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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To not understand why people are taking children out of school for the last week?

156 replies

TellerTuesday · 15/07/2021 22:08

To be clear, I don't mean people who have travel plans for the the first week of the holiday. I totally understand why people agave decided it's not worth the risk of having to isolate and not being able to go away etc.

But I really don't understand why people are keeping DCs out of school for the last week so that they 'don't have to isolate for the first week of the holidays'

There are 6 children in DD's class who have now finished for the year despite them not breaking up until next Friday. 1 is travelling the first weekend so I do see logic with that one hut the other 5 don't have anything planned.

In that situation are people not just isolating for a week to avoid the risk of POSSIBLY having to isolate the week after?

OP posts:

KingdomScrolls · 15/07/2021 22:38

Because they've not missed enough school this year

CaptainMerica · 15/07/2021 22:39

It could also be an element of people getting wary of the rising cases, and just not wanting their children exposed to the risk of long covid, or passing it on to vulnerable family members.

earthyfire · 15/07/2021 22:39

One of my children's school closed a week early, they felt it was safer to do so as they had so many children already off. One of my other children is in year 6 so I wanted them to be able to enjoy all the enrichment and leavers activities planned - so for me it was about my child's mental wellbeing.

Sweettea1 · 15/07/2021 22:41

My dd class been off isolating since Friday can go back to school on Monday for the last 3 days. So do I send her in for 3 days and risk her having to isolate again given none off the class has been isolating anyway I see them playing on park over the road an they won't do any work on them days.

MrCoulsonRocksMyWorld · 15/07/2021 22:41

I completely understand why they’re doing it and wouldn’t judge. Our pre-school bubble has just burst and we’re stuck in the house until Sunday (7 days). A three year old and a nine month old baby. It is beyond shit.

I’m fortunate that I’m on maternity leave, but what are working parents supposed to do? They mostly mess about the last week of term anyway so it’s totally understandable why many parents just don’t want to risk it.

OppsUpsSide · 15/07/2021 22:42

I don’t find it very perplexing at all

UndertheCedartree · 15/07/2021 22:42

I suppose in secondary they don't do so much but in Primary the last week is all fun. I had to self isolate until today so couldn't take my DD to school til today. She is gutted she missed the fun swim session they do in the last week. But at least she was in today and won't miss the class party tomorrow. Unfortunately one class in her Year have had to self isolate so they'll be missing it all, after all being at home this time last year so having no end of year fun then either!

TheTallOakTrees · 15/07/2021 22:42

Considering how much education they have missed over the last 18 months I'm surprised they do bugger all education in the last week...why?

BlackeyedSusan · 15/07/2021 22:42

@DoYouRememberTheInnMiranda

You don't have to isolate for the week this way though - you can still go to playgrounds, meet a couple of people etc, not the nightmare that is no leaving your gardenless flat for 10 days.

I can confirm that it is a nightmare!

theSunday · 15/07/2021 22:43

Cheaper accommodation as it’s not yet mainstream school hols?

Caterinasballerinas · 15/07/2021 22:43

My DD is in reception and isolating at the moment. She’s due back in school the last day of term. I am so torn whether to send her, we’ve a couple of days away booked within the first week of the holiday, this particular break is staying in a friends place so no real cost to be being protective of, it’s literally just not wanting to have a 5 year old who can’t leave the house, which means we all can’t as a family. But I’m also then gutted at the prospect that she misses that last day. I think if was advising a friend I’d say keep them off but it’s a little harder to take your own advice.

BlackeyedSusan · 15/07/2021 22:43

and you can only have a little window open as well as you are so high up.

YouLikeTheBadOnesToo · 15/07/2021 22:43

My friend has kept her kids off because if they have to isolate, she won’t be able to rely on family childcare next week. She can’t work from home, and her work don’t pay parents of children who are isolating. She literally can’t afford to risk sending her children to school.

TheTallOakTrees · 15/07/2021 22:44

@KingdomScrolls

Because they've not missed enough school this year

Yep. Ridiculous amount. You would imagine some catch up lessons but hey ho do bugger all...

