day off school for family day out

[ghostspirit]

would you let your children have a day of school for a day out?

Posting on Mumsnet won't change what anyone does. And I'm quite chilled, thanks - the OP asked for opinions and this is my opinion.

For me, the behaviour is like me sitting in a queue of traffic when someone decides to save time by driving past me up a bus lane. We could all save time by driving up the bus lane but if everyone does it, it defeats the purpose - it only saves someone time because everyone else is obeying the rules. You're taking advantage of my good nature.

Singling yourself out for special treatment at the expense of others is selfish and not a great lesson to teach your kids.

But is isn't at the expense of others, that is the point. If I take my children to say Alton Towers instead of school, that makes no difference to you whatsoever. So what is selfish?
It's oddly self absorbed of you to imagine my day out has anything to do with you.

You are relying on me and thousands of other people to play by the rules so you can enjoy Alton Towers while it's quieter.

Oh please. You might as well say I'm relying on people not being able to afford to go, or pensioners not liking big rollercoasters.
Do you always make everything about yourself? Maybe you need a nice day out to relax and get over yourself? Somewhere quiet.....

Bad analogy, because those things are consistent across the year. Holiday costs and theme park attendance are obviously affected by school holidays.

But everyone could actually take their kid out of school for one day in the school year and it would still be quiet in the theme parks/ tourist areas, as it would be extremely unlikely that everyone would choose the same day or the same activity.

I have taken dc out of school for trips to see family in Australia and occasionally have picked them up an hour early on a Friday when we have been going away, but I think a whole day for Chessington is odd.

Also - if my 7 yo dd was missing a school trip she would be v annoyed and your ds will definitely realise he is missing it.

The whole "my kid my rules" makes me laugh. You are setting them up well for life with that kind of attitude!

Just mind your own business and your own kids, EastMids, and keep your beak out of what others do. If you want to seethe at home blindly following every rule just because someone told you to, do it quietly. It's dreary.

• NickiFury Sat 27-Jun-15 12:57:41

totally agree.

But you have to remember rules make some people feel secure, they need them and it rocks their world when they deem people to be breaking certain rules ( that dont affect anyone else) it upsets them.

Roses, possibly the most patronising post on the thread, well done!

Just mind your own business and your own kids, EastMids, and keep your beak out of what others do.

It's a discussion on Mumsnet, where the OP asked for opinions. I'm not standing at the entrance of Alton Towers with a banner!

Agree Roses.

Also this idea that it's "selfish" to do this ? How exactly?

In the way that I explained above.

You didn't explain. You gave an opinion that makes absolutely no sense. In short, if I choose to do something differently to YOU, I am selfish?

Ridiculous.

i think it was very unselfish of me. that will be 4 less people queing up during the summer. also i spent hours walking round a theme park with a pram. so my children can go on rides i think its pretty nice of me.

In short, if I choose to do something differently to YOU, I am selfish?

No, if the marginal benefit to you is dependent on me and everyone else following the rules (i.e. because a theme park is less empty or a holiday is cheaper), then you are gaming the system and taking advantage of my good nature. If, on the other hand, you are taking your child out of school to play in the garden or go to a family wedding, do what you want.

You gave an opinion that makes absolutely no sense.

Just because you don't understand it, doesn't mean it makes no sense. Google "game theory", if you're genuinely interested.

But the benefit isn't dependent on everyone else following rules. Every kid could have a day off school in the year and still the theme parks and tourist attractions will still be quiet because we can all choose different places on different days.

And then someone games the system by having two days off. The principle is the same.

Iggi999 Sat 27-Jun-15 16:00:58

Thank you Iggi. It may be patronising but its also very true.

I'm sorry I can't take you seriously at all.

Follow the rules if you wish and I will not take it personally. I will not for example cite your sheep like behaviour as contributing to higher holiday prices and inconvenient tourist crowding at events and locations I would like to attend but have to avoid because they're just miserable at certain times. For myself and my family I will weigh up the risks, e.g fines, negativity from professionals and others MNetters and/or possible involvement with EWO, that are attached to me choosing to remove my children during term time and act accordingly, knowing that they will have no impact on you whatsoever.

You lose nothing by my making the choices I do and it's just silly to suggest otherwise.

I think you're stretching it a bit there. And as the OP points out, if she goes now, it's that bit quieter for everyone else if they want to go in the summer, so swings and roundabouts really.

Don't like my chn missing school coz I worry they'll miss out on something, anything! That one important comment or moment they'll remember for always. I think it's coz I have a few very clear 'moments' that I recall from school that changed my thinking or behaviour. They don't happen everyday but I always think about them when considering whether I would take my child out of school. And so we've never taken them out for anything other than illness. We make medical appts in the holidays or after school too.

But I'm a primary school teacher so couldn't take time off anyway! For what it's worth, at my school we try to keep normal lessons / routine right up to the final day otherwise the chn go a bit mental! However, these weeks are of course peppered with all the fun end of year things - sports day, performances, house parties, discos - but these are the things school memories are made of and are the last things I'd want my children to miss.

If I wasn't worried about the 'missing out' aspect (and wasn't a teacher so in work anyway!) then I'd be tempted to take them out if needed. I wouldn't be worried at all about the impact on their academic achievement, for example.

You lose nothing by my making the choices I do and it's just silly to suggest otherwise.

It's not silly - it's maths. And I've pointed you in the direction of where you can find out more about it, should you want to.

Well if we are talking maths, this may be the time to point out that I home educate one of my children with significant special needs because my local authority are unable to provide him with a school place and have in effect washed their hands of him. I save my local authority around £50k a year by doing this, not to mention the extra child that gets a school place.

It all balances out in the end.

Sorry but the tv - video- wind down in many schools is NOT a myth ! As a teacher I can tell you that ! ( not that I ever did this until the last day). I would / have taken my children out for various activities and events. It's a day! They could be ill for two weeks. Often the day is very educational and they have gained a lit from it .