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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To consider a term-time holiday

247 replies

ScatteredMama82 · 02/05/2019 16:00

So I'm looking at prices of flights for February half-term next year to go skiing in Germany. For a family of 4 it's £1300 just for flights in half-term. For a different week it's £280! It's just a crazy amount of money. We love skiing, and are just getting back into it now that DS2 is old enough (he's 4). DS1 is 9 (will be Yr 5 next year). I think we're going to go in term-time. We did it this year, and it got approved by the school as DH is military and had been away all summer so we didn't get a family holiday. We won't have that excuse this time though (unless he gets sent away between now and February which is unlikely in his current role).

Would you do it?

OP posts:
Geminijes · 02/05/2019 17:43

No wonder fines were introduced with the amount of parents on here who are willing and prepared to take their child out of school for a holiday.
Just imagine if all parents did it then it would certainly be one way to reduce class sizes.

Blossom28 · 02/05/2019 17:44

@ForalltheSaints schools should be able to confiscate passports?!?! Really...

ForalltheSaints · 02/05/2019 17:47

Blossom28 no the courts should be deciding on this. Schools should not be even the ones to make fines.

Drogosnextwife · 02/05/2019 17:52

There are millions of children who don't, or can't, go on holidays. It's not the end of the world

But the OP can take her DC on holiday, just during term time. People shouldn't be punished because the travel companies or holiday letting agents want to rip people off. I love going on holiday, we all really look forward to going on holiday every year because we don't get to spend much time together as a family. We don't even go abroad and we still save quite a substantial amount going during term time.

It's not about being deprived or not. People should be able to decide when they can take their own children on holiday.

Dingowashisname0 · 02/05/2019 17:53

Life is too short. Book it

Ylvamoon · 02/05/2019 17:54

Sorry, I did not read the full thread.... and I should not even be suggesting anything with term time holidays
But have you also looked at flights a few days before the half term holiday? Could you fly out on a Wednesday/ Thursday & missing 2-3 days school rather than 5days? You still pay premium one way but it will make it cheaper... And it is a compromise....

Mitzicoco · 02/05/2019 18:16

Wow. First world problems! OP I hope you have a lovely holiday and make many lovely memories with your children. We are lucky in that we can go on holidays like these so why on earth wouldn't you?! Carpe Diem!

LakieLady · 02/05/2019 18:32

our children dont get a free education ,sadly we have to pay for it in our Council Tax!

Everyone in your LEA area pays for your children's education! The least you can do is to make sure they're at school to receive it.

Charley50 · 02/05/2019 18:42

@ForalltheSaints - I wasn't specifically talking about fines affecting poorer people, but also the cost of holidays out of term-time.

donajimena · 02/05/2019 18:43

I've not taken mine out during term time since they cracked down on it. Now my eldest is nearly 16 and I have thought fuck it. You don't get these years back so we are off early July. He'll have left and my youngest is yet to start year 10. So sod the lot of them (not the teachers) I'm going to enjoy whats left of their childhood and I wish I'd done it sooner.

tinytemper66 · 02/05/2019 18:44

Go for it!

Greeborising · 02/05/2019 18:47

I’m afraid I’m really anti taking kids out of school for holidays.
Its one of the things that wind me up like people who think it’s ok to park on the zigzag lines at pick up

Alexkate2468 · 02/05/2019 18:49

I’m a primary teacher and I say go for it as long as they don’t struggle in school and have a good attendance record. Skiing is a valuable skill and your children will be learning...so valuable that schools often take kids skiing in term time.

Nicknacky · 02/05/2019 18:56

Gree So in my situation where I’m not off in school holidays does that mean I should never get a holiday with my children?

Alsohuman · 02/05/2019 18:57

It’s something I hate. We had years of only going away during school holidays. We naively thought that we’d now be able to have child free holidays but no, because people take their kids out of school so we can’t escape them. I wish the fine was a meaningful amount.

Greeborising · 02/05/2019 19:12

Nick every situation is different and I think it’s important to have holiday time with the kids.
I just don’t agree with taking children away during term time

Nicknacky · 02/05/2019 19:13

gree Well, it’s just one of those things. I’m not sacrificing a holiday with my kids or having them miss out on fun just because of their parents jobs.

Vintagegoth · 02/05/2019 19:22

A friend did this. Took her kids out of school for a skiing holiday and the reception aged child broke her leg. Hmm

hsegfiugseskufh · 02/05/2019 19:24

goth would it not have broken if theyd gone in school holidays then?

lazylinguist · 02/05/2019 19:41

I hate the sanctimonious hyperbole you get on these threads.
1. An unquestioning deference to 'authority' isn't a good thing.

Who says it's unquestioned? It's perfectly possible to think about whether you think a rule is worth sticking to, and to decide it is. In any case, many people choose not to take their dc out because of their child's learning, not because they'll get in trouble with 'authority'.

2. These rules and fines affect the poorer much more than the richer.

They only affect people who take their dc out of school. The parents have to decide whether they can afford the fines (just like they decide if they can afford the holiday).

3. Family holidays are important, wherever they are.

Exactly, so why take your children out of school solely in order to get a more expensive holiday at a cheaper price? That's why we go camping.

CarolDanvers · 02/05/2019 19:59

It's perfectly possible to think about whether you think a rule is worth sticking to, and to decide it is. In any case, many people choose not to take their dc out because of their child's learning, not because they'll get in trouble with 'authority'.

And that’s fine. Your decision your choice. What I don’t like is the implication or even accusation that Everyone Else’s Kids Will Suffer And It’s Not Fair On The Teacher. I wouldn’t comment on people who choose not to take term time holidays therefore I don’t expect to be judged and told I am selfish and don’t care about my children’s education, because I do.

lazylinguist · 02/05/2019 20:05

Fair enough. I'm a teacher and I personally don't give a monkey's if someone takes their child out for a holiday as long as they don't expect me to take extra time to catch them up. As for everybody else's kids suffering, I'm not sure why they would unless there are so many kids out that topics have to be repeated etc. In some cases, certain kids being absent can actually benefit the rest of the class...

Hotseat · 02/05/2019 20:05

Go for it. Lighten up people, this is not a life changing decision in the sense that it will affect their future careers. This is a family spending time together, making precious memories. Life is short, life is previous so make time for each other.

Hotseat · 02/05/2019 20:07

Precious not previous.

Musicalstatues · 02/05/2019 20:09

We took our eldest out for 2 weeks last year shock horror! He’s in year 2 and still appears to be top of the class.
School even authorised it and his teacher waved him off quite happily. I wouldn’t even consider it if a. His attendance was poor or b. He was struggling but as neither of those things are issues I honestly can’t see the problem. We will be doing it again next year.

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