To be annoyed at 'hope you had a great 1/2 term'

[jacketBandC]

Like most full time working parents I work most of the school holidays.
I've done it for years. I am also a lone parent. I have struggled with it. It is how it is and I get on with it.

Book club - 6 women. 3 work full or nearly full time, 2 work term-time, 1 home educating.
Every sodding school holiday we get a "phew...made it to the end of half term/term...can't wait for some time off" from one of the term-term workers.

My sister who KNOWS my situation was "Oh lucky you getting 2 weeks for 1/2 term".

I've had 2 emails from school today saying they hope I had a lovely 1/2 term.

Actually, I had one day off which was nice. The rest of it was just more juggling than usual, so nothing lovely really.

They're probably hoping you and your children had a nice half term. Like people wish each other a Happy Christmas

Most spend half term catching up on half a terms worth of house work and paperwork typically with a raging cold, and their own children to look after

i imagine your thunderous face at book club when this person dared to express excitement about the upcoming half term was picked up by others!

I think it’s implied that because your children are off school there might be slightly more family time and there was bonfire night and Halloween so things going on… it’s a break from the usual routine anyway.

Most people I know work during half term. Maybe not the whole week but a day off here and there at most.
It's still possible to have a nice half term and you get a break from school and all that that involves.
I think that if you had no kids, and half term was a total non event in your life then maybe I'd get it.
What about people who work weekends? Have you ever said "have a nice weekend" to one of those?

YANBU & I don't know why you're getting a hard time? I teach so always have half term off. But don't just assume other people do too. It must be hard juggling everything & I can see why it's annoying.

YABsomewhatU. Its just a bland conversation starter, people aren't thinking about your specific situation when they say it. And I say that as a lone parent who gets 5 weeks annual leave while my DC get 12 weeks school holidays.

One of my colleagues asked me if I'd had a nice week off, when I'd been to a close relatives funeral. She didn't mean anything by it, she's got her own shit going on and was making a nicety when she remembered I'd been on annual leave the previous week without remembering why. It's just surface chit chat, it pushed your buttons but it's not aimed at you.

Wow, I always say on my Friday newsletter ‘have a lovely weekend’ yet I know some of my parents work. Before a school holiday I will say have a lovely break/holiday or something to that effect, I know they don’t all get it off. The children do though and deserve the break!

Welcome to the club OP. Most parents have to juggle, so no need to be Scroogey about people having fun.

I too work full time and use annual leave to cover some, nowhere near all, school holidays. Even if I'm working, I would say half term is more enjoyable for everyone than term time.

and keep on doing it!

Hopefully this thread will show you that the Op is very very very much in the minority.

If it's so important to you to be off at half term, use your annual leave for the half terms or at least part of the week, so you also have something to look forward to. I do this as work full time also

Yeah i agree that is a bit shit

It's swings and roundabouts though op. I work term time and have to put up with the pay conversations every year when full time colleagues get a much bigger £ in the pot. Yes we getting off but it's not exactly relaxing either and we get zero pay when we are off so there's that too. Everyone's situation is different and there are pros and cons to both.

Well it's time off from the mundane school runs, packed lunches, homework and uniform so even that is a plus.

Maybe book a few days annual leave over the half term to feel like you get a break too.

Work full time then!!!!

have you never wished anyone a good weekend Op? they may have had work

It's just a nice comment, classic email filler just like I hope you had a nice weekend, or on a Friday saying have a great weekend. I'm sure some parents work weekends too. They can't get it right for everyone but at least they're trying to be pleasant. It's meaningless so let it wash over your head.

With the best will in the world OP - it's not about you. They're asking if your family had a nice half-term really, ie. the kids.

I'm a single mum too, I work all the time (only way I can get my hours in around the school run). When people ask me if I had a good half term, I give an honest answer - 'I was working for most of it, but we did X and Y which was Z'

It's small talk, people are being nice. Be nice back.

Isn't it horrible when something really annoys you or upsets you and you write a post about it on MN and instead of getting some sympathy, you get sarcastic, bitchy comments?
There really are some nasty pieces of work on here.

oh don’t be daft!

It a social niceity, nothing more. Same way I start emails to colleagues with 'Hope you are well'. Don't read too much into it

I work full time and a lot of the time I am working half terms/christmas break, but I use all my annual leave during those periods so I get some time off with my kids.
Some some half terms I would need to reply with "Ahh we didn't get up to much, I was working/the kids were in holiday club/they watched a lot of TV" - and other half terms I'd be able to say "I had some time off, we did XYZ".
I get you're frustrated that you didn't get this half term off, but it's not meant maliciously by those who did.

I get you @jacketBandC . Everyone else can just fuck off🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I also work FT and had one non-weekend day off over Halloween break.

We did have a lovely midterm though. We saw family on both weekends, went to a pumpkin patch, on DH's day with the kids they did a treasure hunt and on mine we went out for lunch and then came home and played bobbing for apples etc. The kids went trick or treating with friends. They did some really lovely activities at nursery/out of school club.

No offence taken here. Particularly from teachers, who I would assume were really thinking about the children's break rather than the parents.

Many people work year round in schools. They are probably slightly more pissed off at everybody (including other staff) assuming they're off as well.

People don't think... don't worry about it.
I have a school run mum friend who moans at me every day about how busy and stressed she is... she is a sahm and knows I work full-time.
I always wish her a nice day and sometimes even "hope you get 5 mins peace" knowing she has a cleaner and I will be cleaning up the breakfast things while on a zoom call / needing a wee / trying to eat something.... She always thanks me with a heavy sigh and weary smile. Poor thing.