Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Going to school on your birthday?

131 replies

DinnaeFashYersel · 04/09/2023 08:47

My 15 year old birthday boy has headed off this morning seething with injustice at being made to go to school on his birthday.

He's never had the day off before but claims "everyone" else does and is full on grumpy teenager 😂about it.

Do people really give their children their birthdays off school?

Am I unreasonable to make him go to school or should I have given the wee snowflake the day off?

(Note for context: we are in Scotland so this is the 3rd week of term and not the first day back)

YABU: unreasonable, wee snowflake should be resting in his bed playing on the xbox
YANBU: get his erse to school

OP posts:
Dontcallmescarface · 04/09/2023 16:03

DD was always at school for hers though (apart from twice when it fell on a BH). She usually works on her birthday, but there have been a handful of times when she hasn't.

I've never been at school/work on my birthday (December 25th), and often wonder if it doesn't feel like a birthday if you do.

readbooksdrinktea · 04/09/2023 16:04

My friend don't send hers in on their birthday. I think it's strange tbh.

illiterato · 04/09/2023 16:04

Another “exams on my bday”person. 16th- 2 GCSE exams, 18th- no exams but all my mates and I in the thick of revision so no time to party, 21st- 6 hours of finals and then 2 hours of sports practice. Couldn’t drink as has really important races 3 days after my bday. Made up for it on my 30th though.

Dontcallmescarface · 04/09/2023 16:10

toomuchlaundry · 04/09/2023 11:27

DH's firm gives employees their birthday off as an extra holiday, makes special arrangements for those who would miss out due to bank holidays eg 25th December, but if it happens on a weekend you miss out on that year

Ours does the same although if the birthday falls on a weekend/BH/Christmas shutdown, then the employee gets the last working day before off.

Nopenott0day · 04/09/2023 16:10

I had a 5 hour exam on my 18th. Never took a day off school for my birthday as a kid.

Now I'm a self employed adult and always have my birthday off.

Glittertwins · 04/09/2023 16:13

I have a school holiday birthday and apart from one time (Scrooge type employer), I take my birthday off work. I've never heard of the birthday day off from school - I suspect it's kids trying it on rather than it being a thing.

Bluevelvetsofa · 04/09/2023 16:17

I was always doing exams on my birthday when I was at school.

At the start of term, even if you give them the day off, they’ll probably be on their own, because everyone else is at school/ work.

turkeyboots · 04/09/2023 16:18

My birthday falls on or near a bank holiday weekend so always had a day off school the same week! DC go to school when their birthdays fall on a school day, but more often than not they fall into half term or Easter break.

Original poster
DinnaeFashYersel · 04/09/2023 16:21

He's home now. Got his presents. Getting a fish supper from the chippy for his tea. And cake. He is celebrating with his friends next weekend.

Happy boy despite being forced to go to school for the day. 😂

OP posts:
shivbo2014 · 04/09/2023 16:36

My birthday is tomorrow so it was nearly always the first day back at school and I never had the day off.

UsingChangeofName · 04/09/2023 17:08

Such an odd concept to make your dc miss their birthday at school.

As so many others have said, he should be grateful he isn't having GCSEs, A Levels and Finals on his birthday. Or, and my dn had, picking up his A-level results on his 18th birthday.

BackToOklahoma · 04/09/2023 17:19

Such an odd concept to make your dc miss their birthday at school.

lol. I don’t think anyone is ‘making’ their child be off school.

UsingChangeofName · 04/09/2023 17:26

Yes, there are plenty that do.
I've come across it on here, and I've come across it in real life, as a teacher.

"Oh, I didn't bring Jayden-Leigh in because it was their birthday" was not uncommon in one school I taught at.

MerryMarigold · 04/09/2023 17:27

YANBU. Surely by 15 you recognise the "EVERYBODY has a much better life/ better parents than me." I usually just shrug and say, "I doubt it."

BackToOklahoma · 04/09/2023 17:29

@UsingChangeofName I only did it when my kids asked, as did other parents I know. None of us were ‘making’ our children have the day off.

UsingChangeofName · 04/09/2023 18:16

@BackToOklahoma Well, at 4, turning to 5 years old, it was clearly a concept that the parents had suggested to them.

megletthesecond · 04/09/2023 18:19

Yanbu.
Having birthdays off is an adults privilege. Kids need to go to school.

Twentypastfour · 04/09/2023 18:22

(Primary) School always make a bit of a fuss of them on birthdays and the birthday child normally hands round sweets or equivalent so I don’t think many children are that sad about going to school on their birthdays.
Secondary I can see being annoyed and by then there is no singing or special birthday cushion to sit on of course! But by then it’s just tough isn’t it? Like others, I sat at least one GCSE on my birthday.

thaegumathteth · 04/09/2023 18:26

Ds is usually off because it's very close to Christmas. It's rubbish cos nobody is free that day.

Dd is September and has almost always been at school.

usernother · 04/09/2023 19:23

Why?

usernother · 04/09/2023 19:25

Daisyislazy · 04/09/2023 15:34

I let my DS stay off

Why?

MojoDojoCasaHouse · 04/09/2023 19:28

My August born child is very smug about never being at school on her birthday. Pain in the arse organising parties though. The October born child goes to school as normal.

BackToOklahoma · 04/09/2023 19:29

(Primary) School always make a bit of a fuss of them on birthdays and the birthday child normally hands round sweets or equivalent so I don’t think many children are that sad about going to school on their birthdays.

It was that fuss that one of my kids hated. Even when we asked for them to not do the whole, badge, singing, stand up in assembly thing, the school still did it. She didn’t go in on her last few birthdays at primary and was much happier.

Daisyislazy · 04/09/2023 19:32

usernother · 04/09/2023 19:23

Why?

Because I wanted him to have a nice day

silverretrieve · 04/09/2023 19:32

I’m 23. When I was at school, most people liked going in on their birthday as they’d usually have a fuss made out of them by their mates, a birthday badge, cards. The girls usually got presents. There would usually be a birthday outing or house party, so they’d spend the day talking about that at school. I was one of the people whose birthday always falls on a holiday so felt like I missed out on getting my birthday acknowledged! Ever since my 17th birthday I took the day off education and work if I didn’t have it off already.