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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To take our kids on a 3 week holidays in term time?

152 replies

pinkdinosaur · 20/12/2016 21:35

Evening all

We have Totally messed up and booked our holiday of a life time in term time!!

We have just found out the october holidays have moved next year and instead of the kids missing 2 weeks of school which we checked was ok with the council education dept (we will be fined) now the third week we have booked is not in the holidays as we thought!!

Panic

So wwyd?? Take them out (all at primary) and sod it its our american holiday of a life time and vow renewal!! Or change the dates?? Costing 3k more!!

Has anyone taken there children out of school for that Long???

OP posts:
ProudBadMum · 20/12/2016 21:39

So they will miss out on all of October?

How is their attendance and what ages?

ENormaSnob · 20/12/2016 21:39

Holiday of a lifetime and you didnt double/triple check the correct school dates?

Yabu

Squashberry · 20/12/2016 21:39

Its only an extra week. Maybe contact the education department and see what they say, maybe you'd have to pay more. If you're worried about them missing out on education take some learning activity books or ask the teacher what they'll be learning about and do some in the evening, teacher should give you some websites you can do printouts from.

teacher54321 · 20/12/2016 21:41

That's a lot of school to miss, assuming that there's also half term then as well... I think that's too long tbh and they will miss LOADS of school work in that time.

teacher54321 · 20/12/2016 21:43

ask the teacher what they'll be learning about and do some in the evening, teacher should give you some websites you can do printouts from.

Because teachers don't have enough to do already... Hmm

Lilaclily · 20/12/2016 21:43

Depends what ages

rollonthesummer · 20/12/2016 21:44

When did you think the half term was?!

Original poster
pinkdinosaur · 20/12/2016 21:44

I checked the dates at the time of booking in september of this year and they listed the holidays as they where this year these have now been confirmed and changed

The kids will be 6, 8 and 10 when we go

I honestly thought we had done right by checking with everyone now its all a messed!

OP posts:
MaryPoppinsPenguins · 20/12/2016 21:45

I know it's not a popular opinion but I would do it.

Ditsyprint40 · 20/12/2016 21:46

You won't have to pay more. But they will miss a LOT of school.

WhoKn0wsWhereTheMistletoes · 20/12/2016 21:47

What school years will they be in?

Original poster
pinkdinosaur · 20/12/2016 21:47

We travel on the 7th october till the 28th october

We believed the half term would be around the 20th october but this has changed to them breaking up on the 26th now a week later

OP posts:
Original poster
pinkdinosaur · 20/12/2016 21:48

Year 2, 4 and 6

OP posts:
clumsyduck · 20/12/2016 21:49

I would , it's kind of to late now unless you can afford to change the dates and fork out the extra 3k

BackforGood · 20/12/2016 21:49

I think that is an awful lot of school to be missing - particularly without any reason other than fancying a holiday.

Eebahgum · 20/12/2016 21:49

That's a huge chunk of time to be out of school for but it's done now and it doesn't sound like there's much you can do about it. Please don't ask the teacher to provide work for your children to do. Might be worth asking what they'll be missing and seeing if you can do any of it with them though.

BreakfastAtSquiffanys · 20/12/2016 21:50

Frankly missing 2 weeks of school is a bit excessive

WhoKn0wsWhereTheMistletoes · 20/12/2016 21:51

So two of them are going to be in their SATS years. That's not going to go down well with the school, but I guess you are going to have to go through with it.

teacher54321 · 20/12/2016 21:51

are there extenuating circs which mean that this trip can't happen at any other time? (Not financial)

GloGirl · 20/12/2016 21:51

It's a massive chunk of school but you were happy to miss 2 so really what's the extra week?

I'd save the £3k in fees and maybe pay for a tutor for half term for a day or two and have a mini classroom with your kids catching up for a bit.

Original poster
pinkdinosaur · 20/12/2016 21:52

I would never put on the teachers or school for extra working as this was our choice

Looking now at earlier dates going in august and just having the first week out of school means a grand more but less time out of school

This was our one in a lifetime holiday now its a big mess and i feel bloody awful!!

OP posts:
DropZoneOne · 20/12/2016 21:52

Friends of mine took theirs out for 3 weeks when the eldest was in reception (visit back to home country, longhaul), and then for 2 weeks when eldest was Y3 and middle child was Y1.

Year 6 would concern me a bit more than the younger ages.

TheQueenOfItAll · 20/12/2016 21:54

I wouldn't, I remember being taken out of school for a similar amount of time when I was at school.

Friendship groups changed, I missed playground stories and trends and not to mention the amount of catching up I had to do in classes.

I your children struggle in a subject, three weeks (especially in SAT years) make quite a difference.

teacher54321 · 20/12/2016 21:54

I would change it then and let them miss the first week of term. That's often more disrupted anyway.

Crunchymum · 20/12/2016 21:57

Is the holiday of a lifetime for them or you OP? Answer that honestly and make your decision for there.

I personally think it's just too much time off (and I'm surprised the school agreed to 2 weeks to begin with!!)