Are the new term time holiday laws making you re think holiday plans?

[WindyTums]

Every year, my parents and in laws pay for the whole family to go on a European lodge based holiday. It’s during term time as school holiday costs more than double. DH and I are the only ones who have school aged DC (secondary).

Every year the holiday is arranged for either just before the Easter holidays or just before the October half term. We always go and it’s a great experience for everyone.

This years gathering is just before October half term and I’ve agreed to take the DC out of school for this, accepting we will be fined.
One of our elderly relatives has a milestone birthday next year and it has been agreed to book the next one for just before the Easter holidays. It’s likely this will be elderly relatives last time going.

However, for DH and I, this means our DC would need to be taken out of school again within a six month period and will result in a hefty fine as we have 3 DC. Whilst I could accept the fine, it would mean we could not take a family holiday during term time for another three years due to the new laws.

We simply can not afford school holiday prices. We are planning to decline the Easter gathering but I’m really disappointed and upset for my DC.

I suppose the new laws are clearly working if there are others like us?

Before anyone tells me that holidays are a luxury, not a right, I’m aware of this. However, you can’t tell me this affects the rich and their DC in the same way. It’s another way of separating the haves and the have nots. Nobody on their death bed ever regretted family time.

@Shodan I think you may have missed the part in my OP where I said my parents take us away every year. I also said we can not afford to go on holiday in school holidays and nor did I say we have an additional annual vacation that we fund ourselves. We don’t.

They’ve always been ‘difficult to attend’ though. But you have simply chosen to ignore those difficulties 🤷‍♀️.

I get it and it is expensive. Many professions - school staff especially - do not get the option of taking term time holidays. School staff are not rich and most are modestly paid. It's now becoming the law and we need to get on board with it, accept it, move on and perhaps holiday somewhere cheaper or for a shorter amount of time.

@Shodan I assure you that our reasons are far from spurious, people do like to take holidays other than for a bit of sand and sangria. You have no idea of the life I live so please don’t box me in to “people like me” from one tiny shred of a post.

Are you saying that your relatives can’t afford holidays outside of term time and as they are paying, that’s why it’s not affordable? So all your joint holidays have been free to your family. Could you make a contribution then, to make it more affordable?

OP, whether you agree with @pinkfleece or not, the reason that the regulations are being made more of a deterrent is exactly because the previous ones have been an insufficient deterrent and more and more people are deciding that it’s a right to have a holiday or two ( or three) whenever they choose.

You don't need to go on a foreign holiday to make family memories though.

Yes, I've cancelled our holiday in October. Not just because of the fine but that I couldn't bear it if they fine my ex and he has that to hang over me forever. He would never shut up!

OP your posts here are steeped in entitlement and privilege.

Excellent. Hope those who make the rules read this and make then stricter. They are clearly working.

@Bluevelvetsofa For the wider family, it’s not about affordability and they refuse to accept contributions from any one. There are other factors that mean everyone (other than us) can attend during term time, so it makes sense rather than to double the cost.

Whilst I do understand why the new laws are coming in to place, it does impact people and I believe it’s ok to be upset about these things when you look at the wider social concept.

I am a great believer in that time is precious and to spend that time with family for one week out of the year is important to us, regardless of whether people agree or not. We’re all different. My point is, is that it is certainly a good deterrent policy.

However, for DH and I, this means our DC would need to be taken out of school again within a six month period and will result in a hefty fine as we have 3 DC. Whilst I could accept the fine, it would mean we could not take a family holiday during term time for another three years

Dose this mean that before the new rules, you were also taking family holidays in term time? As well as the annual (sometime twice annual) trip with the grandparent? That is an awful lot of school for kids to miss, especially at secondary.

@Sprogonthetyne No, the only holiday we have had annually is the big family holiday.

I will continue to take mine out a few days before the summer holidays starts. I’ll accept the fine at the same time I kick off over how all my youngest’s science lessons have been taught by supply teachers for the past two years and we’ve had to fund tutors to give him an education.

I personally would prioritise the milestone birthday as a one off and NOT be trying to do it again for three years.

Do you know what - in all the entire time my dc were at school we never took them out of school for a holiday during termtime. Not once.

And before you say "Oh that's all right for you, being able to afford high holiday prices then" - no we couldn't. We never went abroad at all, and would have a basic week in the cheapest smallest seaside caravan we could find.

Your parents and wider family need to adapt to school hols. Or you join them for fewer days which are not school days. It s life with kids who attend school.

To clarify, I have no issue with the timing of the holiday for the wider family. I can’t expect them to double costs for us, but as I said in my OP, we have decided to decline for the very reason that we would need to take out 3 DC within a few months. My OP is whether others are finding themselves re thinking things.

Family time can happen during school holidays. It may mean it’s different than your dream holiday but it doesn’t mean it can’t be special.

I think any parent who thinks it is fine to take their DCs out of school for a holiday should think about how they’d feel if their child came home and said “we aren’t doing any lessons this week because Miss Danbury has gone on holiday” or “the toilets weren’t working because the site manager has gone on holiday”.

Like a PP my children never missed school for a holiday, we had cheap caravan park holidays or, in bad years a true staycation (so at home but days out and picnics in the park).

Time spent with family is important but can easily happen outside of important education time.

In short (😏) I think the new rules are a good thing.

I feel for parents with assigned holidays, which seem to be becoming more and more common. I think if you choose to take your children out of school, then it's your responsibility to fill that gap of your child's education. I don't really agree with fines unless your child's attendance falls below 85% for a full year and none of the absence is authorised.

We always do our main holiday in school holidays but take DC out of school for 3 or 4 fridays over the course of the year for weekend camping or caravan trips, usually at least 1 trip to a theme park when its quiet as term time etc. But then again in 3 years at school DD hasn't missed a single day because of illness, so considering most kids miss a couple of days for illnesses, my perspective is she has 'banked' a few days we can go and do something as a family when its quiet.

@LadyDanburysCane I don't really understand why teachers can't take holidays in term time. If you had two teachers who covered each others classes, there could be someone familiar in the classroom. It would reduce sickness too.

Taking children out of primary school is not the same as secondary. We used to travel during primary school but stopped all term time travel once we hit secondary age. Fines are irrelevant.

Whereabouts are these holidays and how do you travel? You say Europe, do you travel by car/ferry or a different way? Just wondering if you could reduce the length of time you go for, as a compromise. You could still join for a few days but would limit the number of school days that the children miss.

I can understand not wanting to miss out on the milestone birthday. But I think 2 weeks in one school year is too much time off, especially at secondary.