Taking kids out of school early to have Christmas with Grandparents

[Backyard72]

Last day of school is December 18th, but we're thinking of taking our son out a week earlier so we can keep ourselves to ourselves for a bit and then feel safe having Christmas with my parents who are in their 70s.

I presume there're quite a lot of other people in this situation?

Mine are in secondary and we are doing exactly this. The whole family will isolate for 14 days - I dont think 7 or 10 is enough to be sure. Normally I wouldnt dream of taking them out of school but they can work from home for a week. Their grandparents have basically been locked in the house since March, they need this.

Kids have missed out so much on their education already, why would you want them to miss more?

Potential of missing more school if needing to isolate.

I wouldn't and it's quite offensive to teachers to assume it's a waste of time.

I can foresee loads of people calling in sick for the week before Christmas.

Also massively increased demand for covid tests.

Also loads of kids off school.

Using covid tests when you don't have symptoms, just to get a proven negative test, does seem quite selfish.

Don’t see a problem with this as long as the children are happy to miss last week or two. Education can be caught up, seeing elderly grandparents and making memories is something that can’t.

@Stellaris22

Kids have missed out so much on their education already, why would you want them to miss more?

Potential of missing more school if needing to isolate.

I wouldn't and it's quite offensive to teachers to assume it's a waste of time.

A balanced decision needs to be made, that's all. No offence to teachers. Everyone knows less academic work is done in the week before the Christmas break up.

I would do it in a heart beat if I had primary school children and parents in this country. Unfortunately my eldest is in yr 11 and we don't live in the same country as any of their grandparents

I took my children out before the end of term before Christmas before and really regretted it. They missed stuff they wanted to do that they had been building up to for weeks. I felt so guilty. I asked them the following year what they wanted to do as we could have taken them out a day early to get a cheaper break away. They all wanted to attend school, even the one who doesn't like school as he would have missed the teachers doing a funny play.

Just checked, my son is totally OK with missing the last week.

*@Covidfears

'However we want to go and stay with my parents for a bit before Xmas so it will be about 10 days of isolation before we see them. We will all be taking a Covid test before we go (we’ll lie and get a free one). My sister and her family will be doing the same.'*

Wow. If everyone has the same 'clever' idea the whole testing system will collapse again. Screw all the families who actually need tests before Christmas due to symptoms, let them have a Merry Isolation completely stuck at home instead eh.

This really is the height of selfishness.

[quote GreenOwlBlue]*@Covidfears

'However we want to go and stay with my parents for a bit before Xmas so it will be about 10 days of isolation before we see them. We will all be taking a Covid test before we go (we’ll lie and get a free one). My sister and her family will be doing the same.'*

Wow. If everyone has the same 'clever' idea the whole testing system will collapse again. Screw all the families who actually need tests before Christmas due to symptoms, let them have a Merry Isolation completely stuck at home instead eh.

This really is the height of selfishness. [/quote]
Yep! I wasn’t selfish before this pandemic, not at all. I am now though as people being selfish and only thinking of themselves have completed screwed up our life and business. No support for us. I’ve seen how little people actually care about each other so from now on I’m looking after number 1 - my family.

Oh and I’m also being forced to send children to school by people who don’t care whether they bring the virus home to their vulnerable family with the threat of fines. So yes, I shall do exactly as I please from now on and screw everyone else. No one cares if we live or die - we are just statistics. People with underlying conditions who no one gives a stuff about.

Everyone knows less academic work is done in the week before the Christmas break up.
Well. In a normal year, probably. There are shows and Carol services and maybe a trip out. We won't have any of that this year though will we?

I might do the same, and suggest it to my friends. I'm sure my year 10, 11, 12 and 13 students won't mind me putting myself before their education.

MrsHam you could just stream lessons from your house surely? They don't need you in

@MrsHamlet

I might do the same, and suggest it to my friends. I'm sure my year 10, 11, 12 and 13 students won't mind me putting myself before their education.

I might do the same, will just have to phone in sick to my nhs job. Hope none of my colleagues have the same idea or there’ll be none of us left....

I’m assuming all the people thinking this is a good idea don’t work out of the house?

@Covidfears

Oh and I’m also being forced to send children to school by people who don’t care whether they bring the virus home to their vulnerable family with the threat of fines. So yes, I shall do exactly as I please from now on and screw everyone else. No one cares if we live or die - we are just statistics. People with underlying conditions who no one gives a stuff about.

I know how you feel @Covidfears it’s starting to make me feel like being selfish too. You get nowhere by doing the right thing. We’ve spent the whole time following the rules and working hard. I heard of someone today (a friend of a friend) who is self employed and received a cash sum from the government to tide her over, but has actually still been working, so has been raking it in. Apparently they’re spending 50k getting a new kitchen. Makes me sick.

@Possums4evr

MrsHam you could just stream lessons from your house surely? They don't need you in

I could if I deemed education to be important. If I deemed it less important than my holiday, I might not.

I can see the government potentially seizing on this idea of closing schools early. It will not be good for all the kids whose parents can't afford to feed them for an extra week at home or who have a miserable time at home, who already did poorly out of the spring lockdown. Not that the government will be bothered by that. Though they might by the idea that if all the staff working on the NHS frontline, in testing centres, in supermarkets and shops have to take an extra week off work for lack of childcare, that will fuck up people's cosy Christmas plans even more. Not to mention the availability of testing.

Do you think you will actually be able to visit your parents? The local prediction is this area will come out of lockdown into tier 3. So I'm not expecting to see my parents over Christmas - it would also need to include overnight stays for us to make it worth while.
If the rules after lockdown include visiting indoors in the group size you will be in, go for it.

If I wasn’t a teacher I would definitely do this.

In primary school they would normally spend a significant amount of time over the next 6 weeks practicing for nativities, Carol services, assemblies, discos etc that can't happen this year. Unless my children really didn't want to miss the last week, I'd have no problem doing it.

I know how hard teachers work (I was one) and I know it's definitely not all 'films till Xmas' but this has been one hell of a year. My kids have had time to socialise with their friends now, they have not seen any of their family since last Xmas.

Op why are you even asking if the head will be cool, you're not bothered, your dc is OK with it.. What's the issue here?

If my dp were still alive there is no question that I would take the dc out to be with them and all feel safe!
School is not safe, and seeing loved older family is very precious. I'd do it in a heart beat..

I wish people would value education more. If schools just decided to shut people would complain. But it's fine for you to pick and choose when you turn up to free education with well qualified, hardworking teachers. It's a kick in the teeth to teachers who are working hard and planning like mad to make sure that every lesson counts even more this year.