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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Unaceptable taking a "snow day" when schools are open

409 replies

Creambun2 · 28/02/2018 11:28

It really annoys me that the vast majority of schools are open in my area, yet many, many children have been taken out of school by parents "to enjoy the snow". Talk about lack of respect for the staff and other pupils who bother to turn up. We only have a couple of cm of snow!

OP posts:
Karatema · 28/02/2018 15:24

I bet the HT don't fine the parents who think it's acceptable to be taking a "holiday" in term time when the school is open!

lils888 · 28/02/2018 15:25

Earlier in the year I gave my son the day off over fears of ice, not snow. That morning a car went around the roundabout and crashed into a building on the path he walks down. Ours was the only school open and closed at 11 as it was too dangerous out there.

I wasn't in a position to take him and just didn't feel comfortable, he's a very distracted kid, prone to silliness too. I've been walking him in with this snow so he won't miss a day. I don't agree with it for fun, but I would do for safety concerns if the school won't.

Kangar00 · 28/02/2018 15:26

I hate that parents are penalised if they want to spend time with their children during school hours. It's so wrong. If parents want to take their children to enjoy the snow then we should be delighted. I say this as a teacher and parent. Our school was open today with skeleton staff to provide emergency childcare (no teaching) and I was astonished that one of the children in school had parents working at home and the child is only 4!

Only 5/500 children were in school.

Iamagreyhoundhearmeroar · 28/02/2018 15:32

It's 3.30pm. The snow is still there... Did anyone think it wouldn't be, hence the sudden desire to "spend time with your children during school hours"?!

nonfatnofoamlatte · 28/02/2018 15:33

In Canada, they leave the schools open but declare certain days "no transportation" days, attendance isn't required, and no new material is presented. The children who come to school that day review, play games, and go outside to play in the snow.
Again, different rules for different areas. Where I am in Canada, we only get one or two snow days so the schools would probably be closed because everyone loses their minds and suddenly can't drive.
In the olden days, when I was a school girl, we never had snow days. I lived in an area that had a LOT of snow during winter so we had many chances to go out and toboggan down the hills after school or on weekends. If we had a snow day back then, I'd probably have stayed in and read a book Grin

PlanNumber · 28/02/2018 15:35

TBF Iamgrey, the snow in this part of the country very rarely lasts beyond lunchtime.

Iamagreyhoundhearmeroar · 28/02/2018 15:36

And Kangar, I simply don't believe that your school opened today for the sole purpose of providing emergency childcare Grin

hotcrossbunsandtea · 28/02/2018 15:37

Although I don't think it's as rare as people are making out. We had snow in January last year, I remember thick snow when I was pregnant in 2012 (because I was worried about falling) and also in 2010. We do see it every couple of years or so.

That massively depends on which part of the country you're in!

DuckAndPancakes · 28/02/2018 15:39

I’ve kept my eldest off yesterday and today because we live several miles from the school and the driving conditions were awful and I wouldn’t count it as an “essential journey” to have been doing. I’ve been out to the supermarket this afternoon because the snow and ice had finally melted enough that it didn’t feel dangerous driving in it.
We’re predicted awful snow tomorrow and Friday but will see what happens with the roads as to whether or not I will take her in. She did play out yesterday, though most of the kids she was playing with were kept off school just to play in the snow as their school is walking distance.

If I still lived walking distance from DDs school she’d have been in both days and would be going in Thursday and Friday as long as the school was open.

FunkyCatsFiestyStats · 28/02/2018 15:43

I'm a teacher and I commute an hour by public transport to work. Totally my choice, as obviously I could look for a job nearby. It does annoy me a smidge that when we're open on snow days (we rarely close) and I've dragged myself in from home, yet half of the pupils are off, even though they live in walking distance of the school.

Pointlessfacts · 28/02/2018 15:44

No ones business if I want to let my child have a snow day.

I don't judge others so expect them
Not to judge me.

It's called "mind your own business"

WickedGoodDoge · 28/02/2018 15:47

DC’s school was just about the only one open on Scotland today but I decided at 6AM to not send mine in. It turned out to be a good decision as the school bus was cancelled and the trains weren’t running either. However, as a general rule, if I feel I can’t safely get them to their school bus or I have serious concerns that they won’t get home again, I won’t send them in.

beepbeepsnow · 28/02/2018 16:03

My friend lives around the corner from school, so she took her son. Said he was soaked by the time they got there, but was happy to stay.

