Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be a bit surprised by how many school-aged children were at Center Parcs last week?

26 replies

LifeIsButtercream · 03/10/2011 13:00

Disclaimer: I know how ludicrously expensive it gets in the school holidays and I sympathise 100% with parents of school-aged children on that score (and I'm not looking forward to DD reaching school-age and having that to deal with!)

......but I wouldn't dream of taking DD out of school just for a holiday, I didn't realise it was so common - there were literally hundreds of school kids there, everywhere you looked, and all ages all the way up to teens.

Please feel free to broaden my mind on this subject!

OP posts:
Summerbird73 · 03/10/2011 13:03

I just dont get it because i cant work out how the parents can have so much annual leave in one year (that is of course presuming both parents work). Me and DH are really going to struggle for childcare in the summer holidays what with the 13 weeks they get off as it is.

You will prob get flamed here but i am with you - YANBU

StealthPolarBear · 03/10/2011 13:04

Apparently any holiday teaches children more than the equivalent time in schools. So don't worry, these children were being well educated.

Original poster
LifeIsButtercream · 03/10/2011 13:05

People can flame me if they wish but I'm not trying to be judgy, just curious!

I hadn't thought about the annual leave element and that's a good point!

OP posts:
ApocalypseCheeseToastie · 03/10/2011 13:06

Meh, better than no holiday at all.

ShowOfHands · 03/10/2011 13:06

DD has just started in reception and I was chatting to the headteacher about this last week. We had resigned ourselves to the fact that we won't ever afford holidays now dd is in school and the head said that he doesn't disagree with the 2 weeks of authorised absence provided the child has very good attendance and it's done in a transparent way. He suggested that perhaps at 4 years old and in non-compulsory education for this year, it might do dd good to have a holiday in term time if it's the only option.

I might do it this year tbh but once she's out of eyfs, I don't think I would.

My MIL always took dh and his siblings out for term time holidays because (her words) they're her children, she is entitled to enrich their lives as a family a few days out of the year without being fleeced for it. She said her one rule was that they all had to have exemplary attendance.

rshipstuff · 03/10/2011 13:07

my parents ALWAYS took us on holiday in September because it was much cheaper and the weather was usually good. [Insert obligatory 'didn't do us any harm' comment here'.] Centerparcs prices vary about 400% from peak to off-peak AIR, no surprise at all, can't get too pious about this myself. Centerparcs holidays are usually only 3 days anyway, no?

worraliberty · 03/10/2011 13:09

I don't understand people who do it for financial reasons

If you can't afford a holiday out of term time, why not pick a cheaper one or simply spend longer saving up for it?

TheBolter · 03/10/2011 13:10

Ah well, I know someone who regularly takes her children out of school. This year she's doing it for the whole of the January - Easter term!

Her four children are are privately educated though - different rules when money's involved!

loveglove · 03/10/2011 13:15

No one NEEDS a holiday. Hmm

ApocalypseCheeseToastie · 03/10/2011 13:16

We always used to take he kids away in the holidays but simply can't afford it these days, this year we took them away the week before they broke up for the summer so no real disruption but saved me £400 and we're going to york in November to do the dungeons etc.

We could hae goneto York in the hols but because of their autism they simply can't cope with huge crowds these days so we're going when it's quiet.

School are fine with it, just said to take plenty of photos !

Riveninabingle · 03/10/2011 13:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

fivegomadindorset · 03/10/2011 13:18

We work every holiday, can't afford not to, so we will take DC's out of school in June.

itisnearlysummer · 03/10/2011 13:40

Slight aside.... ApocalypseCheeseToastie You'll have a great time! The York Dungeons are fantastic. Make sure you don't pay full price to get in though, there are loads of offers.

AnotherJaffaCake · 03/10/2011 13:50

Precisely, Riven. There's enough home edders out there. Perhaps it was a home ed group holiday? We home educate at the moment, but DD is going to be going back to school soon, and I'm already wondering how we're going to be able to afford even a week away somewhere during the school holidays.

ThisIsExtremelyVeryNotGood · 03/10/2011 13:53

Which CP were you at? It was the Glasgow holiday weekend last week (and Edinburgh's the week before), so if you were at the Cumbria one then that might have had some bearing, people taking advantage of a shorter school week. We're doing the same in May, there's one week where the kids are off Mon/Tues, so they're only missing 3 days if we got that week rather than 5 iyswim.

