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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

wibu to keep my 9 year old off school after late home?

120 replies

FarterChristmoose · 14/01/2016 11:41

Hi my 9 year old son went on a school trip on Wednesday, they were supposed to be home at 5PM but they got stuck in a motorway crash and didn't get back to school until 10.45. My husband then drove 2 of his friends home to save their single mums having to come out so late with younger children. DS eventually got to bed at midnight and was up at 7 for school. He usually goes to sleep at so lost 4 hours sleep. He was so tired, lots of tears so I kept him off and he went back to sleep until 9am then rested all day.

At school today his teacher took me to one side and said she was disappointed he didn't go school and everybody else did.

Wibu to have kept him off? Hes still very tired today!

OP posts:
Sirzy · 14/01/2016 11:52

Yes ywbu, the fact that everyone else had managed to get in surely highlights that?

The teacher will have been expecting tired children!

Agrestic · 14/01/2016 11:53

Yabu.

FarterChristmoose · 14/01/2016 11:53

School trip was Tuesday not Wednesday. Lost track of the days!

OP posts:
thelouise · 14/01/2016 11:53

Yep sorry YABU.

trixymalixy · 14/01/2016 11:54

Yes, YABU. not a good enough reason to keep him of school.

FarterChristmoose · 14/01/2016 11:54

*Usually goes sleep at 8

OP posts:
insan1tyscartching · 14/01/2016 11:54

Well I wouldn't say you were being unreasonable but I think he should have gone to school. It's expected at dd's school that the dc attend even if they got back late from a trip the day previously. He was up at seven so would have jollied him along and sent him to bed early for a couple of nights to catch up. You could even have taken him at 9am and he'd only have been half an hour late. Because his friends attended his absence seems worse I think.

RoganJosh · 14/01/2016 11:56

I would have let him sleep in, but I don't think lack of sleep is helped by resting at home. I'd have sent him in as soon as you could get him ready.

teeththief · 14/01/2016 11:57

I would have let him sleep until 9 and then taken him in. No need for the whole day off. The fact that all his classmates managed to make it in kind of proves YABU I'm afraid

redexpat · 14/01/2016 11:58

Could you not have sent him back in at lunchtime?

Katenka · 14/01/2016 11:59

Possibly took him in a bit late. But not the whole day off.

I think ywbu.

Surely he has had other Kate nights before.

YouMakeMyDreams · 14/01/2016 12:02

I think as a one off late night I'd have sent him in. Ds1 is an early bedder always has been but I would have jollied him along. I may have let him sleep in a bit but if he'd woke up at 9 I would have got him dressed and taken him in.

ButterflyUpSoHigh · 14/01/2016 12:02

YWBU you should have took him in.

lexlees · 14/01/2016 12:03

Of course YABU. It would have been reasonable to let him sleep in and get him to school by 9.30.

The same thing happened to DS last year - they were due to arrive back at 6pm and they didn't arrive until 10.30pm. He didn't sleep until 11.30.

The teachers all said that they could come a little later if they wanted to.

We decided to let him sleep in and he didn't wake up until 8.45 - but he was in school by 9.15. Half the kids were already there and the rest came in by about 9.45.

Not one child missed school.

G1veMeStrength · 14/01/2016 12:03

I'd have sent him in because its good to debrief with the other people involved in an 'adventure' - they'd all be knackered together and talking about the incident. I hope he is ok and was 'just' in a traffic jam rather than involved in anything traumatic iyswim.

ThatsHowYouGetAnts · 14/01/2016 12:04

When this happened at our school (late back from trip etc) they told us all to let the DC sleep in and come in late in the morning. This is the sensible approach IMO. A whole day off not really necessary. I took DD in before lunch.

x2boys · 14/01/2016 12:04

My ds2 has asd and learning disabilities last yr he went through a terrible time sleeping he would often wake for several hours every night but I never kept him off he still has the odd bad night he just goes to bed early the next night so I think yabu.

IHopeYouStepOnALegoPiece · 14/01/2016 12:08

Why did you not just send him in mid morning?!

catkind · 14/01/2016 12:11

Different kids react differently to lack of sleep. Mine would have been fine, but if you judged yours wasn't then I think fair enough to take in after lunch. All day seems excessive.
I'd just shrug off the teacher's opinion though. Different children cope differently. Obviously the teacher can't condone taking a day off. If I strongly felt mine needed a day for whatever reason I'd keep them home anyway and pay a fine if it came to it. Which is very unlikely unless your record is more generally bad. (They'd learn a heck of a lot more at home too.)

VeryBitchyRestingFace · 14/01/2016 12:12

Why did he need to rest all day if he'd slept midnight-nine? (with a brief wake up at 7) Confused

Id have taken him in for 10.

Lucyccfc · 14/01/2016 12:13

Sorry, ywbu.

You could have un-wrapped his cotton wool and sent him in for 9.30. My DS (at the same age) was back at a similar time on a Sunday night from a very full on 3 day residential. Most of his class had a lie-in, but were all in school by 9.30.

thecitydoc · 14/01/2016 12:13

of course you were being unreasonable - it seems to me that these days some parents use the slightest excuse to keep children off school. They are of course supported by officialdom which closes down schools at the least sign of poor weather - a few snow flakes, and bit of ice in the playground. In my day - never thought I'd be old enough to harp on like that - you went school every day. If 3 foot of snow you put your wellies on, if ice in the playground you made long slides and ejoyed them, if no heating you wore your hat and coat in class. Happy days.

Janeymoo50 · 14/01/2016 12:15

A bit later maybe but not the whole day, It's a bit ott.

Witchend · 14/01/2016 12:17

Taken him in once he'd woken at 9-fine. All day... don't be silly.

Jw35 · 14/01/2016 12:17

Why didn't you just call in sick? Blush