think you are doing the right thing just own it.

I would love to not send him to school, if I had it my way and didn't have to work to keep a roof over our heads I'd home school him and as I stated above I tried to move schools but waited months for a decision only to be declined. All I could do is take him out of school completely and an another school would have to take him but that can take months which would mean massive gaps in his education. If anyone has the magical answer to the problem of the bullying that I'm not seeing I'd love to know truly. I want nothing more than for my children to be happy

I disagree with the majority. I personally take the day off on my birthday and I (40) start the morning with a glass of champagne in bed then go off and have a lovely day.
He's a primary age child- one day off having a special treat and nice memories isn't going to ruin his future career as a neurosurgeon.

I love that 😄

DH does. Little business that's normally crap on this stuff but actually they give everyone thier birthday off