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?

We're going to Puerto Pollensa, tiredemma - any hints and tips gratefully received.

i know- they are a chain of complexes in the north of the island. That one is new- its lovely, can picafort is really nice aswell- beach is lovely.

potty have you been to puerto pollensa before? its beautiful- has a lovely treelined promenade.

can highley recommend Formentor beach which is about 10 mins drive from puerto pollensa, the sea is crystal clear and really safe for little ones.

No, not been before. Have a car so will be able to get about a bit too [excited emoticon]

potty has got BIG 'uns

my Mum has been there Potty and she Looooooves it.

i am so jealous of all of you ahving nice hols but I do get to spend free holidays in sunny staffordshire whenenevr i please

oooh, if you have a car then the following are a must-
drive through the 'sierra tramuntana' which stretches from formentor in the north, all the way down to calvia on the south of the island- within this area is a beautiful port called port soller which had a little marina and some lovely fish restuarnts. further inland are the inland villages of deya ( micheal douglas and richard branson ahve homes in this village) and the town of valldemossa which has a beautiful monastry and is where Frederic Chopin composed his work.

If you drive to valldemossa first you can actually go on the "orange blossom express" which is a 100 year old train which goes from valldemossa in port soller and goes through the mountains and through the orange and lemon groves- its good fun for kids.

the best water parks are on the south of the island and worth a day out.
which accom are you staying in?

One of the reasons I am looking forard to DS starting 'proper school' is that I will impose a firm 'no hols in school time' rule, and then we WON'T have to go to Mauritius!
My IL's live there, we have to stay with them, in the middle of a dusty fumy city, it costs us a complete fortune, if we want to go to the beach it's a 45 min drive behind a toxic cement lorry, with 17 cousins and aunties in tow, and of the only two family members who can drive, I'm the only one who isn't an alcoholic - so no beach cocktails for ME!

Complete believer on the 'no time off school work ethic', and a leaky tent in Norfolk!

Blatant thread hijack.

Thanks tiredemma - staying at aparthotel Duva, on the outskirts I think, but recommended by a friend.

Fio - I've got room in my suitcase for you......am leaving one of my big 'uns at home as I'm not spending good money to look at his moany face for a fortnight lol.

Gosh blu I'll never be envious of your trips "home" again

Blu - sounds like a dream holiday........not!

well tbh if I only had £200 to spend on a holiday and my only option was to take the kids out of school I wouldn't go. I'd stay at home, take 2 weeks off work during the holidays and do lots of fun outings and stuff with the kids instead.

potty i might have to lose some weight else the whole of your family will have to drag the suitcase accross the airport lounge

dont blame you for leaving the 'moany' one at home

lots of fun outings and stuff can cost more that £200 for a family of four. cant belive that an adfult ticket to chessington cost £28!!
zoo trips can cost a lot. there isnt much free stuff round here.

just because we can only afford £200 for accomadation doesnt mean we shouldnt be able totake the kids out of school for a few days a year. as long as its not a month long holiday to malta etc, then whats the prob? my dd is hardly going to miss a lot on one day out in reception. we need this break, we need this holiday, its what the doc has perscribed.

My mum enrolled me, DH and the boys in the National Trust (£51 online for families) as a birthday present so we can go to loads of places for free in the summer.

But seriously - I would hate not to be able to see the sea once a year at least (I live just about as far from the coast is is possible.) Day trips to the nearest seaside are possible but at least a 2.5 hour drive. I would feel happier about Enid's 'days out' suggestion if going to the seaside wasn't so special for me and my kids.

they want the beach.

misdee I really can't see a problem with this - the law states that you can take 10 days a year for an annual family holiday - I posted the link below.

Don't feel guilty - go and have a good time

Have a fab time Misdee, hope the weather's good.

oh come on misdee thats not fair. Of course if your dr has prescribed it you should do it.

But Enid that's just what several posters have been trying to point out - there are all sorts of reasons that people need holidays in term time. OK some of them may be incredibly rich poeple trying to take advantage of the best weather in St Kitts, but most of them probably aren't! And what's wrong with wanting to see Disneyland when it's not so crowded? (You'd have to pay me to go any time but then I'm not typical) A dogmatic view that 'this is wrong' simply isn't fair.

Gosh! still so heated! Misdee, you are not breaking the law, you are not even doing anything that terrible (IMO) You are simply doing what is right for you and your family. Enjoy your holiday!

misdee- you are allowed 10 days holiday a year from school, and providing your children aren't in exam years (meaning GCSEs/A level type ones) then I can't see the problem TBH.

Yes, school is very important (I was a teacher) and its merits should be pushed all the way.

But IMO family time is very important too - and some people don't have the time available or the finances available to do out of term holidays.

My dad worked in a factory when me and my brother was little. His only holidays were prescribed by the factory in shut down weeks. these were not in school holiday time, so we alsways went away in term time. Both me and my brother held school and education as important, never truanted or bunked off, never caused trouble at school and always worked hard. We both gained a good range of qualificatiosns, both have degrees and both work in decent jobs now. Missing two weeks of school once a year really isn't going to hurt, honest.

Fact is that right now holidays are MUCH cheaper in term time. Until that changes people will always have this dilemma. Unless holiday companies make changes people will always take their children out, and really when you look at it that way who can blame them, especially if finances are tight.

I am having my first term time holiday this year, having left teaching at easter. The exact smae holiday is costing be £1500 cheaper than going in August - half price!!! I know this as I did work out both costs out of curiousity. that is a heck of a lot of money!

Having a holiday together - away from home, no house/work distractions, relaxing and having fun, is really important. IMO it is just as important as schooling and education (and work for that matter). Has to be the balance.

Hear hear Hulababy.

DS1 has just come home from school with a letter re 'holiday leave'. In this academic year there has been 125 requests and in his year 40% of children requesting it! I think there is about 330 pupils so it's obviously a big problem.

They are looking at refusing all requests.

I'll be taking my children out of school during term time this year and probably every year to come. Dh is Argentinian, all his family live there and we aim to take the children once a year. Otherwise they will grow up not knowing that side of their family, not understanding the culture, probably not bilingual, and feeling like outsiders in a country to which we want them to feel they belong.

Dh's family aren't in a position to come here so we go there. This year we are going over Christmas so the children will miss the end of that term plus the first couple of days of the next term. Argentina is a long way away and it is not feasible to go for any less than three weeks (as a bare minimum). I'm pregnant so we can't go during the summer holidays this year and anyway the seasons are reversed so it would be winter there and we would barely see dh's family as they would all be working.

Fortunately they are at a school with a very broad ethnic mix of children, many of whom have extended families abroad, and a headteacher who takes the view that they only gain from visiting other places. It is quite acceptable for younger children to have up to a month out of school during term time.

I can't believe that anyone would think we are wrong to do this.