Do you/ did you send your child to school on their birthday?

[bagpuss90]

Light hearted thread no I’m not having a whinge before anyone asks 😂No -I’m just curious. Was chatting to a work colleague and she mentioned that her children have never been to school on their birthdays. They don’t fall within school holidays. She was a bit surprised when I said mine all went to school on the day -business as usual. Don’t get me wrong -they had pressies before school, lovely parties and so on . Never really thought about it before but just wondered if its school or not on the big day

You’re brave to admit that. 😂 I hope you’re ready for an inquisition

The optician I used to go to always had the day off for the birthdays of his children, as did they. I don’t think it’s a good example to set.

My DGD has a birthday at the beginning of a term. Last year, it was the first day of term and she wanted to be at home, until it was pointed out to her that she would be on her own, since her family would all be at school or at work.

I was never at school on my birthday as it was in the school holidays. However, I'm the only one in our family like this. So, DC have their birthday at school, and we do something to celebrate before/ after.

Well, chilling out is important. But then, isn't that what weekends and holidays are for?

There are 195 school days in a year. That gives 170 days to chill out (or use for hobbies/activities/whatever).

Personally I don't take a day off work for my birthday, but if I did it would come out of my annual leave - I wouldn't call in sick if I wasn't ill.

And for the same reason I wouldn't tell DD's school she was ill if she wasn't ill. I feel it would rather undermine me when I tell her honesty and integrity are important.

Actually I rarely need to tell her, let's face it children learn more by observation than being 'told'.

@Testina

*Why did you give in to that? @blubberyboo ?

I do not agree with days off for a birthday - but I think it’s better that it’s a parents choice than a parent just giving in to whining about it*

erm because I’m an adult capable of making reasoned judgements on things myself!

2 of my children’s birthdays fall right at the end of Xmas term and usually it is a half day for breaking up of term and nobody else is going in or there is some crap going on in school like watching movies all day.

so on occasions when I feel like there is merit in their argument I would let them off if they have had relatively good attendance, and only after a discussion around how boring it would be to be home alone or at granny’s without their mates for company. Or if there was a Xmas play on that day they’d have to go in etc etc..

they are certainly never missing the rollout of Pythagoras theorem!

but thanks for the patronising lecture anyway!

DD went to school on her birthday and every previous birthday she’s been to nursery, even her first. It’s never occurred to me to do otherwise.

I spent my 40th doing a parents' evening. A day off for your birthday is nice if you work in a job that allows that, but not if you are at school or in a job where you don't get that choice.

Actually, most kids like to see their friends on their birthday, and primary schools often mark birthdays, so it's a shame to miss that.

I’m guessing you in all likelihood would have called in sick

@blubberyboo

you said your kids “pressure you” in to not going in to school

erm because I’m an adult capable of making reasoned judgements on things myself!

hence PP’s previous point

Still don’t get your point

my children go to independent school. 5 weeks off over Easter. So totally realistic what pp said

DS2 has a birthday in August and was always most put out that his birthday wasn't in term time. DS1 thought he should get the day off for his birthday since his brother got the day off for his.

Mine always go to school if it falls on a birthday! Both DH and I did growing up. I figure they would have more fun at school with their friends than doing something at home with me!

Have only ever sent my child to school twice on their birthday once when he wanted to go and the 2nd time he happily went as we were going on holiday a couple of days later for his birthday. The other 6 birthdays he has had that were school days he has had off.

my brother and I never went to school either on our birthdays when we were kids. Did us not harm at all.

Each to their own.

You can guess whatever you like.

I’ve never took a ‘sickie’ at work when I had a more normal 9-5 job. I used annual leave and flexi days off and often had some left over at the end of the year. My previous job was very flexible anyway in terms of working at home and days in the office. And now I work with animals so I’m always ‘on’ although we do have staff and volunteers. My children have me as an example of good work ethic, a day off each for a birthday twice through their schooling hasn’t affected them negatively.

Maybe you don’t get my point because I missed the headings off each column. The first date is when Easter Sunday fell the years that I attended school. Column 2 is the date 7 days before Easter and column 3 shows 7 days after Easter. So the dates between columns 2 and 3 are traditionally, but not exclusively, the two weeks school holidays for Easter in a UK state school. As my birthday is mid April the rows that are yellow are the years that I would have gone to school on my birthday. As @Japanesejazz didnt specify the country or type of school it didn’t make sense to me (someone who we’ve established has a birthday that falls within the dates that Easter is celebrated) that during their child’s time in school their birthday would always be during the Easter holidays. Now if they had referred to 4 or 5 weeks Easter break that would have made total sense and I wouldn’t have commented. I hope this now helps you get my point as apart from the headings missing from the columns I felt my comment at 07:23 was pretty self explanatory.

Wow!!!!

She could be in the UK (safe bet given that’s vast majority of posters)

and she could have gone to independent school, which with 5 weeks holiday would mean whatever date it fell on…. She could be off school

Oooh, my friend has a birthday on 25th Dec too. Nice work on the perpetual birthday holiday, but she complains bitterly about the "this is your joint birthday and Christmas present" phenomenon!