Day off school on birthday?

[Givemeabreak88]

What are your thoughts on giving a child the day off school on their birthday? If they are asking for the day off..

During a lockdown, it's a bit shit to deprive your kids from their chance to see their friends that day, you have the rest of the day to make a special birthday. Sorry missed this bit.
Do we know ops child has strong friendships? DS has missed his friends a bit but would rather be with his brothers. After school / home it's 4, he goes up to bed at 7.30 so he gets 3.5 hours max.

I've said she should send him,bit I think it's ridiculous to assume that every child loves going to school and they'd absolutely choose to go on their birthday regardless.

Mine would rather spend the morning sting with his presents, go to the park, have a Macdonald's for lunch,

But hey I'm willing to accept it's just my kid who finds toys and the park more fun than a classroom

It probably varies from school to school

around here sweets and chocolate are banned and have been all year,

but kids who were at school were allowed to play football and whatever they wanted (within the normal school rules),

whilst the non"key workers" children were in theory not even allowed to play with friends in the local parks!

Another reason while keeping schools opened but excluding a few was so wrong, but that's another debate entirely).

A few pps have suggested it’s me making him not like school, trust me I would love it if he loved school as he makes me feel incredibly guilty even sending him, if it was me that had issues with school I would home school. It would be much easier for my life if he enjoyed it then I wouldn’t feel guilt. I try to speak positively about school as much as I can but if he had it his way he would never go.

@Dutchesss

For those saying no, would you go to work on your birthday or book the day off? I'm lucky both my children's birthdays fall in the summer holidays so I haven't had to think about it.

Just picturing the thread on MN when someone's child comes home and says - we had a cover teacher for English today because it was Mrs Only's birthday so she booked the day off 😂

Nope, even as a grown up, you suck it up and go to school on your birthday.

@therealteamdebbie

SleepingStandingUp He doesn't like school meals

why on earth don't you send him with a pack lunch then?

I honestly never understood people making life more complicated than it needs to be.

Because they aren't allowed packed lunches in year 1. He could have a sandwich at school but only eats the cheese filling. He's started to eat the bread at home now but generally there's more choice with a hot lunch

Every time I see one of these threads where OP asks whether they can keep their non exam year child off school for a birthday/‘mental health’ day/for a special trip out, that OP is routinely slated for raising a child that will have a shitty work ethic.

Especially after the year we’ve had, I think I’d be more inclined to do exactly that. Birthday? Fine, day off. Duvet day? Why the heck not. We have had a culture of presenteeism in the work place and a complete disregard for a work life balance for far too long in this country and it’s really bloody silly. The world will not end if a seven year old has his birthday off. The world will not end if he has his birthday off every year from now until retirement.

Barring underlying issues, every child should know that they have to go to school. Putting an institution, be that school or the work place, before occasional enjoyment is, frankly, ridiculous.

He doesn’t miss any friends

And to add pretty much every child hasn’t seen their friends in 3 months anyway 🤨

Because they aren't allowed packed lunches in year 1. He could have a sandwich at school but only eats the cheese filling. He's started to eat the bread at home now but generally there's more choice with a hot lunch

Fair enough

local schools have been the opposite: stopped hot diner while obviously allowing pack lunch throughout.

But why are you asking on here OP? Have some confidence in your decisions.

My kids have had a couple of birthdays off over the years when they’ve asked. Not all birthdays because sometimes they’ve wanted to go in. My kids are doing well in education and have good friends. They’re not lazy and they didn’t ask for more and more days off. Mumsnet are a bit weird about things like this but it’s really not a big deal.

Absolutely not. All of my children have birthdays in the school holidays and are jealous of their friends who get to see their friends at school on their birthday.

Saying that I know someone who let's their children take a day off school on their birthday every year even in secondary school and they wonder why they struggle getting the kids to go to school as the kids think they can pick and choose when they go

No it was fun going to school on your birthday always made to feel special.

None of mine have ever been to school on their birthday. My daughter is 10 this year and it will be the first time she’s at school for it as they break up late for summer holidays this year. She won’t be getting the day off even if it is the end of term.

I think it’s pointless saying how sad your kids are for not going to school on their birthdays and wished they did because presumably your child likes school then so totally different, and you don’t know that they wouldn’t feel different if they did actually have a birthday in school time as I’m sure the novelty will soon wear off, he isn’t asking to see friends for his birthday and doesn’t miss them.

Because they aren't allowed packed lunches in year 1.

Why not? What a silly rule. If you have a child with an allergy, certain dietary conditions (ie keeping kosher), medical problems or sensory issues then you can’t rely on school dinners to be suitable.

I do not really understand why you would ask the opinions of random people if you had already (it is now obvious) made up your mind to keep your son off school for his birthday.

For what it’s worth, whilst I do not think a birthday is a very good reason to keep a child from school, I do not actually think it matters very much either; whether you do so or not. It is not an important decision in the scheme of things.

I dont think you can use the lockdown birthday excuse. The pandemic is a year old now, we've pretty much all had a lockdown birthday. I'd not start the expectation personally

@Givemeabreak88

I think it’s pointless saying how sad your kids are for not going to school on their birthdays and wished they did because presumably your child likes school then so totally different, and you don’t know that they wouldn’t feel different if they did actually have a birthday in school time as I’m sure the novelty will soon wear off, he isn’t asking to see friends for his birthday and doesn’t miss them.

I know it's a shocking concept, but your child is not the first one ever who has a birthday falling on a school day...

you do realise many kids have had birthdays on school days and parents can accurately tell you how it worked in the previous years, the last one and this year?

I had the day off on my 16th birthday.

I was having a terrible time with a certain person in my class so didn't want to go in and me picked on.

And yes of course their teachers have days off sometimes, who knows why I don’t really care why their teacher isn’t in. Are you saying teachers are never off?

You might not care but the employers certainly do and know the reason, as they have to show proof!

with an allergy schools should be accommodating allergies, not telling the child to bring in a packed lunch to sit next to a child eating an allergen
certain dietary conditions (ie keeping kosher) there's always a vegetarian option if the meal option isn't one the child can have
medical problems or sensory issues again school should be accommodating this. DS falls under the latter, if I asked them to provide him with certain foods they would do everything they can to accommodate. Even if that means cooking something seperate. If there was no way that school could accommodate and the addition needs were such that they had to have a packed lunch, they would accommodate that but it would be very rare.

@StanfordPines my reply above was to you

with an allergy, certain dietary conditions (ie keeping kosher), medical problems or sensory issues then you can’t rely on school dinners to be suitable.

Sorry OP, but it's your job as his mum to make sure he values school. Not to make him LIKE it, but value it.

He's 7 and you have 10 long years to go in which it is vital he values his education. You're undermining the importance of school at an impressionable age.

@OnwardsEverStridingOnwards

I had the day off on my 16th birthday.

I was having a terrible time with a certain person in my class so didn't want to go in and me picked on.

*Get picked on

Wow I haven't RT but I was thinking about doing this next week for my going to be 5 year old...

@Dutchesss

For those saying no, would you go to work on your birthday or book the day off? I'm lucky both my children's birthdays fall in the summer holidays so I haven't had to think about it.

Perhaps those who want to take children out on their birthday would be ok about teachers ringing in sick on their birthday since they can't take it as annual leave?