holidays in shcool term time adn bringin in sweets on return

[michellemcmanus]

does anyone elses kids have to endure kids taking holidays in term time then returning wiht sweets for their class mates?

totally agree puddle

its a very exciting week - tis not all about education

Homemamma if my children had to do SATS then I would deliberately take them out duringthat weeks but its a whole different thread

Sometimes you just NEED a holiday for your own sanity and if you are unable to take a holiday in holiday time through finances or not being alloowed the time off work then what's the huge deal.

Worse than that is the parents who book holidays for the first week back - their child misses all the settling in and getting to know the new teacher, and assessments etc.

Enid - I've agreed with all your posts

We hardly ever went on holiday when I was a child. wasn't a big deal to me - my parents couldn't afford it. I just remember very happy summers hanging out in the parks and back gardens of friends houses.

ds1's school (infants) ask parents who want to take the kids out in term time to try to take the holidays adjacent to half term etc. The kids are asked to keep a diary and bring it in when they return to school.

we went to Florida for 2 weeks in Oct - using half term and an additional week - I think the trip to Kennedy Space Center was educational at the very least .

I must admit that I did bring sweets back for the kids - I thought it was expected and didn't want to be mean.

Whenever anyone went on holiday in my office they were expected to bring back some goodies for those left behind holding the fort. Isn't that normal?

charmed I think is the word

apparently he's going to take dd1 to Switzerland and teach her to ski and all the names of the plants and rocks

As usual, there seems to be a divide between posters who do the 'right' thing and those who are wicked mummies denying their children their education - and a huge lack of empathy from the former for the latter.

My belief is that most parents try and do the right thing by their kids. But parents on lower incomes cannot always afford even the most basic holidays in peak time. And as has been pointed out - if they are young and not in exam/test periods, why should they miss out and have to listen to Isabella and Jeremy's tales of Morocco when they return in Sept?

Yes, of course they'll 'miss something' at school - but by a little forward planning and consultation with the teacher they needn't miss anything important.

DS1 had 1 term time week off to go to Spain with his Nanna. It was an opportunity I didn't want him to miss but I still only agreed to it because he was 6 and not missing anything important at school. DH & I have never had a foreign holiday because we simply can't afford it.

I do find it annoying when people do it repeatedly. My DB and SIL take their kids abroad 2 or 3 times a year - nearly always term time. Irritates the hell out of me but thats just my personal opinion.

Not to upset you, wordsmith, I bold someone's name so they won't miss seeing what I said....

I'm intending to take DS1 out for nearly 3 weeks in reception so we can take him to California, my very large extended family meets around Xmas-time, it's too far to go to only go for 2 weeks, so can't claim any moral highground....

A child was screaming at a local first school one day in January, absolutely howling & wailing like a distressed animal. The head told me that the parents had just returned from a 3 month trip to Bangladesh, & then just dumped the poor thing (4yo?) back in the school -- a young child with people he barely knew!! Puts all these debates about the odd week or 2 here or there into context.

Very good point puddle.
It is inconvenient and more costly to only go in the school hols. But the way I see it we have signed up to a contract with the school to keep ds there for the whole academic year and that's the way it has to be.
Blame the holiday firms who jack up the prices, say I - this is so much more obvious in the UK than France. Accommodation out there is only on average about £50 per week more expensive in July and August than it is in June and September.
British holiday home owners and tour operators should be ashamed of themselves.

oops, I meant 3 weeks when DS1 is in Yr-1.

well you can't turn this into a debate about low incomes wordsmith. the worst offenders are the very rich ones in dd's class (the ones that could afford private shcool but use her school instead as it is in the top 3 Dorset primaries)

Wasn't upset Zebra, quite the opposite, I felt VERY IMPORTANT!

batters

He does love her apparently although his parents are very rich and aristocratic so it would have to be across the class divide, sigh how romantic.

also she loves another - heartbreaking isnt it.

Absolutely enid. Same goes in ds' school. It's real bling holidays these children are being taken out for.

Good grief, Jules et Jim Go To Dorset...Enid how sweet

Young kids can't really distinguish between those of them that have been to different countries and those that went camping up the road. We do lessons on all sorts. I also agree that the last week can be fun but not really an alternative to the only chance of a holiday!
I also believe that education doesnt and shouldnt end in the classroom. As a parent and a teacher, I'd be offended if my DS's teacher implied that he would learn nothing worthwhile on holiday with his parents!

Enid, of course it's not a debate about low incomes but don't you think that's he reason most parents do book holidays in termtime? Or am I being naive again? If so please don't tar us all with the same brush.

yes marina, hence trixie to mauritius

they could easily afford holidays at the right time but IMO a lot of people just can't bear to be told what to do by a school