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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

LAPLAND AIBU??

63 replies

Team11 · 05/10/2020 12:42

MIL has booked to take children to lapland as a suprise however she has booked it on a school day (its a friday) as she said the weekend dates were too expensive. AIBU to tell her I'm not comfortable with this? Are they likely to be turned away at the door or questioned as to why they are not at school by lapland staff?

OP posts:
MissBaskinIfYoureNasty · 05/10/2020 13:24

Omg let them go. I just looked and it would cost my family £525 to go 😂 Let your mum pay for this!

garlictwist · 05/10/2020 13:26

People go to Finland for the day? That is actually insane.

EggyPegg · 05/10/2020 13:30

You are only fined if it's five consecutive days absent.

Just book them off school for the day. The school won't authorise it (at my DC school we fill in a form), but they can't stop you. We get a letter that essentially says 'we don't authorise this, we'd rather you didn't, but we can't stop you, thanks for letting us know' and then they're marked as expected to be absent for that day.

And the staff on the door won't wonder or care. We've done things on inset days when other local schools have still been in, or when I visit my dad up North as their half term often falls the week before ours, so we get places to ourselves. No one bats an eyelid.

lughnasadh · 05/10/2020 13:30

There's little enough fun this year.

If they are young enough for Santa, one day off school won't make any difference, especially this year.

When they are older you can talk about and remember the lovely thing Grandma did.

Accept with good grace, and genuinely enjoy it. They'll definitely let you in Grin

BernardsarenotalwaysSaints · 05/10/2020 13:31

@MissBaskinIfYoureNasty

Omg let them go. I just looked and it would cost my family £525 to go 😂 Let your mum pay for this!
How much? Shock
emilyfrost · 05/10/2020 13:35

@garlictwist

People go to Finland for the day? That is actually insane.
If you’re just going to see Lapland, then it makes sense. Lapland Finland day trips are actually quite common.
Beks1 · 05/10/2020 13:36

The staff won't question it, not all schools holidays are the same across the country

CitizenFame · 05/10/2020 13:36

@garlictwist

People go to Finland for the day? That is actually insane.
Why is it insane? Plenty of people do it. I have.
Pluckedpencil · 05/10/2020 13:39

She's paid half a grand to give your kids an amazing Christmas experience which she had to book in a very small time window and she has let them skive a Friday when they're little? Absolutely you need to say thank you very much and stop fretting about one little day of school!! They can catch up on the work if you're really that bothered!! My dad is a teacher and when he had an inset day when we didn't, he used to let us skive and take us to a theme park hahahaha!

vanillandhoney · 05/10/2020 13:39

@022828MAN

Of course you're not BU to tell her she can't take your children out of school. You'll be fined for a start.
Why on earth would they be fined for missing one day of school?!

Don't be so ridiculous.

sherbetlemony · 05/10/2020 13:41

You won't be questioned. We're going on a school day as it's an inset day.

I would go and miss the day of school as she's already booked it now. You can either be honest with the school and book the day as holiday or call them in sick. I'd probably just fill in a holiday form. Alternatively, they do let you change the dates if you're really uncomfortable with it, maybe you could pay the difference.

She shouldn't have booked it without your consent though.

Someonetakemebackto91 · 05/10/2020 13:46

Weirdly our schools is being much more tolerant recently I just requested an either week of for Disney land ( next year ) if it doesn’t get cancelled and they were like yep
!
Normally it would be a solid no

Poorpigletsrevenge · 05/10/2020 13:49

Go and enjoy yourselves!

The kids will nit miss much by missing one day and I’m sure they’ll remember this day out far more than anything they could’ve learnt in one day at school.

Relax and enjoy! It is supposed to be amazing!

AIMD · 05/10/2020 13:51

I’d let my kids go and wouldn’t be bothered by them missing one day off school. Sounds lovely!

What I told them would depend on my school and local authority and their approach to fines. I would tell the school they were off for a family visit because I know they worn fine for one day unauthorised. However I know some schools and local authorities are stricter when referring for fines/fining.

Frequentcarpetflyer · 05/10/2020 13:51

If you're actually going to "to see Lapland" that will take many days or weeks. You mean Father Christmas I assume.

HOkieCOkie · 05/10/2020 13:52

Oh come on one day Wont hurt.

Asterion · 05/10/2020 13:56

Hmm. Re what you tell the school - I'm not keen on lying about children, and what if they think your DC might have covid? They'll be asking questions, they won't just go "Oh, OK then".

Figgygal · 05/10/2020 13:56

That place is ridiculously expensive if someone was willing to take my kids any day of the week without me paying I’d be biting their hand off

What’s one day this year with everything that’s gone on (and my kids are never taken out of school)

Cocomarine · 05/10/2020 13:57

Love the idea of Lapland UK staff refusing entry to school age children on a week day Grin

Venicelover · 05/10/2020 13:59

Absolutely let them go. What a lovely MIL, tell the school what has happened and they will be fine with it. Especially this year.

VinylDetective · 05/10/2020 14:01

@garlictwist

People go to Finland for the day? That is actually insane.
No, it isn’t. When I smoked I regularly went to Italy for the day to buy cigarettes. The saving more than paid for the flights.
mooity · 05/10/2020 14:06

Take them, tell the school the truth and relax and enjoy the day. Kids need days like this to create memories etc. I’m sure school won’t be that bothered. We usually take ours out of school every other year for 2 weeks before Xmas holidays to visit family in the other side of the world. Always been authorised and never questioned. In fact I’m taking the kids to a local theme park on a school day in a couple of weeks. We have annual passes, has been far too busy to go over holidays and weekends but I took my youngest on a weekday and it was bliss so we’re all going next time!

Florencex · 05/10/2020 14:08

I wouldn’t be worried about missing one day at school and would let them go. I can’t help but feel it was a bit presumptuous to not check with you though, that could have been school Christmas Play day or something.

Venicelover · 05/10/2020 14:17

When you book this kind of thing you get a window which closes and you lose the tickets. If MIL tried to call and couldn't get through I can understand why she took a chance. She did try!!

ShinyGreenElephant · 05/10/2020 14:18

Tell the school the truth, they won't care. Awful teaching kids to lie to their teachers, definitely don't do that. Kids will absolutely love it and hardly any work is done in the Fridays before Christmas hols in primary

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