to think its unfair that its 'term time' holidays or no holidays for alot of familes?

[TotorosOcarina]

So they can either run the risk of getting a fine and a bollocking or them, and their kids get no holiday at all?

I'm talking about myself here

We don't do holidays abroad, we don't even do nice cottage holidays.

The last few years we have gone to Haven for 4 nights ina caravan. And the kids bloody love it.

2 years ago we just had DS1 in nursery so went in term time.

Last year we only had DS in school, in reception, so he had 5 days off 'sick' and we went in term time.

This year we have 2 kids in school and I don't think we can risk taking them both out.

If we went in a few weeks time, term time, it would be £99 for 4 nights in a 'superior' caravan.

If we go in either the easter holidays or anytime from june onwards its nearer to £500.

I just think its unfair.

I'm not sure WHO i am saying is being unfair. The schools for having a blanket policy on no holidays (my kids never have time off, i can see them not allowing families who continually have time off for their kids) or the holiday companies who increase the prices 5 fold when school closes.

I just feel sad.

My kids don't really do much. We live in Manchester, have no car, don't have spare money very often and when we do its £1 cinema and a 2 for 1 pub lunch that we go for.

These little holidays really are the highlight of the year for them and I don't think we can do it this year.

sorry just saw you dont drive - you would need a car for place we went.

i was also recommended garreg goch caravan site in wales. on a beach and apparently very clean and nice - prices are also v cheap..even in school hols!

that sounds about right jeee.

I think if I told them I was taking them to the pyramids or something they would be more accomodating!

I think we will be 'campers' when we finally get wheels!

It could be argued that a visit to Angkor Wat is somewhat more educational than a week at Butlins.

I was told that if you take 10 days out of school this brings childrens attendance down past a certain percentage

if the school as a whole gets a lower than certain percentage (I dont know what this number is) then they cannot possibly get the highest ofsted rating - the attendance figure would rule them out immediately

Now that, I think is unreasonable! But if it is true then it is the reason behind the latest lot of cracking down.

I think it is totally unfair that as a teacher I always will and always have paid a lot for my holidays - that will last my entire career, not just the years my children are at school. I chose to do my job knowing this but it still totally pee's me off that I can never ever take advantage of the cheap holidays - especially when children in my class jet off to the carribean for 2 weeks in january.

Obviously there is a big different between families who cannot afford any holiday at all other than in term time and those who just choose to have a luxury holiday rather than a week at haven - can't say I blame anyone for taking their kids out though.

Camping for 4 nightswith electric hook-up, Easter Weekend at Ruda Bay, Croyde and with use of all the same facilities you would have if you were in a caravan has cost us £112. I think that is okay. Not sure what the weather would be like but we have a big tent

Lots of places you can get shopping delivered - we did it when we went to Yarmouth 3yrs ago. ADmittedlyI wasn't pregnant. But there were 2 x 18 month olds (plus buggies) an 8yr old and a 5yr old. And 2 of us. We did the online shop before it arrived and lugged ourselves and the children, buggies and bags on the train to Yarmouth (and then a local bus out to the park). Then the shopping arrived and I used one of the buggies to take it all back to the caravan.

We had lots of fun getting the bus from outside the park to various places for a week (and then repeated the trip on the way home)

"It could be argued that a visit to Angkor Wat is somewhat more educational than a week at Butlins."

Depends on whther they stay on the Butlins site all week or whether they go out and about...........there are educational things in England to see you know

Well OLKN, when we go, we take the kids to the beach, they learn about rock pools, the creatures in them, we visit the local farm and learn about the animals there and the food they grow etc...

just because we can't afford to go somewhere spectacular doesn't mean our holidays aren't fun and educational for the kids.

We go to Haven but we don't go to the shows at night or any of that stuff, we just use the caravan an plan nice things to do.

Its not just watching high school musucal rip offs and eating burgers for us :(

YANBU. I'd take the children out of school and sod the consequences TBH, as it wouldm't just depriving them of a holiday, it would be depriving me too.

Looking at rockpools etc in Britain can be done on a weekend, there's no need to take dc out of school.

(No, we didn't have holidays away when our DC were young either; one year and one year only, we managed 10 days camping.)

Oh can it? Are you going to pay our bus and train fares to go to the beach?

We save up to do these things once a year. We can't just head off to the beach at the week end, I would bloody love it if we could.

HOW MANY ON THIS THREAD HAVE JUST GOOGLED ANGKAR WAT?????

me pmsl

I think your name suits you very well Old Lady.

You can't assume everyone has the facilities to do the things you can easily do.

:(

I don't think OldLady intended any offence. I think she meant that you can take advantage of your local area on weekends, you don't always need to go away for longer periods of time.

There's a few beaches around Liverpool aren't there?

If you got a family and friends railcard - (which will last a year so can be used for lots of trips spread out through the year) you can get to Liverpool and back for £15 - and there's other free stuff to do in Liverpool as well

We live in the middle of Manchester, there aren't many beaches and farms!

yes I know you said in Manchester - that's why I looked up the train fare!

Actually even without rail card it's £24 return

I know how frustrating it can be - I wish I lived in a bigger place during the school holidays - there is nothing to do here ever.

Thank you, BigHairyGruffalo, that is what I meant.

It doesn't have to be the beach - we lived next to one when the dc were small, but it had no rockpools. You can go for a walk in the countryside if that's where you live, and look at the animals, wild plants and so on, or you can go to the park if you live in town. Or there are free museums and so on; there's no need to fly off to foreign parts. Indeed, my dc haven't left the UK yet, and they're both over 20 yo. DH and I haven't been abroad since our honeymoon in 1984, because we simply didn't/don't have the dosh, termtime or not.

I realise it is not much use for you (Manchester with no transport) but a way to avoid the school holiday premium is to cross the Scotland/England border. Scottish school holidays run end of June to mid August so last fortnight in August much cheaper. English school hols later so bargains to be had end of June/beginning July for families willing to go 'down south'

Things to do in Manchester with children

I do appreciate what you are saying but its just not feasable, have you tried getting a 2,4 and 6 year old up, getting the days supply together going and getting on the bus (wondering if you will need to fold the buggy because theres no room or its not a buggy friendly buggy) buying day passes at almost £10 and going to town, then getting them from the bus station to the train station where you have to pay whatever amount for the train. Getting them all on board and trying to keep them happy on the journey,

arriving, then having to get on another bus from the train destination to where ever you are going, having the same issues with the buggy again (and possibly have to re-buy another set of bus tickets if we are out of the manchester area our original tickets were valid in) , the kids are hungry by now so we have to buy food (if we pack food its more to transport and caryy which isn't practical if we need to fold buggy down)

so we finally get to whereever it is we are going (last time it was gullivers world

we spend a few hours there, the kids will want dinner too.

We can't stay late as we need to make sure we can get the buses home, so repeat everything above but backwards and this time the kids are tired and fed up.

And we probably would have spent the same amount we would get a caravan for in TERM time for 4 nights!!

I think parents need to man up en masse and tell the school and the government that its up to each family to decide when they go on holiday.
I go in term time, my children, my choice. Screw anyone telling me if or when I can go on holiday with my family!

i agree wuth totoros