ApocalypseCheeseToastie · 03/10/2011 13:55

I think people should choose their time carefully and just go for it.

The way things are going holidays will only be for the rich, everybugger enjoys a break from time to time.

Kladdkaka · 03/10/2011 13:57

When we were on holiday in Wales at the end of June/beginning of July a couple of years ago, some interferring old bat actually had the cheek to tell us off, that our daughter should be in school and that we were selfish parents. I thought it was really funny, especially when I told her we were from Sweden and her school broke up the first week in June. She wouldn't have it, the mad cow told us that we were in the UK now and the schools haven't broken up yet so she should be in school, end of. :o

Broodymomma · 03/10/2011 13:58

Those that were not at cp with you were in Ibiza with me! Loads of school age kids there last week I noticed.

Vallhala · 03/10/2011 13:59

You've explained the reason in your opening sentences - that it is too costly for many to holiday in the school breaks.

Riven has a point about Home Eders, who are more numerous by far than official records suggest and as for annual leave entitlement, well, we don't all work for employers y'know! Many of us can make our own rules on taking holiday without asking the boss because we are the boss!

Lastly, bloody good luck to those parents you saw. I won't be at CP but my daughter will be taking a break in term-time fairly soon. See you around!

Honeydragon · 03/10/2011 14:01

We took ds out to go to CP, we thought it would be double the price and had budgeted, however because we wanted limited accommodation...ie disabled it actually quadrupled. Ended up taking ds out for 4 days when he was 6 the school were fine.

Melissad · 03/10/2011 14:19

I never understand why people get so hot under the collar about this subject.
I have and will continue to take my daughters out of school during term time for holidays. I've never done it for more than a week and never during an important time (like SATS, the run up to them etc..)- what is so very special about school that missing it for a few days or a week will hinder their educational outlook? I just don't get it. Children at our school are regularly off with all manner of bugs, viruses and colds. My girls are rarely off. So I have no hesitation in taking them out for holidays and don't care what anyone thinks of of me for doing it either!

Last summer we took them out for 4 days because after searching exhaustively for days to get cheap flights to the USA (to visit family over there) the difference in cost flying back after they returned to school was about £600! That's a huge amount of money. So I took them out. No brainer.

SoylentClean · 03/10/2011 14:20

I don't understand why you are surprised really. Its the only way some families can manage a holiday sometimes.

My DN are having a week off school, the last week before Christmas, because my DB and DSiL have been saving for a holiday to visit family abroad for about 3 years. Every time they nearly have enough something big happens like the car breaks down and they are back to square one.

They have now decided that the DNs childhoods are flying by and if they are ever going to take them on holiday it will have to be in term time because otherwise it will just never happen.

My DDs are not school age yet, but I bet I'll end up taking them out of school for holidays abroad just so that they can have a relationship with the family abroad. They only way we can afford to travel there now is in the cheapest low season weeks of the year and I can't see that changing in the next few years.

So for us, it will either be term time holidays or no holidays which would be a shame and would really be to the detriment of family relationships. Granted though, I suppose it is a different situation to a week in CentreParcs.

hairypotter · 03/10/2011 14:24

Loads of british school age children in Orlando last week. 4 were my dd's dniece and dnephew. My work has too many staff that need school holidays so not everyone can have time off. This year I drew the short straw.

My dd's have 98% attendance record and are doing well at school. Headteacher was fine with it. It won't happen again for a few years but if the need arises, I will do it again as long as no exams looming for either dd.

learningtofly · 03/10/2011 14:46

There are some employers who dictate when you can and can't take holidays.

My bil is given his dates for his leave at the beginning of the year (apart from the odd days) and that's that. If he doesn't take it, he loses it. End of.

mumeeee · 03/10/2011 14:47

We used to take the children out of primary school for holidays and it was fine. In fact they even had a couple of days when the oldest was 14 but that was at the end of half term. The schools didn't have a problem with it as long as it was requested properly. You actually are still allowed to take your children out of school for 10 days. That is 2 school weeks. But I know schools make it more difficult now and I wouldn't take children out once they have started their GCSE courses.