Aibu to take kids out of school for a ski hol in March?

[Nurserymumm]

Midterm is ridiculous, so expensive. DH has a week off the start of March so thinking of taking them out & going skiing for a week then. It's educational right?

I definitely would!

Is your next post going to mention sheeple and face rags? Such a stupid comparison.

Please consider the impact on the planet and the irony of flying to a snowy landscape when it is a contributing factor to rising temperatures and declining snow levels

I wouldn't as I don't think it is right for them to miss school, however it sounds as though you've already made up your mind.

@PugInTheHouse

'before' really is the key word there! Have you seen the ski resorts THIS year??

@Nurserymumm at 9 & 11, yep I'd do it IF you can find somewhere with snow & that's suitable for the level
of skiing they can manage & enjoy.

you do realise ski school doesn't teach maths & English 😂😂😂

At 11 that's either year 6 or 7. I wouldn't for either of these years.

Schools do run ski trips though (admittedly in secondary). Are these run in holidays these days? In my day they were definitely during school time. If schools think these can be justified during term time for a group of students, I can’t see much difference between that and parents taking their kids out!

i’m considering similar for next winter when my kids will be y6 and y4. A friend does this every year with hers.

however

1. it’s not a good season snow-wise atm. However you seen happy to not commit until nearer the time which helps.
2. with limited annual leave it basically means we have to somehow cover another week of school holidays which is probably doable but difficult

I would, largely because it was fine for kids to miss so much school during the pandemic. It can’t be compulsory when it suits them!

What a stupid argument. Of course it wasn't 'fine'. The damage to development, social skills and academic progress are very evident in those cohorts of kids. And who are the 'them' that it 'suited'? Schools? You know they didn't get to just choose to close, right?

I understand why you would do it. I'm a teacher so know how ridiculously expensive holidays are if you can't go in term time.

But please be honest and just say that you want a nice holiday and can't afford it unless you take the kids out of school. Plenty of people on here will understand and be sympathetic.

But don't try and pretend that a ski trip is going to be some amazing educational experience.

I think it’s incredibly selfish and not really education based is it? It’s for the cost- which I agree is outrageous during holidays but to take them out of school isn’t really acceptable.

Ski trips, foreign trips are held in holiday time at my kids school

I think it's setting a bad example.

If your 11 year old is year 6 then yes, I would, much of year 6 is wasted on SATs prep.

Ask the teachers nicely for the topics they'll cover that week in maths and do a bit of work with the kids. All other subjects are easy to catch up.

If you can afford skiing at all you are not on the bones of your arse and can afford to have a more modest holiday in school holiday time.

Cut your cloth. Skiing is not essential.

I would. My DC went with school. Was educational. They had never got on a plane since tiny: no foreign holidays since age 5. Now doing it alone with group. Learning about travel. Experiencing a different country. Learning a new sport. Hearing the language they learn at school being spoken. Eating new foods.
Not all children get to go abroad every holiday for plenty of reasons.
Depends on how you define educational.

Ski trips, foreign trips are held in holiday time at my kids school

This. These are never in term time, the curriculum is too full to waste a week of time on an exclusive leisure activity most children's family can't afford.

YANBU to do it but YABU and really silly to pretend it's "educational". What education will they be getting on a ski slope? It's not a cultural experience.

If you're going on the basis of wanting the slopes to be quieter, check when other nationalities are on holiday. Yes, you'll avoid there being hundreds of other English kids but there may well be hundreds of other kids.
Also, check if English speaking ski schools are operating. If they are, you may get lucky and the children essentially have private tuition for the cost of group lessons. Or you may be unlucky and your children be significantly the oldest and, possibly, the only native English speaking children.

If a child was sick for 5 days no one would question catching up. They are still in primary school, do it but expect to pay the fines.

Before covid I would have said no. Now I couldn’t give a monkeys. Take them out of school.

Just say that this is the only time you and your husband can get annual leave together.

Our big state school does loads of trips Inc skiing. All in term time. They see education as widely defined.

Make sure you have good insurance in case they break a bone

By that argument, holidays in general aren't essential so maybe nobody should go anywhere 🙄

Missing a week of primary school will make no difference to their education long-term. Loads of children miss school for all sorts of reasons and manage to pass exams, to to university and get jobs without any kind of drama.

I'd be careful what with the lack of snow at the moment.