I have refused to go on a course on DS's birthday

[MamaGrr]

Work want me to go on a course in London on DS's 3rd birthday - 9.00am until 5.30pm and I live in Cumbria!

I have refused to go.

I don't actually think I'm being unreasonable, although my boss did a face but I really wnated to post a thread in this subject

I don't blame you at all MamaGrr, good for you!!!!

I don't work on birthdays - ever, never have never will.

My children come before anything at all. I work to support them and be there for them this is something i feel very strongly about, I also like my family to make an effort to be around for birthdays if they can't make it then that's fine i don't throw a hissy fit but if they can arrange to be around i prefer it

Now i am self employed i actually don't even get paid to take these days off but i still do it I love not rushing them opening thier presents being able to have a leisurely morning, then going out for the day/ having a party with the people close to me. I like going to the effort of making their birthday special. Everyday i try to give them good childhood memories and this is part of that.

This year i have already planned dd1's birthday which is in august and we are ging away on holiday and on her actual birthday we are going to an alice in wonderland adventure place, she's already talking about ti

"My children come before anything at all. I work to support them and be there for them this is something i feel very strongly about"

think that goes for all of us,lmg

Of course it does PD, i wasn't saying people who work on their children's birthday don't put their kid's first. Just that for me being there and making a big fuss on my kid's birthdays is a big part of putting my kid's first the same way as feeding and clothing them iyswim.

BTW

this is something i feel very strongly about"

I should have put a commer in before this bit, because it hasnt sounded how i meant it to sound, when i said THIS i mean being there for birthday's is something i feel very strongly about.

I couldn't not see my son at all on his birthday, especially for a course I wasn't excited about and didn't want to do, which was miles away. I know plenty of male bosses who wouldn't have a problem escaping jelly and screaming party kids duty as well though.

You could have told a white lie and said you are having a minor medical prodecure and have waited months for the appointment and feel it would be unwise to miss it.

It depends how friendly you are with boss whether you can carry this off but, particularly if he is male, inferring that it is some 'women's' problem will probably get him scuttling away and agreeable to your day off.

No doubt more acceptable in boss's eyes than day off for DS bday.

This thread is 5 years old! FFS

Oh ffs - this kid is now eight and probably has no idea what happened on his third birthday - I think the advice is probably a little late Angeleena.

We celebrated son's birthday at the weekend. On his actual birthday I left the house before he got up and didn't get home until 7.30pm.

I don't have the option of taking their birthdays as holiday.

Son 2 I don't have to though, as his is August. I should have considered this when planning pregnancies - note to teachers there, aim for the holidays!

When I had a "proper job" I used to take my birthday off. I don't like working on my birthday.

Oh sorry, didn't realise this was another old thread before I posted. Second one that's got me today.

Are the zombies taking over?

I was asked to go to Switzerland on dd's 3rd birthday, to a very high profile event that I couldn't duck out of. The solution? I took DH & DD with me. :)

Oh fuck, that'll teach me to read the whole thread before posting!

Couldn't you fly? I know Cumbria isn't that well served with airports but Manchester and Newcastle both have flights to London that take less than an hour, then another hour max to central London. And if they were going to put you up overnight it would probably cost the same.

Sash- its an old thread.
Plus it's 2-3 hours to Manchester/Newcastle from Cumbria so not that much difference time wise

Said child is 8 now.

ZOMBIE

THREAD

Fucking
zombie
thread

Why angeleena? Why?

I'm glad it got dug up. Gave me chance to enjoy the posts on the first page admonishing OP for not having mentioned the overnight earlier. As if it would make any difference- if you live in Cumbria and have a course in London, you're not seeing your child that day unless they come with you!

How on earth do these ancient threads get resurrected?

If your child is very small, why not just tell them that another day is their birthday? How would they know?

Obviously everyone wants to spend a child's birthday at home, but for crying out loud, how can you claim parity in the workforce when you refuse to do something because it's your child's birthday?

Arrgh just noticed the dates - the child will be at university now!

How weird. I must have unknowingly clicked on page 293 or something to find this- thought I was just scrolling through the last two days!

She literally said she lives in Cumbria and the course is in London - did you imagine she was going to teleport there?! 😂

@Blu the op is being asked to attend a course a long way from her home. It "stops", as you put it when work interferes with family life. She's being asked to go the night before, her own time, and return late the next evening, again in her own time.

She isn't saying she doesn't want to do her normal working day. She does say she's part time. It's unclear how senior she is, but unless she's on the leadership team, she shouldn't be required to prioritise work over her children in her own time.

She won't get that time back with her child. Work care nothing for employees. Family comes first every time.

Great attitude. Happy to pretend to be
Why not try self-employment. That way you can take birthdays off.