to wonder why anyone sans-children would choose to take annual leave during the summer school holidays?

[OrmRenewed]

Everything is crowded and expensive.

And more importantly those poor buggers who are tied to school holidays to get time away are then stuck. There was a sudden run on booking leave today and it turns out that most of August is now booked - 2 weeks of which by someone with no children. It doesn't mean I can't take any leave but I will have to book the last few days of July and a few days at start of Sept. And if I whinge enough to my boss I might be able to get him to agree to my taking a week in August as long as I'm unofficially 'on call' ie I go nowhere without my mobile.

Arse!

Oooh pooexplosions, have I touched a nerve ?

Good lord, all I was asking for was a little cconsideration .

And colder?

Hardly a huge difference in temperature. Especially if you are going somewhere with a hotter clinate anyway.

I know it's annoying for you - but your restrictions are not their problem. There's no reason at all why they should have to take your likely plans in to consideration when booking their leave. How would they even know you were planning a holiday at all? Not everybody goes away every year.

pooexplosions:

"See this is why people without children get pissed off with those who do. Those people who think that shouting "but I have a baaabeee" is some kind of ticket to walk over other people. I mean, obviously you should get your holidays when you want and they should share out the scraps amongst themselves when your little darlings are on school.

In case I wasn't clear, YABEU"

To be fair the OP didn't say anywhere in her post that she thought people with children should get priority on holiday dates. ther people seem to have put those words in her mouth.

She was just wondering why anyone would want to go away then when they had no kids and expressing her disgruntlement that she had less choice of leave.

I know that many people with children may have no choice about it, e.g. teachers, stop weeks etc. But where you have got the flexibility to go away outside of that period I really can't understand why anyone should still choose August. Nothing to do with being nice to colleagues who are parents just simply because it is so much cheapre and less crowded.

Until DD started school we always holidayed in June and/or late September.

Tis true NL. But it's a very small team and we usually get together to discuss it unofficially. Which is how I know not to book the time between Christmas and NY as everyone else likes to book that. I guess I must have missed out on the discussion this year (or it was more convenient for him not to bother ).

maybe some of these people have jobs where they holiday at the same time as the children; eg teachers?!

Ormreward..What I would do if I was you (in fact what I used to do) is write in my Outlook Calendar or diary or whatever you use on the earliest posible date that you can book next years leave and be the first person to bring it up. Have your dates ready. I used to do that on the 1st April ,go and see my line manager with new card and say I was thinking about booking my holiday this weekend no ones booked the 18th August have they?

YABU. I never even thought about children's term time or holidays when booking leave pre-children. It's nice to get away in summer, and lots of work places are quiet, so people do so.
You certainly can't resent a child-free person who has booked the weeks you want, they could have a wedding to attend, a villa holiday with family members with children, a bargain deal, who knows - it's your own fault for waiting too late.

rimmer - as I may have mentioned once or twice DH is a teacher!