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..

It wasn’t a dig. My kids are no doubt behind because they’ve had me ‘teaching’ them for the last three months. I’m not a teacher. Any questions they had I had to google! Call it whatever you like, if my child had been able to go into school I would have said they were fortunate.
OP’s child may well have had lots of support at school and she may feel he isn’t behind?

You know him best @Givemeabreak88. Sounds like he could use a break and special time.

Mine don't take the day off usually (though did once) BUT I can understand why some do.

I hope he has a lovely Birthday!

@Dailywalk

It wasn’t a dig. My kids are no doubt behind because they’ve had me ‘teaching’ them for the last three months. I’m not a teacher. Any questions they had I had to google! Call it whatever you like, if my child had been able to go into school I would have said they were fortunate. OP’s child may well have had lots of support at school and she may feel he isn’t behind?

Ok..

@Nomorepies

AIBU?!

Everyone: YES!

I'm going to do it anyway!

Ok. Not goady at all OP.

This!

@Dailywalk

Irrelevant really giving my opinion seeing as you’ve already made up your mind but anyway, no, if my kids wanted a day off for their birthday I’d say no. Their birthdays happen to fall during school holidays and it’s boring! They would have more fun at school with friends though I’m sure they wouldn’t think so at the time. This year I think it’s particularly important to try to avoid any unnecessary time off if possible. Kids are surely behind where they would normally be (although perhaps those that have been fortunate enough to be in school throughout aren’t? I wouldn’t know) and there’s possibly still lots of disruption to come if bubbles burst etc.

The year of Covid not included, why is school more exciting than their birthday at home? I don't understand and I LOVED school (NU baby tho so I never went to school and I've never worked it) but surely being at home with your family,playing with your new toys, having a fun lunch, going out somewhere different (even if it's free) are still more fun than school?

I agree he should go but I think making out this is the BEST way to spend your birthday is weird

I wouldn't usually as we take them out for a week every year to go abroad but this year we've cancelled it so we are going to do a couple of nights away back end of the week and on his birthday. I work a lot of weekends too and have it off so we are making the most of it.

Boring especially this year - nowhere to go. But boring because your friends aren’t around. Party or celebration wold usually be at the weekend. Nice to have everyone make a fuss of you in your birthday, share your cake, sing to you...etc. If it was me I’d be working on a way of celebrating but still going to school. I’d get him w huge badge or banner and some sweets to give out to classmates if that’s still allowed. I personally wouldn’t take day off but that’s up to you.

@SleepingStandingUp

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.

Yep. They should do all these things. But as a teacher who accompanies year one children to the dinner hall (in normal times) I can tell you straight that if I had a child who had allergies etc I would never ever trust the school kitchen to accommodate that.

I have had a row with the cook over tuna not being suitable for a vegetarian, that mayonnaise does not contain milk and that a product containing pork gelatine is not halal.

I don’t know what happened with older children who go on their own without someone checking.

I can’t imagine this is the only school with this problem.

@StanfordPines I'm sure it's not but I'm not aware of any issues at ours as yet who were willing to make DS cheese and toast for lunch every day. We have a good SENCO, an EHCP and outside support plus a "121" (technically his bit she's shared and that's a good thing) so it's not like they're pandering but they've been great
If it was meat pie, vegetable pie or tuna sandwich with no flexibility I might be less happy with the no packed lunch rule

No.
Have you talked and listened about why he does not like school?

@therealteamdebbie I wish this was true. The school I work at has insisted breaks are taken sitting in the same seat they sit at ALL day, no outdoor time. They have 30 minutes for lunch, so after they eat they might have 5 minutes of fresh air. Awful. They hardly see their friends if the seating plan isn’t favourable for them.

Go for it. They could be sick and need a day off any time. I'm school staff and I really don't think it will make a difference unless they have an exam planned.

My DD had her birthday last week, we did no school work at all that day she was 9.

I wouldn't do a birthday (too obvious) but I do allow a random day each year when they're doing little to no work in school (primary - eg just before end of summer term or the week before Xmas) and we go and have a cheeky Mummy & Me day (usually go to the cinema, have lunch out etc).

It's the day off after a birthday you need. But only if you have a hangover. SO NOT ABSOLUTELY NOT.

You need to find out why he doesn't like school. Giving him the day off isn't going to solve the problem!

I never go to work on my birthday, why should he be forced to go to school. Let him have a day off, do some fun stuff. If he's not enjoying school, I think he would really appreciate you doing this for him.
So many people are obsessed with kids needing to go to school every day. They're the same people usually who think they 'need to get used to the daily grind to prepare them for work' or some other nonsense. He's a 7 year old, not a worker in training.
Although I'm kind of contradicting myself because most adults take the day off work for their birthdays don't they?!

Lying? @SleepingStandingUp. Why? Thats ridiculous. I used to love going to school on my birthday. Teacher made it special

It’s 1 day I would!

No. What is the point of that? You can celebrate on the morning then after school and do more celebrations at the weekend. Education is important and important for all. Your child having a day off means the teacher has to spend time catching them up the next day. If every child did that it would be 30 days of lost education per class plus another 30 days a teacher is trying to catch up children with work missed.

Yes, why not. He will always remember it! 😁 He vomited, so that's at least 24 hours off if not 48!

Yep. Take the day off and enjoy it. Literally nothing bad will happen.

I have always let my child have a birthday to do something fun with me or spend some quality time together if I they want to. As they get older then tend to want to go to school, 1:1 can be hard to find in a busy family, so of course. I am amazed how many people think it’s completely outrageous or even ‘frivolous’ and one poster said, can’t see what all the fuss is about, it’s one day a year. Aren’t birthdays meant to be fun and yes even frivolous!

No

No. Do it this year and you'll have the same discussion in years to come. I'd be addressing the fact that he doesn't like school and why rather than wanting a day off.