Do you send your kids to school on their birthdays?

[charliecat]

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?

My mum used to keep us all off very occasionally as a treat!

We are not bad, deceitful people because of it!!

Shock horror announcement - everybody lies...

I know it shouldn't be encouraged, but lets not be OTT here, they will learn to lie anyway.

I think the difference with holidays in term time is that there is no real question about asking permission first and making suitable arrangements, so the equivalent here would be to fill in the form/write a letter in the same way.

shock horror announcement .. I would not encourage my children to purposefully lie nor endorse it

Weesadie.
Sorry with Twiglett on that one.

but the children probably won't lie, they will boast to their friends .. the lie would be completely pointless as the teachers will see through it immediately and I would find that very embarrassing as they would probably make some barely veiled comment if not ask direct about the day off next time you see them

lol, sorry but I just don't see it as a big deal...

Of course you shouldn't encourage it, but you don't need to it. They will do it anyway... and they will see it around. Little while lies for example.

Everyone will know why they aren't at school and it is totally unnecessary to keep them home to play with toys!They can play at the weekends

dd loves it when her class sings her happy birthday

By keeping them off school they'll miss out on the friends, and probably the teacher, wishing them happy birthday. And you'll be giving them the message that school isn't a nice place to be, and that it's OK to have a day off now and again. Which it isn't.

Are they not capable of waiting until the evening to play? Or is it you that wants them at home?

Of course I'd send mine to school. Why on earth would I keep them at home?? I used to love going in on my birthday - I felt really special!

I'd never lie about a child being ill either - always feels like tempting fate.

My dd would not accept being kept off school as she likes the fuss; she brings in sweets to hand out, she gets a sticker from her teacher and the Head, she gets cards from her close pals. She loves it. Then when she comes home there's cake with candles. She has only just turned 5 yo but she knows she will get alot of fuss at school.

Of course I send my children to school on their birthdays. They actually like going as they get a fuss made of them by all their friends and teachers!! DS2 was VERY upset that his birthday was in half term and he had to wait until the Monday to go to school and get his card from his class!!

Apart from the fact that they like school, they are not ill, and lets face it school is compulsory!! I don't think parents would be happy if the teachers or headteacher didn't turn up for school on the day of their birthday, do you!!???!!

It would never occur to me to keep my children off school because of their birthdays , although I do usually let dd choose which clothes she wants to wear to school that day - as her school has a fairly relaxed dress code.

charliecat, who's children are they your's or the school. I let our son have a day off on his birthday, one day is not going to hurt, let them enjoy it! (smile)

Re it not clashing with exams. My students have a science module examination next thursday. Module exams run through the year, so they may well clash. I realise that they are young now, but you are setting a bad precident.

What will yu do to make sure they catch up on the work they missed?

Not read all of this but Gawd, no, wouldnt dream of not sending ds in on his birthday. It would ber disapproved of big time and rightly so.

Of course I do ! Both DSs get shed loads of attention on their birthdays at school ! DD was born 8th August so she's always off school for the summer holidays during her birthday.

of course

Nothing, the same way I would do nothing if they had a snotty nose and a temperature and had the day off MB. They are both at the top end of thier classes BTW so this doesnt appear to have affected them when they have really been ill.

interestingly dd's birthday is always in the xmas hols and this pisses her off. ds's is sometimes in the easter hols and it pisses him off when it is and he missins all the attention in school.

It's not just about missed work (which can be a right pain) but about the example you give.

Bikermum - they'd probably have a better day if they were at school! If you don't let them go they'd be stuck at home wearing out their new toys. Chances are they'd be bored by lunchtime!

Blimey, I can't believe that anyone would seriously think about making their kids miss out on the school birthday stuff.

agree hercules

It is a short step to having days off for getting school shoes ot a new coat....or missing a vital part of the A level work becuaes the fancied going to a Gig (happened to me this week.....ggggrrrrr)