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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to keep the children off school because of a house move?

24 replies

Xuli · 01/12/2021 16:57

We are moving locally, so no change in schools, but unfortunately the only day we can complete and move is a school day (a week before the end of term, if that's relavant). The children are 5 and 10. I am thinking of sending them to my parents for the night before and night after the move, as I'm imagining it will be several long days work to get everything even vaguely ready. Parents don't live near enough for the children to go to school from their house. Would anyone else do this or should we attempt to manage it around school hours?

OP posts:

gogohm · 01/12/2021 17:11

We sent our kids to school from the old house and picked them up and took them to the new one at 7&9, worked out fine

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 01/12/2021 17:35

Yes I think you’ll be fine to keep the children in the normal routine while you move house.

If they were 2 and 3 maybe I’d say yanbu but 5 and 10 can cope with you having to do a few bits around them

You can leave some of the unpacking til the weekend surely?

HPandTheNeverEndingBedtime · 01/12/2021 17:37

I probably wouldn't interfere with their schooling right now especially on the run up to Christmas, it's an exciting time at Primary school which children have missed out on over the last couple of years.

BlameItOnTheBlackStar · 01/12/2021 17:43

I wouldn't have them miss school for that; we've always just managed it around school to be honest.

starfishmummy · 01/12/2021 17:46

@gogohm

We sent our kids to school from the old house and picked them up and took them to the new one at 7&9, worked out fine

This. Or maybe they could go home with a friend and be collected from there?

VanillaIce1 · 01/12/2021 17:48

I would we don't drive and there isn't no one to pick them up. Only you know what is right for you to do.

HavfrueDenizKisi · 01/12/2021 17:49

We managed with a 3 and 6 year old during the school holidays so I'm struggling to see how a 5 and 10 yr old need to be farmed off for 2 nights as 'it's a long day'.

Just prioritise their beds being set up and made once you're in the new house.

CreepySpider · 01/12/2021 17:52

Can they not go to breakfast/after school club if you want to maximise the time they are away from the houses so you can focus on moving, cleaning and setting up?

CluelessHamster · 01/12/2021 17:56

I'd be tempted to keep them at school and see if your parents can have them, especially the five year old, for part of the weekend after the move to give you more time to crack on.

I don't think it's be the end of the world to take them out for a couple of days though.

TheOccupier · 01/12/2021 18:10

YABU - kids have missed enough school in the last 2 years and they do lots of nice things there at this time of year.

KellyJonesLeatherTrousers · 01/12/2021 18:13

Why would you want the kids around whilst your packing/unpacking? Surely one of you just takes the half hour or so in the morning and afternoon to drop and pick up - or even rope in a friend or two?

ComDummings · 01/12/2021 18:16

I moved locally with mine and honestly they were better off at school as it was so bloody stressful, having them bored and under my feet was a nightmare (it was over the end of a week/weekend)

rainbowandglitter · 01/12/2021 18:22

We moved and took ds from the old house in the morning and took him to the new house after school

Original poster

Xuli · 01/12/2021 18:23

There's no extra childcare available on a Monday unfortunately, otherwise that would have helped. I guess I'm thinking we're not in the new place till 1 - and thats assuming that the vendors actually move out on time - and pick up is 3, so we might not have unloaded the van even by the time they are home from school.

If parents were near enough to bring them back to school for Tuesday morning we would definitely so that but sadly not.

OP posts:

Original poster

Xuli · 01/12/2021 18:26

@KellyJonesLeatherTrousers

Why would you want the kids around whilst your packing/unpacking? Surely one of you just takes the half hour or so in the morning and afternoon to drop and pick up - or even rope in a friend or two?

That's what I actually mean - it's hardly like we will have loaded and unloaded a van and unpacked enough between the house of 9-3. My kids are fine but I can't can't begin to imagine trying to unpack around them with mo WiFi to keep them glued to a screen

OP posts:

SpoonWhereArtThou · 01/12/2021 18:31

Can they not go to a friend's house after school for dinner? That way by the time you need to pick them up it will be almost time for a bath and bed. The first things you set up in the new house are their beds and your bed.

I moved when the children were in primary and sent them into school as normal.

Missmissmiiiiiiiiisss · 01/12/2021 18:34

I absolutely would. Moving is stressful enough, don’t make life hard for no reason.

Totopoly · 01/12/2021 18:37

We moved when the DC were younger, but all at school. They went to school as normal and came home to the new house (which was nowhere near the old one). Unbelievable as it might seem, it was pre-wifi but we somehow coped. Mine quite liked seeing what was going on. The main thing is to organise your packing so that the children's beds are easily accessible (or mattresses - there's nothing wrong with sleeping on a mattress on the floor), and take everything in the car with you that you are likely to need immediately (kettle, couple of pans, cereal, children's bedding or sleeping bags, spare clothes etc).

Clymene · 01/12/2021 18:39

It's an exciting adventure! Get Maccy D for dinner and sleep on mattresses if you need to.

It's their house too - let them join in with the fun

SofaKingKnotBovvered · 01/12/2021 18:40

No, just get on with it, like generations before you did
It's hard but not not impossible

Ericaequites · 01/12/2021 18:44

Call in a favor with a friend’s parents to keep them until 7 or so. Pack overnight bags for all of you, including the kettle, cereal, tea, milk, bowls, spoons, sponge bags, clean clothes, bedclothes, and such. Have a delivered takeaway for dinner. It’s often just a big adventure for NT kids at that age.

WorkBitch · 01/12/2021 18:46

We managed it. Ours were 3 & 5.

Then took them to MIL’s for dinner & to stay over while we continued unpacking.

Could you hook an iPad up to the internet on your phone? We’ve done that before.

whoisit12 · 01/12/2021 18:47

We moved 20 miles away, I took my dd to her new school in the morning, drove back to finish up then came back here with the vans, waited for the keys then picked her up, I'd send them in if it were me

Missmissmiiiiiiiiisss · 04/12/2021 18:32

@SofaKingKnotBovvered

No, just get on with it, like generations before you did It's hard but not not impossible

Or don’t! No prizes for most difficult life lived.

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