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Original poster

Right, you lot told me to let ds take the day off school so can you invent a good excuse?

20 replies

edam · 07/07/2010 17:43

A while ago I started a thread asking 'should I really let ds have the day off to go up to town with me when I'm going to Clarence House to meet Prince Charles even though ds won't be allowed in and will only get as far as the door'? And you all said 'yes'. Hundreds of you! And you kept on saying yes even when I asked the head and she said she couldn't authorise it.

So now I need you to come up with a plausible excuse for ds having the day off. Something I can phone up with in the morning. But that means he's OK to go back the following day.

Pretty please with a cherry on the top?

(Btw, got ds's report yesterday and he has 100% attendance this year so it's not the worst thing I've ever let him do...)

OP posts:
sarah293 · 07/07/2010 17:43

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fruitshootsandheaves · 07/07/2010 17:46

He can't enter a learning establishment on July 8th if it falls on a Thursday as it is against his religion.

sarah293 · 07/07/2010 17:52

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valiumSingleton · 07/07/2010 17:55

I have on occasion taken the children out of school and the trick imo is not to ask the teachers permission! That sounds disrespectful but I don't mean it to be! It's that I don't want to put them in an awkward position, because the school's party line is always going to be that they can't be seen to endorse bunking off.

So on the occasions I've done it, I've just sent them in with a note the day after and said something like "yesterday we met up with cousins who were in the country for only a short while'. "yesterday we went to Clarence House" is a good enough reason. You are the parent. You took the decision. The teachers are human. Most of them have kids! They get it! And if they get it, they respect your decisions.

My children's attendance is good btw. My dd has missed about 2 or 3 days this last year.

NorkyButNice · 07/07/2010 18:16

If you've already asked and they've said no then why bother making up an excuse? They'll know you're fibbing, surely?

Just call and say he won't be in, then send a note explaining the next day.

Original poster
edam · 07/07/2010 20:10

Thanks everyone and @ fruit & Riven.

Norky, yes, that's the problem - having been persuaded against my initial judgment that this was a good reason for a day off, I went and asked for permission. Which has been refused. Is now v. awkward but given ds knows about me going (saw the gold-embossed invite and is v. excited) and MN persuaded me it would be a good thing and it's end of term and he got a good report and has 100% attendance (hadn't realised it was that good this year)... am just making excuses, really.

Also awkward as I know the teacher who said she can't authorise it socially AND I have a role at the school myself (don't want to give more details in case she recognises me - although I think she's far too busy atm).

OP posts:
itsatiggerday · 07/07/2010 20:13

You asked permission, they refused, but you're still the parent. If you do it and send a note in next day, what are they going to do anyway? Wouldn't lie about it as that imo is more irresponsible both in example to your ds and in the relationship with teacher/school than you deciding this is the best for your own child in this case.

SagacityNell · 07/07/2010 20:18

DOn't lie about it as your DS and his teacher know. INstead send him in after lunch or the next day with a note and get him to do a mini project. (i missed how old he was)

PandaG · 07/07/2010 20:22

tell the truth. take him out for the day, and let them know you are doing so. They will not authorise the absence, so you feel the day is important enough for him to miss schoool so unfortunately it will be an unauthorise absence. This will harm the school not your DS.

much better to tell the truth, and if his attendance is so good up till now (and I never say this) so what for the one educational day?

Original poster
edam · 07/07/2010 20:41

OK, so I phone the school in the morning and say 'edam's ds won't be in today'?

OP posts:
nearlytoolate · 07/07/2010 20:52

I think you should have told them right after permission was refused that you were going to do it anyway.

Frankly I'd have used that as an excuse to say he couldn't go, if that's what I really thought!
tbh now you are in this situation you have to 'fess up i think.

londonmackem · 07/07/2010 20:53

"Edam's DS won't be in today as he is accompanying me to Clarence House" (you didn't say he was going in!). You won't be talking to the teacher at this point. Put in note the next day 'Edam's DS was not in yesterday as we went on a family visit to Clarence House. He will of course catch up any work missed'.

I wouldn't say too much as the more you say the more it becomes a much bigger deal.

nearlytoolate · 07/07/2010 20:54

actually I'm taking mine out on friday afternoon for a not-authorisable reason. They too have 100% attendance. i have to say I did not ask permission, i just explained that I was taking them out. It doesn't seem to be a problem as it happens, but I'd rather just be straight about what I had decided, then it leaves it up to the school to authorise or not as they see fit.

SoupDragon · 07/07/2010 20:58

What, exactly, is the point of taking him if he can't go in? What do you expect him to do and who'll look after him?

Original poster
edam · 08/07/2010 19:49

Thanks everyone.

Soupy, that was my point on the original thread! But everyone told me I was being mean as dh is unemployed atm, sadly, and could take ds for a day out in town (doing free stuff).

Ds and dh came with me as far as the gates so ds got to see the sentries changing the guard or whatever it is they do - shouldering arms and marching around, at any rate. Then they went off to see the same thing at Buck Palace.

Clarence House v. nice in an historic house kind of way. Went to the loo and there was a pic of Camilla receiving an honorary degree in the cubicle. Not sure the university would be too pleased with that.

Prince Charles v. nice and v. old fashioned - still calls the radio the wireless. Serves very find champers and ice cream with raspberries. Or maybe it was ordinary stuff but tasted nice as we were in the garden with hot and cold running waiters. All those military men who are his equerries are LOVELY, the sort of guys your Mother would be v. happy about if you took them home.

Only when I was young enough to have the option, I thought all that was rather stuffy. It's only as I've got middle aged and boring that I've realised there is a LOT to be said for the sort of chap who can be relied upon to find you a cab in the pouring rain or get a decent table at a restaurant. (Or, presumably, defend you against armed invasion. I imagine.)

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 09/07/2010 20:40

"All those military men who are his equerries are LOVELY, the sort of guys your Mother would be v. happy about if you took them home. "

Did you take one home with you?

Original poster
edam · 09/07/2010 20:42

Sadly no, but I did get a phone number.

(For work purposes, obv.)

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 09/07/2010 20:43

of course it was for work...

Original poster
edam · 09/07/2010 22:50

He was lovely, I did have a moment of regressing to teenage Georgette Heyer-reading thinking about 'Major and Mrs XXXX'.

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 10/07/2010 06:49

Lol..

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