Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To take our kids on hol in term-time

461 replies

zozzle · 25/05/2012 09:49

We are taking our kids out of primary school to go abroad in term-time (end of June) and have been surprised at the slightly shocked/negative reactions I have had from other friends (mums in the playground). DCs are 4 (Reception) and 8 (yr 3).

My friends seem to tow the line more than me though, and admit they don't like breaking the rules. Breaking the rules has never bothered me though if I think the rules are unreasonable!

It will be the first time we will have been abroad as a family since DC were born and it's also partly to celebrate my 40th. We have holiday'd in the Uk for the last 8 years and fancied a change this year.

We can't afford to go abroad in the school holidays and the possible £100 fine we will incur from taking the kids out of school (although DC 2 is only 4 and doesn't legally have to be in school yet - so fine will prob only be applied to DC1) will still make the hol much cheaper than going in the school holidays.

Won't the hol be an educational experience in itself for the DCs? Wouldn't do it in SATs years or exam years. It is a v. middle class school with quietly pushy parents.

I just don't get what the big deal is!

OP posts:
fuckarama · 25/05/2012 10:10

Well then you should maybe look for a different way of educating your children, if you're not prepared to abide by the rules of the school system.

RunOrRioja · 25/05/2012 10:12

Where are you going?

startail · 25/05/2012 10:12

The parents at our primary do it all the time.

SoupDragon · 25/05/2012 10:13

Totally, totally, totally disagree that holidays have no educational value!!! What about learning about the culture of the country!!

LOLOL.

Just LOLOL.

Learning about the culture of the country? In a week? I assume you will be spending every day immersed in local villages or visiting museums and local historic spots?

bogeyface · 25/05/2012 10:13

Good luck with motivating them to go to school when they're 15

That is hilarious! So a week out of school at the age of 8 and now they wont attend when they are 15?!

Tough. School, in year 3, isn't an option

For years I have had no choice but to holiday in term time as DH wasnt allowed to take holiday in school holidays as he works in the leisure industry himself. Thankfully this is one of the reasons the LEA allows time off for holidays, we just had to show them his contract and it is approved.
Should it have been tough for us too? And my children should have just gone without? Gone without seeing the Bayeau Tapestry, Normandy Landing beaches, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower? Gone without speaking french in France and learning more in 2 weeks than in a year in the classroom?

OP, YANBU but you made a mistake posting here as you will always get roasted by those that will matyr themselves to their children education. For years I have had no choice but to holiday in term time as DH wasnt allowed to take holiday in school holidays as he works in the leisure industry himself. Thankfully this is one of the reasons the LEA allows time off for holidays, we just had to show them his contract and it is approved.

elizaregina · 25/05/2012 10:14

jollymollie

Yes I know there are nice places in England but bad weather can ruin an English holiday.

not just the weather but also the appalling attitude of many businesses in our tourist areas, nasty horrid " family" rooms in cosy pubs, treated like you have a massive C for criminal because you have one very well behaved child in tow!

i went to devon this year - next year italy or spain!!!

SecretSquirrels · 25/05/2012 10:14

You won't get much support on here.
I say make the most of doing it while they are at primary school. They won't miss much at the end of June because in my experience teachers start winding down for the summer way before then. Four year olds don't even legally have to go to school.
I took mine out every year at primary but from Year 7 onwards it's been school holidays only.

ComposHat · 25/05/2012 10:15

A foreign holiday isn't an essential or a legal right.

An education is.

Either scale back your holiday plans and book for half term/ summer holiday or go without.

Please don't blame the holiday company either, its called supply and demand. That's the way capitalism works. If you can't afford it, no one is making you go, it isn't one of life's essentials like bread or shoes.

bogeyface · 25/05/2012 10:15

I assume you will be spending every day immersed in local villages or visiting museums and local historic spots?

Why is that so hard to believe? We hate beach holidays so that is exactly what we do when we are away. Not everyone is a "brain by the back door, veg out by the pool" person. Some of us like to actually see and learn about the place we are in!

fuckarama · 25/05/2012 10:15

I believe it sets a pattern. Taking them out of school for holidays sends a message that school is optional.

Could your DH not have taken time off at half term? In February? October? Easter?

Many many children go without going to France. It won't kill them.

Olympia2012 · 25/05/2012 10:17

The LEA have to PAY to provide each child an education..... Do you blame them for being pissed off when families bugger off willy milky under the pretence if ' teaching them another culture' or any other flimsy reason!

