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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To take my child out of school for 6 months?

17 replies

momofonex · 26/11/2024 14:14

We're really debating going travelling for 6 months January 2026 - June 2026.

It would mean taking my child out of year 2 for 6 months (we would do school work whilst travelling).

We live in a very small area and there are currently around 7-8 spare places left in his year group, obviously we'd check closer to the time, but I don't think getting his space back at school would be an issue when we get back.

Thoughts? Smile

OP posts:
Poppins21 · 26/11/2024 14:19

I would travel but we plan to travel with DD for 2 years- will do doing GSCEs with online school so I might be bias. Good luck with your decision

ByHardyRubyEagle · 26/11/2024 14:21

Do it, but extend it to a full year of travel if you can. I was always jealous of my friend who did this for the whole of year 3 or 4 can’t remember now. Those memories will be better than school.

TipsyKoala · 26/11/2024 14:21

I have long dreamt of doing this but haven't due to the cost and not being brave enough to take the plunge! I guess it's not just the school place, it's also your job security, if you can afford to keep a home for your return etc. But what an amazing experience for a child.

Laffydaffy · 26/11/2024 14:43

The question I would ask yourself is, what will the children get out of 6 versus 2 months of traveling? And what will you get out it?

Kids at that age will probably enjoy traveling, and it is also such an adventure, but it is also exhausting for them and you. There will probably come a point when you hit the traveling-wall, where you are either all sick, sick of each other or sick of traveling or a combination. Are you flexible enough to come home or wait it out?

School at this age isn't of utmost importance, which is great, but committing to 6 months of regular school-work will also add to your stress, which ideally you want to minimise.

I raise these issues because we have friends with children doing something similar in a similar time-frame. When we last saw them, the parents were exhausted and, I suspect, depressed. It was a great adventure with solid planning, but half-way through, it has become a slog for all of them. The constant travel, budget balancing and looking after kids as well as navigating foreign countries with only English and google translate is hard enough work and I got the impression that the 6 months is way too long.

As an alternative, and what worked and still works for us (living in the EU) is having a base and making trips from there. A cheap apartment in a cheap city, for example.

I don't know if this helps. Travel alone is a great thing, travel with young kids can be fun, but taxing and as long as you are aware of it, you would probably be disappointed if you never did it. Just figure out your limits 😊

Sandwichgen · 26/11/2024 14:45

Who's going to set the schoolwork?

Almostthattimeoftheyearagain · 26/11/2024 14:45

Where will you go?

momofonex · 26/11/2024 14:57

Sandwichgen · 26/11/2024 14:45

Who's going to set the schoolwork?

No one will "set" the schoolwork. But my aunt is a year 2 primary school teacher (at another school) and she is happy to point us in the right direction of what we should be keeping up with whilst we're away. And we will have the entire summer holidays to catch up too. Smile

OP posts:
momofonex · 26/11/2024 14:58

Almostthattimeoftheyearagain · 26/11/2024 14:45

Where will you go?

SE Asia and maybe Australia too

OP posts:
GJD23000 · 26/11/2024 15:01

How old is your child if you don’t mind me asking? Sorry if I missed this above! We took my little girl traveling around South East Asia for four months when she was 4 and without a doubt it was the best thing we have ever done for her (so far!) The confidence it built in her was incredible, the cultures she saw, the food she ate, the friends she made (even those who couldn’t speak the same language) She still speaks about it to this day! She can speak to anyone and already I can see how much it has moulded her as a person. Do it!!

momofonex · 26/11/2024 15:03

GJD23000 · 26/11/2024 15:01

How old is your child if you don’t mind me asking? Sorry if I missed this above! We took my little girl traveling around South East Asia for four months when she was 4 and without a doubt it was the best thing we have ever done for her (so far!) The confidence it built in her was incredible, the cultures she saw, the food she ate, the friends she made (even those who couldn’t speak the same language) She still speaks about it to this day! She can speak to anyone and already I can see how much it has moulded her as a person. Do it!!

He'll be 6, turning 7 the month we get back

We actually took him to Thailand and Malaysia for a month when he was 3 and it was an amazing experience too! Glad you had a nice time Smile

OP posts:
jolota · 26/11/2024 15:05

Sounds like an amazing experience, I would do it for my child if I could take the time off work

Rocknrollstar · 26/11/2024 15:07

Have you checked with the school that they will hold their place?

Laffydaffy · 26/11/2024 15:10

What about a shorter trip through SE Asia and longer in Australia? Probably because I am Australian and want to go hoooome
Downside - Australia is hideously expensive and SE Asia is not. Upside - English 😊 makes traveling much nicer. Also, you can enroll your children in school for a few months in Australia, should you so desire.

Lelivre · 26/11/2024 15:18

I am an experienced home educator. My children are all in secondary school now but I home educated at primary level.They are in top sets across the subject range. My advice would be to focus on experiential learning and the joy of reading, even if this is little more than reading fun children chapter books to your child. I would forget about any formal learning.
Have fun!

WinterFollies · 26/11/2024 15:18

Go for it OP! Do it now before it all gets more difficult

Mandylovescandy · 26/11/2024 15:20

We have taken DC out of school for several months though spent most of it in one location. Was so good and beneficial for the kids that did a second time despite saying first time was once in lifetime thing. I would say to make sure to facilitate friendships at home as mine did miss their friends. Home education was easy as so much social sciences, geography, history, art etc could be done by exploring the new place with numeracy practiced in everyday situations and literacy just lots of reading. Have fun

Scattery · 26/11/2024 15:22

I would, in a heartbeat, and did (sort of!)

Home educated my son for the last bit of Y1 and throughout most of Y2. DD too although she was pre-nursery age. We stayed for 7 weeks with my family in California and when we went back to the UK we did a bit of formal schooling every day through workbooks. Did "field trip" type things with other home edders, things like museum visits and chocolate-making workshops.

Anyway DS is 16 now and got fantastic GCSE results, now at a selective sixth form studying 4 A levels. No regrets.

The only thing I'd tell you to look at is your timing. They sit SATs in Y2 around May. Missing them isn't a big deal (DS didn't take his) but some schools make a bit of a song and dance about it since it affects their tables.

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