Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Thoughts on taking your DC out of school to enjoy the sunshine?

495 replies

Dorsetdelight211 · 17/06/2022 07:55

DD is 14, year 9. She's just had a message off her best friend to say she won't be in school today as her mum is taking her and her younger sister to the beach for the day. Que DD saying how cool the mum is and how unfair it is that I never let her miss school for fun stuff. I've got to work and even if I didn't I still wouldn't let her do it.

YABU-its a beautiful day, one day off school won't make a difference
YANBU-school is important and you can't skive off just because the weathers nice.

OP posts:
MrsRinaDecker · 17/06/2022 10:52

I’m just gutted that in my part of the UK it’s chucking down with rain!!
But I can well imagine if a teenager was struggling mentally in some way, or the family had had stuff going on, that this kind of special day could be more valuable than sitting in a stuffy classroom.

Fairislefandango · 17/06/2022 10:58

Not raining here, but forecast says the top temperature here today will be 21°. Wouldn't take my dc out of school however hot it was though.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 17/06/2022 11:00

Totally agree with the posters whose experience is that for the "it's just one day" parents it never really is just one day

I agree too; one day's not going to damage anyone, but IME of the type of parent who encourages their DCs to lie it tends to spead, with a new justification each time

Hence, probably, why "duvet days" and "mental health days" have now been added to with "bonus days" and whatever the next one will be

Feckingfeck · 17/06/2022 11:06

I don't think its teaching them much in the way of life lessons! Would bunking off work also be "cool"?!

Would never do it. Plenty of time off school in the summer anyway!

swifty1974 · 17/06/2022 11:10

TheDoveFromAboveCooCoo · 17/06/2022 08:41

Read the OP properly.

She is saying her DDs friend is doing this but that she wouldn't.

Show quote history

Point taken but still not the right thing to be teaching your kids is it...

swifty1974 · 17/06/2022 11:11

Puzzledandpissedoff · 17/06/2022 11:00

Totally agree with the posters whose experience is that for the "it's just one day" parents it never really is just one day

I agree too; one day's not going to damage anyone, but IME of the type of parent who encourages their DCs to lie it tends to spead, with a new justification each time

Hence, probably, why "duvet days" and "mental health days" have now been added to with "bonus days" and whatever the next one will be

Good weather days more than likely

swifty1974 · 17/06/2022 11:13

swifty1974 · 17/06/2022 11:11

Good weather days more than likely

Show quote history

oh and bad weather days, we dont want them to be cold (was going to say walking to school but thats not even a thing any more is it)

msbevvy · 17/06/2022 11:15

PetersRabbitt · 17/06/2022 08:07

Also I think people are voting wrong as their reading your title and selecting yanbu

Yes, I just did this and had to go back and change my selection after seeing this post

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 17/06/2022 11:16

I never did, but in their earlier teens dds and friends used now and then to bunk off school early during Wimbledon - stand outside the All England in their school uniforms hoping that someone leaving early would take pity and give them their tickets.
As they invariably did. Even Centre Court tickets.
I don’t think it’s possible any more though - the ticketing system has got wise to it. 🙁

ImAvingOops · 17/06/2022 11:17

I don't agree that parents who do this once will do it all the time. I'm going to take dc out of school for a little trip. DC is 14. The last time I took her out of school for a holiday was last year of primary.
The only other time she gets off is for genuine illness and I'm the type of mother who takes her child back to school if they claim to be ill and then make a miraculous recovery!

WibblyWobblyLane · 17/06/2022 11:20

Year 9 at this stage of the year are usually doing GCSE work, bridging work in prep for GCSE, or getting ready for end of year exams that will put them in sets for GCSE. I wouldn't personally take them out at this time of year.

FlimFlamJimJams · 17/06/2022 11:23

Depends on if you think it's okay to cancel other commitments (namely work) because it's a nice day. It doesn't set the best example.

Also - only works if one or two kids did it, if every parent kept their children off willy nilly; it would impact everyone's education

GrinAndVomit · 17/06/2022 11:25

I think children should be allocated a certain amount of days per year to allow them to spend time together as a family or to book dentist appointments and holidays etc. without having to fake illness or worry about getting into trouble.

alwayscrashinginthesamecar1 · 17/06/2022 11:25

The UK is ridiculous about this! My son has been to school in Ireland and Australia, and no-one gives two hoots about taking the odd day off if needed! Everyone still manages to get educated. Of course you shouldn't do it at crucial times but surely unless you are in the middle of exams the curriculum has been covered by now? Life is short, take a day off and enjoy the sun.

Harrysmummy246 · 17/06/2022 11:27

They'll have started GCSE syllabus by now and won't have had much time in secondary school for the rest of KS3 thanks to c**id so what a bloody stupid woman

passport123 · 17/06/2022 11:29

That's a really shitty example to set your kids about work ethic.

SpringRainbow · 17/06/2022 11:30

I am not at work today but my kids are at school.

I have had to struggle to work in all sorts of weathers. I think things like this just teach them bad habits really.

They can’t be off every time they don’t want to work because of xyz.

BluebellField · 17/06/2022 11:32

I wouldn't do that.

It seems wrong to me. And I remember when I was at school, some of the best most memorable days were boiling hot summer days. Spending time with your friends outside, teachers are happy, kids are happy.

I'm sure there will be more hot days this year that fall on a weekend or the holidays.

Figgygal · 17/06/2022 11:32

No i wouldnt do that
Its pretty disrespectful to the school

coffeecupsandfairylights · 17/06/2022 11:33

I love these threads as they're always full of people who are convinced your child's life will be ruined because you've taken them to the beach in a heatwave 🤣

Meanwhile in the real world, nothing bad will happen because you miss a day of school - just as nothing bad will happen if an adult pulls a sickie once a year 😉

Though I'm sure I'll now be told that adults who pull the odd sickie have no morals and are awful people/liars 🙈

rainbowmilk · 17/06/2022 11:34

GrinAndVomit · 17/06/2022 11:25

I think children should be allocated a certain amount of days per year to allow them to spend time together as a family or to book dentist appointments and holidays etc. without having to fake illness or worry about getting into trouble.

In reality you'd need to give parents extra leave, then, and that inevitably means that childless people will be covering even more than we already are, for all the assemblies, sports days, nativities, appointments, etc etc etc.

RisingSunn · 17/06/2022 11:36

Yep - I would do it.

Whatsonmymindgrapes · 17/06/2022 11:38

If I lived in Australia or somewhere hot I wouldn’t but In the Uk this may be our only day of summer.

YouCantSpellAmericaWithoutErica · 17/06/2022 11:39

I wouldn’t do this personally because both my children- and many children in general- are you give an inch, they take a mile types. They’ll start expecting this kind of thing to happen. Also one has ASD anyway so clear rules and routine are important to/for them.

But I can’t get worked up about what others do regarding stuff like this.

tootiredtoocare · 17/06/2022 11:39

I wouldn't do it, but I guess there's no harm when they're primary age. However, at 14 I do consider school being prep for a job, and they have to understand that you don't just get to take a day off whenever the sun shines. I've worked with a few 16 year old apprentices who get a bit of a shock when they realise they don't get a mid-morning break and they only get 30 minutes for lunch!