She messaged me when she was picking him up to say someone had slipped and broken their wrist this morning..
then that someone else spoke to the headteacher who said school was optional today!!

PeerieBreeks · 28/02/2018 16:03

All the schools in my local authority have been open here all day. I'm in Scotland.

OK, not mainland Scotland, but Scotland nonetheless...

junebirthdaygirl · 28/02/2018 16:06

As a teacher l'm not one bit insulted if dc stay home for school in the snow. Its up to their parents. My gd had been playing out in the snow since 8 this morning. So excited. She will be in school enough days. This is educational in its own way. She never heard the word blizzard..now she knows. Its a science lesson in itself talk8ng about the storm meeting the cpld air. Yesterday we were studying minus numbers and the students were so engaged because it was -1 outside and due to fall to -6. Sometimes they just don't get it but it was relevant to their lives.This led to a discussion about Siberia and Russia and trips to Lapland. Come on..education is everywhere. Lighten up.

bonbonours · 28/02/2018 16:15

Where we are it's been five years since we've had enough snow to sledge. That means infant school children have never done it. I can totally understand why people let kids stay off. At school yesterday they watched Frozen and had a snowball fight so hardly missing out on vital education.

We went sledging first thing, went home to warm up and went to school a hour late. No-one at school seemed remotely bothered.

bonbonours · 28/02/2018 16:17

Lama the snow was still there at 4 by the time we had walked home from school but the sledge slope was grass by then. Also where we are it often doesn't last psst lunchtime if we get it at all.

duplodancer · 28/02/2018 16:17

Scrooge!!!

isittheholidaysyet · 28/02/2018 16:17

It's not the only time it'll ever snow. It's not even the first time this winter.

First time this winter here, the others missed us, a few flurries but nothing to settle. Didn't snow last year.
I think this is my 11 year old's first snow day.

Although I don't think it's as rare as people are making out. We had snow in January last year, I remember thick snow when I was pregnant in 2012 (because I was worried about falling) and also in 2010. We do see it every couple of years or so

None last year for us.
The snow of November 2010 was really bad. DS (8) was a tot in a sling. DD(7) was inside me.

We had a little bit of snow the next year scraped together a snowman, DS was almost 2, DD was a baby. This is their first ever snow which has settled deeper than 1cm.

PerfectlySymmetricalButtocks · 28/02/2018 16:29

rocketgirl it's snowed here every February for the past 10 years, apart from last year.

TJ2503 · 28/02/2018 16:42

DS1 and DS2 are staying home from school and nursery respectively tomorrow. Both are currently open but there is an amber warning in place from 10am tomorrow. DS2 nursery is 20 mins from where we live, DS1 school 45 mins. I simply do not want to risk getting stuck with both in different places and me not being able to get to them.

CosmicCanary · 28/02/2018 16:43

I was all set to take mine as we can walk to school but I was not able to get to work so would be working from home. Given that their school finishes right in the middle of my working day I decided instead of missing an hours work collecting them they could stay home.

School text just as we got home after turning back to say it was closed anyway.

They have had a great day in the snow and at aged 10 this is the first time it has been "proper" snow.

user1490607838 · 28/02/2018 17:07

YABU.

Nothing wrong with a snow day! Grin

user1490607838 · 28/02/2018 17:07

YABU.

Nothing wrong with a snow day! Grin

Shinycat · 28/02/2018 17:11

Nah fuck it! If I wanna keep my kids off for a 'snow day,' I will. Grin

The schools are quick enough to shut the school for 1 or 2 days for snow when it suits THEM, or have a PD day when it suits THEM, or go on strike coz they want more money, when it suits THEM. As a number of posters have said, life cannot be all work and no play, and if you have children who are forward for their age - like some do - a day off here and there won't hurt anyway. And why should it always be the SCHOOL who decides when the school is shut?!

And there are some real smug twots on here 'Well this thread has taught me what parent I DON'T want to be when I have kids.' 🙄

Bore off Smuggy McSmuggington. Hmm Nothing more annoying than people who DON'T have kids, deciding that what OTHER parents do is wrong or bad.

I will keep my kids off for a snow day if I want. May keep them off tomorrow too! 😎

Call me 'entitled,' or an irresponsible parent, or a snowflake. I couldn't give a shiny shit. Smile

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