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Do you send your kids to school on their birthdays?

523 replies

charliecat · 12/11/2005 10:24

My dds have the same birthday and this year I am planning on keeping them off so they can enjoy their birthday.
The alternative is sending them, them not having 5 mins to open their pressies let alone play with them and then with a heavy heart sending them off crying. Not for me.
If they got up at 5am and had chance to play I wouldnt mind but we barely have time for anything in the morning as it is so it would be chaotic...anyway...how much trouble am I going to get in for this? Do I lie and say they both had tummy bugs or what? What do you do?

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ks · 12/11/2005 19:33

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Bikermum · 12/11/2005 19:34

hi roisin, he's 10 and yes many times it's just knowing whether it would really be the best thing to do iykwim. It would be nice if schools dealt with bullying better.

charliecat · 12/11/2005 19:37

Bikermums "At the end of the day perhaps some of us enjoy having our children at home,especially on their birthday, and i will not make apologies or excuses for that" Says what I am thinking.
Hope school gets better for him BM.

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Bikermum · 12/11/2005 19:41

KS, sorry to jump down your throat, but yes it is really hard when he's not having a good time of it at school.

Bikermum · 12/11/2005 19:43

charliecat
thanks and i hope your girls have a good day whatever you do!

charliecat · 12/11/2005 19:44
Smile
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Dior · 12/11/2005 19:48

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zippitippitoes · 12/11/2005 19:48

Bikermum

Find a school where he can become confident and raise his self esteem, it will make all the difference and it is well worth the hassle by a thousand percent

Dior · 12/11/2005 19:49

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bobbybob · 12/11/2005 19:59

Children in NZ start school on the actual day of their 5th birthday - it's a big thing and kids who have a birthday at the weekend or in the holidays actually have said to me that they wish they could go on their proper birthday. So I think Charliecat's suggestion would be considered very weird here.

Ds is currently only 2, but dh plans to take the day off work on ds's birthday until he starts school. After that we will celebrate his birthday by going away the nearest weekend - like we do for our birthdays.

Bikermum · 12/11/2005 20:00

Zippitippitoes
Would like to change his school we're just worried it will make things harder for him with not knowing anyone and being the new kid at school. It's hard to know what to do for the best.

zippitippitoes · 12/11/2005 20:05

Bikermum

I obviously can't advise but if i was I would say that you should seriously consider, would he go to secondary school next year?

Maybe stasrt a thread to find others experiences

ks · 12/11/2005 20:11

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Bikermum · 12/11/2005 20:14

Zippitippitoes,
no he has got a year and half left at this school.
Think a might start another thread on this one.
Thanks.

Bikermum · 12/11/2005 20:15

Thanks KS.

mumeeee · 12/11/2005 20:21

I haven't read all this thread, but I always send my children in on thier bit=rthdays.
When they were at primary school they were given a special mention n class and all thier cassmates sang Happy Birthday to them and the youger children ars given a birhday badge.
Now they are at high school they love seeing their friends on birthdays.
We do give presents before school, which means geting up slightly early and all they do realy is poen them quickly. Then after school they have fun looking at them proper;y and having a family birthday tee. They usually have a party for friends at hte weekend closest to thier birthdays.

hunkermunker · 12/11/2005 20:29

"By charliecat on Saturday, 12 November, 2005 2:59:22 PM

The example IMO is this is the day I gave birth to you, your Birthday and I would prefer if you were at home with me enjoying your toys and your day...
...If they want to go to school I will take them. I wont force them to stay home!
Its one day in a whole year."

Sorry to quote but it's miles down the thread now.

Nobody seems to have picked up on this. Charliecat, you say you would prefer that they were at home. Sounds like you said "presents and birthday fun at home or nasty old school that makes you cry"

And then "if they still want to go to school, so be it!" - of course they'll say no!

I think if you build birthdays up too much, they're very often a let-down. It's far nicer to have a little treat in the morning and look forward to more treats in the afternoon when you get home from school.

What if it just rains all day and they fight?

Aloha - PMSL at "I feel that if schools DO have Martianbishops in them this can only be for the good!" - imagine saying this in RL! (Totally agree, btw - just cannot imagine saying it with a straight face anywhere other than MN!)

Don't really agree that secondary is "different" from primary and if you've made a tradition of taking them out on their birthdays since they were 5, it'll be a bastard hard habit to break when they're 11.

I used to know someone who would send her child into school when she was ill. She told the child that she could have a day off when she felt well instead and they'd go shopping. Mental!

I've had exams on my birthday before. Should my mum and dad have said I couldn't do them "cos it's her birfday and we want to snuggle wiv our wickle gel!"?

charliecat · 12/11/2005 20:32

Banging Head against wall here. I DO want to spend my kids birthdays with them. What a shock to all. FGS.

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charliecat · 12/11/2005 20:32

Laughing at this in my house BTW.

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KristinaM · 12/11/2005 20:33

Charliecat - could you do some of the things suggested here to make your childrens' birthday more special? I mean without taking them out of school? It must be hard with them both having the same birthday - neither gets to have a special day to themselves. What about taking them out of school for lunch? I assume your school allows that? I knwo you wouldnt have much time but they are young enough to find it a novelty anyway. At 5 and 8 they will enjoy really small things

hunkermunker · 12/11/2005 20:34

God, do what you like.

Just don't start a "DDs' teachers hate me" thread in a week.

MarsLady · 12/11/2005 20:36

I always send them in.

No point in lying to their teachers or teaching the kids that it's okay to lie to the teachers either.

Why can't they come home to a special birthday tea?

Send them in with some sweets for the rest of the class!

LadySherlockofLGJ · 12/11/2005 20:39

Just spoken to my friend who is a teacher, she said and I quote............."Ahhhh yes, the enemy within" when pressed for clarification, she said, these sort of people undermine and fail to support the school when it suits them, and then complain loudly and persistently when they perceive the school to be failing their little darlings.

Nicely put I would have said.

piffle · 12/11/2005 20:39

Did no one else plan their kid to be born in half term?
Sheesh...
My kids always go unless they're properly sick or there is an extenuating circumstance like bullying etc...
We always do a party type dinner in the evening and save most presents until then too.

cod · 12/11/2005 20:39

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