Olympia2012 · 25/05/2012 10:17

*willy nilly

CharminglyOdd · 25/05/2012 10:19

YANBU. My parents took me out of school (very infrequently) when I was a child. Sometimes they took my schoolbooks with them (we did mostly paper workbooks at primary for the core three maths/English/science so easy to bring) and sometimes not. Regardless, if it's not a week where you're on a holiday resort the whole time and you'll actually be visiting places of cultural interest and encouraging your older child to pick up some phrases of the local language then I don't see how it isn't educational. Even on 'booze cruise' trips to Calais my parents made me and DSis ask for cheese/whatever in French and all sorts of weird and wonderful facts that I used to augment my studies were picked up on family holidays. Pre-Euro there were also currency conversions to do in shops etc.

Why doesn't your eldest do a diary with pictures whilst away, highlighting all the things you see? Even if the school won't let them do a little presentation on it (that's what we did in my primary, admittedly several years ago!) then it'll be a way of keeping wonderful memories for them.

trixymalixy · 25/05/2012 10:21

Eliza, that poster was taking her child out of school because it was the gran's birthday, NOT because the gran was ill!! The gran had been ill weeks previously (funny how the poster wasn't "nice" enough to visit then but hey ho), and she was just adding that to justify it to herself. It was TOTALLY lame.

Olympia2012 · 25/05/2012 10:21

'' a little presentation'' !!

Dear god! Yeah, great example to set! Hmm

bogeyface · 25/05/2012 10:21

No, because it is school holidays, his busiest time. We go away either in June, early July (no later than 20th ish) or after 5thish September. We have no choice.

Actually we dont go away at the moment as we cant afford it but if we could then I would go and not worry about it.

Vagaceratops · 25/05/2012 10:22

What fuckarama said.

School isnt optional, and holidays are not a right.

Shanghaidiva · 25/05/2012 10:23

Why not go somewhere where the school kids are on a different holiday schedule to the UK?
We went to the Netherlands at end of August in 2008 and it was pretty reasonable as children there had already gone back to school. Think it was over 1000 euros cheaper that July prices.

Your decision but YABU to think that everyone will agree with you.

Personally I take my kids out of school every year for at least 2 weeks, but it's a private international school. However, I do feel it is my responsibility to ensure they complete work set in their absence.

Annunziata · 25/05/2012 10:23

YABU. I agree it sets a bad example to children.

bogeyface · 25/05/2012 10:23

Whats wrong with that Olympia? Mine made a scrapbook that the HM was so impressed with, she showed the whole school in assembly! She said it was a GOOD example, because it showed what you can see and learn on holiday instead of just playing by the pool all day.

They still have it and love looking back on it :)

WorraLiberty · 25/05/2012 10:24

Please don't blame the holiday company either, its called supply and demand. That's the way capitalism works. If you can't afford it, no one is making you go, it isn't one of life's essentials like bread or shoes

Exactly...and if you can't afford to go away in the school holidays, it's best to either spend longer saving or choose a cheaper holiday.

Either way, parents who make a habit of this sort of thing or hold the view that 'It's only Primary School'...generally blame the school when their child falls behind.

mumoftwolilboys · 25/05/2012 10:24

Really???! a couple of weeks or so of taking the children out of school throughout their primary school years - and their primary school education is 'ruined' (is the impression I'm getting from a few responses)? Assumming op isn't going to do that every single year/term. Most countries the children don't even go to school till 7, and the 2-3 years are normally really easy going years.

I don't have children in school yet, so could be speaking out of place here, but why don't you see if you can liaise with other mums you're close with and get a few homework/work they've done at school so you can catch up? I always used to help a few of my friends who were off sick/on holiday, I got all the notes and homework for them and they did the same for me. Although unfortunately for me, it was always sickness for me never holiday - mum a teacher so I was never off during term time. :)

bogeyface · 25/05/2012 10:25

I take my kids out of school every year for at least 2 weeks, but it's a private international school

Curious as to why it being a private international school makes a difference?

MamaD1 · 25/05/2012 10:25

Why are people so judgemental? The OP was just asking for views, no need for branding the educational value of learning about another culture 'lame'. To each their own.. we have to understand that we are not all the same and same rules cannot apply to us all..

mumoftwolilboys · 25/05/2012 10:26

argh.. typo! No excuse as not even using iphone or any of those expensive tablet thingies!!