Dixiechickonhols · 15/07/2021 22:44

If child has to isolate they can’t go out - so no going to childcare (last thing you need if you are back to office 19th), no day trips, no shopping, no extra curricular activities, no using public transport, no exercise. They are doing nothing useful last few days so I can see why lots think not worth risk especially with so many children testing positive.

DD’s school has just finished 2.5 days early anyway.

HorriderHenry · 15/07/2021 22:45

Cases in my immediate are higher than they’ve ever been. I’ve got two weeks annual leave with my children - and that is the first two weeks of the holiday. They need school so much, but if we have to isolate during the bulk of my annual leave for the year rather than do the nice things I’d like to do - day trips to the woods, beach etc, because i haven’t dared to make a plan it’s going to break my heart to cancel - I’m going to be devastated. Not pulling them out because every day of homeschooling and trying to keep my job breaks me a little bit more.

lavenderlou · 15/07/2021 22:45

I would be tempted to pull my DC out except I'm a teacher and can't! We are due to go away (UK) 5 days after term ends. This is the only time we can get away for a family holiday due to other commitments (wedding, summer school for Y6 DD). Bubbles are closed at my school and my DC's school and cases in schools are higher now than at any point during the pandemic. We are avoiding any other social contact until we go away now and just have fingers crossed that none of us is a positive contact in the next week or so.

joystir59 · 15/07/2021 22:48

I've turned the NHS tracker off so I can't be pinged to self isolate. I've got family visiting the first week of the holidays and I'm not risking getting pinged.

Fullofglee · 15/07/2021 22:48

It's not hard to see why, kids do very little the last week, cases are high where I am, parents are still working and don't want to risk their dc catching or having to isolate before the 19th and not be able to work. DS went home today due to a positive case in his class and has to isolate. Other DS is isolating because his step mom has covid and now his dads does. Thankfully dh was off poorly with a bad back so he could care for DS.

saraclara · 15/07/2021 22:53

If I had a holiday planned (or only had limited leave myself) for the first week or two of term, I'd be taking my kids out of school too. The rate of transmission is phemomenal. This version is way more transmissible than past ones, so it's only a matter of time before a massive proportion of families plans are scuppered.

Families and kids have had SO much disappointment and sadness in the last 16 months. I'd do everything I could to preserve our holiday.

As for criticising parents for booking their holiday straight after term ends... well many of them will have booked long ago, when we all thought things would be much improved by now. And the rest had to get what they could, when they could, because just about the whole of the UK is fully booked for the school holidays.

Whattodonow5 · 15/07/2021 23:00

Rates are really high here lots of the classes off with multiple positive cases in every class. Dd is meant to be back in Monday and Tuesday but I'm letting her finish tomorrow.
They've all had a tough year (including teachers) and quite frankly I want to try and avoid isolating until august if at all possible.

user1496146479 · 15/07/2021 23:02

@joystir59

I've turned the NHS tracker off so I can't be pinged to self isolate. I've got family visiting the first week of the holidays and I'm not risking getting pinged.

Sounds sensible

DoubleDeckerSwimmer · 15/07/2021 23:05

*They don’t learn anything at all during the final week. They play games, do a lot of drawing/painting, watch films, bake etc so all the things they could easily do at home."

I see this so often on Mumset and I think it was maybe true once but it certainly is not a reality I recognise. My class will be working to the finish line (fun work a lot of it, but hopefully that is not only true in the last week!).

MushMonster · 15/07/2021 23:13

I think it is for the very same reason as going on holidays the week after they bresk up.
Some parents would have booked days off, to stay with the children, and take them to activities and fun things, and what is the point if they are stuck at home? Some may be going to family members for childcare, so to avoid having to isolate, so parents cannot work.
Our usuallyholiday club is not running this summer either. So I bet you most people will rely on relatives at some point over the summer.

QueefofSheena · 15/07/2021 23:17

Just to be clear, are these the same people who were baying for blood when the schools closed?

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