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Original poster

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?

OP posts:
LadySherlockofLGJ · 12/11/2005 15:35

Allow me to join you.

Parp

At student asking for tutoring in your lunch hour.

Skyler · 12/11/2005 15:36

The more I think about this the more irresponsible I think you are being. The idea of letting them have every single birthday off school is sending an unbelievably bad message. Why do they cry when they go to school? Should this not be addressed? I would have hated to be kept off school on my birthday and always felt sorry for people who had birthdays in the holidays. Did you not enjoy school?

zippitippitoes · 12/11/2005 15:37

charlie did they come up with the idea of having the day off themselves, or was it your idea?

Blandmum · 12/11/2005 15:37

Honest to god! I ws gobsmacked and said no. I posted a thread on MN at the time to see if people thought I was being unfair. The consensus was that I wasn't

Nightynight · 12/11/2005 15:39

send them to school!

why not let them open the pressies the night before?

Skyler · 12/11/2005 15:42

Why can't they open the presents after school?

SoupDragon · 12/11/2005 15:42

If you're so sure you're doing the right thing, tell the school exactly why you're keeping them off. The fact that you are going to lie about it proves that you think it's wrong.

mugface · 12/11/2005 15:43

but going out celebrating the birthday on a different day is just not the same. Like charliecat says, they kept hers out of lessons because of a photographer and my ds1 has been taken out of lessons quite a few times to help the headmaster upload photos from the school camera , because he's a whizz on computers and also to do gardening in the school grounds (saving them a bob or 2)
it's o.k when it suits!
and maybe, making memories is nearly as important.
if they can allow 2 weeks off for a holiday why is one day for a day trip any different?
and, by the way, i am NOT trying to be argumentative, i am just surprised that i seem to be in the minority.

Blandmum · 12/11/2005 15:44

If nothing else, I think it shows that you know the staff will think it is wrong and that you don't care much about your kid's education.

zippitippitoes · 12/11/2005 15:44

presents after school if there isn't time in the morning to open any (can't see why you'd open them the night before..might as well brign the birthday forward to the previous day!)

LadySherlockofLGJ · 12/11/2005 15:44

Good point Soupy.

Blandmum · 12/11/2005 15:45

and as I posted, schools don't want them to be out for two weeks. they only say that because they have to

zippitippitoes · 12/11/2005 15:47

making memories though isn't that like a bit faking it up..

the day can still be special even if they go to school

SoupDragon · 12/11/2005 15:47

The "holidays in term time" thing is mainly for those families who have to take holidays at certain times of the year. It's not because 2 weeks away won't matter.

Rhubarb · 12/11/2005 15:48

Can I just pop in and say, seriously, that if your child is having a birthday party, DO NOT give out invites in school please! dd's whole class got invites to one of her friend's birthday parties and for some reason she didn't get one. The invites were handed out in class in front of her and everyone. Understandably she was very upset and tearful all afternoon, she burst into tears when dh went to pick her up.

It's a shit thing to do. If you invite kids to a party, do it outside of school please!

doormat · 12/11/2005 15:50

thats very sad rhuby
kids can be so cruel

as for presents I always give them first thing in the morning

mugface · 12/11/2005 15:51

i aggree it can still be special going in to school, which my kids have done.
but, i just think that if one kid (as in ds2class) can go off to spain for 2 weeks then mine should be able to go to southprt for the day!
I don't understand the faking it thing???

and i do aggree that if a child has been off for a gig the teacher should not be expected to help catch him up the day after.
I understand that teachers are very busy and have a LOT to do.

aloha · 12/11/2005 15:54

I hope schools have changed because I HATED having my birthday at school...but then I loathed every second of school. Ghastly, ghastly, ghastly.
I went and I suppose ds and dd will got and I hope they enjoy it more than I did.
I find it really odd that all these children enjoy school. I am sure if you say they do, they do, but I simply can't imagine it.
Who would prefer school to home unless their home life was horrendous? You all seem to have lovely families and lovely homes, which makes it all the more baffling for me.
I'd ALWAYS rather have been at home. Still feel the same way - much rather be at home than in a horrible office.

Blandmum · 12/11/2005 15:56

But is the teacher supposed to hellp your child catch up for the missed day? Or are you happy forthere to be a gap in your kids education for that day? And what does it say about the value you lace on educations. It sends a clear message that other things are more important.....like opening presents, sorry but I think that is crap. And the teachers in CC's kids school will think the same thing

doormat · 12/11/2005 15:57

aloha my kids love school as it is their social clique

NomDePlume · 12/11/2005 15:57

Should DH take the day off work to celebrate the kid's birthday too ?

zippitippitoes · 12/11/2005 15:57

if they don't like school or charliecat doesn't like them being at school that is something to work out as an issue itself, it's not really connected to having a day off for your birthday

Skyler · 12/11/2005 15:58

Aloha, that is .
I hope schools have changed too. I don't suppose it is school but the fact childrens friends (hopefully) are there. I was bullied at school and yet would still rather have been there.....
Rhubarb - Your poor dd .

Skyler · 12/11/2005 15:59

Sorry sent too soon.
Would rather have been there as the friends I did have were there.
I was lucky to have a happy homelife too, but knew there was no comprimise when it came to going to school.

NomDePlume · 12/11/2005 15:59

aloha, my DSs enjoy school because all their mates are there, if they were taking the day off school for their birthday they would be bored stiff by lunch-time as all their mates would be at school !