Take the school fine or ring in sick for a week?

[mariasgotabrandnewbag]

Just asking as I’m honestly in 2 minds what to do.

it’s only a week but school have made it clear they will fine us for taking our 6 year old out on holiday.

I hate being told when I can and can’t go on holiday, feel like there should be a law against price hikes in school holidays if that’s the case.

What would you do?

The fine. Regardless of the price hike argument, you cannot expect your six year old to lie.

The fine. The stress of emailing/ringing every day isn't worth it.

Your DC will tell them anyway!

Tell the truth. It’s not fair to ask your child to lie to school.

and holiday prices like many things are down to supply and demand. Many off peak holidays will be at minimum profit for the company simply to get people in. Prices would just go up across the board if the prices were to be dictated!

Do you honestly think the school won’t know? Just take the fine.

Just take the fine, they'll know you're lying and it'll be stressful ringing school every week. Also your 6 year old won't keep the secret

The fine.
That way you can go on holiday and not think about school every day.

Has he missed school before for holiday/other unauthorised reason? Otherwise I didn’t think you’d be fined for 5 days?

Take the fine. Also as far as I know, at least here, it only kicks in after 4 full days (8 sessions of absence). I took mine away for the weekend and returned late Thursday. No fine, because we only missed 4 days, not 5.

Take the fine. A six year old will end up telling all his little pals about the holiday.

How much is the fine

The fine. Kid will gave a tan. Lying is so obvious

My understanding is that it's not the school who administer the fine, it's the local council. So completely out of the school's hands.
But please don't ask your child lie. It's not fair on them.

Take the fine. Schools are well versed at finding out many (probably not all!) of the term time holidays phoned in as illness.
It's not worth the hassle of phoning every day, and still potentially getting it marked as unauthorized absence! And once you are known for phoning in sick for holidays, extra attention is paid to any future absences. Source: I have lunch most days with the attendance officer at school.

Pay the fine. Don't teach your dd it's ok to lie.

surely you have to pay the fine

I think it's crazy that they fine people yet home edders are allowed to do as they please.

I am a home edder. I really sympathise with you. Why they think you can't do some educational stuff with a six year old for just a week, I don't know. Swimming, bit of crafting or colouring, learn some words of the language of the country you're going to, geography, obviously. That sort of thing.

I saw a poster at the pharmacy yesterday. They advise you to merrily send your kid into school with head lice, threadworm, glandular fever, slapped cheek, tonsillitis, and hand, foot & mouth. Poor kids.

So you've asked about a holiday during term time and you don't think the school might link a weeks put of the blue sickness?

Of course you tell the truth and take the consequences, what kind of holiday is it where the price difference is less than a weeks fine?

Did holiday pricing come as a surprise?

I hate being told when I can and can’t go on holiday

But since you're choosing to send your child to a school, it's something you have to suck up I'm afraid.

Just take the fine.

It’s 10 “registrations” so morning and afternoon across 5 days would get the fine.

You need to tell the truth or you’ll be forced to make your 6 year old lie to his friends and teachers.

Yes but that’s the threshold. And anything above that gets the fine I thought?

You factor the price of the fine onto the price of your holiday

When your kid turns up with a tan, talking about the holiday they will forever peg you as a liar with a case of tenerifeitis.

The fine. I phoned mine in sick (this was years ago) and we ended up in the middle of a breaking news story and on the 10 o'clock news in Sharm el sheikh. The fine was in the post 😂

The fine.
Don't put pressure on your child to lie. Sets a dreadful example.