Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Flip

Original poster

Holiday in October Half term for child starting reception in Sep

16 replies

RustySwanson · 06/05/2015 12:09

My son (will be 4 in July) will be starting reception in September. My husband is keen to go abroad on holiday in the October half term. I've heard how tired children are when starting school (and seen this with friends children). A lovely mum with slightly older children was chatting to me recently and giving me some tips for starting school and one of the things she said was not to go on holiday in that first half term as children are very tired and it is better to just be at home and let them recharge their batteries. I wondered if anyone has thoughts or experience of this. Thanks

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Heels99 · 06/05/2015 13:24

NonsensE. Children can 'recharge their batteries' on holiday, that is what holidays are for!

wooldonor · 06/05/2015 13:28

I was surprised at how tired my children were at school even though they'd been to nursery for longer hours in a day.

It would depend on what the holiday is going to involve, if it's all action and you won't get back until late on the Sunday night I'd think twice tbh

Mopmay · 06/05/2015 13:38

Depends on the holiday . Mine were a bit tired but we went away

LemonYellowSun · 06/05/2015 13:45

My son didnt seem very tired to be honest, but I know kids who were.

Surely a holiday if for relaxing anyway. Maybe go in Feb half term instead.

redskybynight · 06/05/2015 13:45

It also depends on the children. With the "your child will be exhausted" message ringing in my ears, I deliberately didn't schedule very much after DS started school. He had so much energy I quickly changed my plans!!

wume · 06/05/2015 13:46

Dd2 is starting reception this year and I personally wouldn't take her away. Dd1 was absolutely exhausted after her behaviour suffered as well.

I agree with your friend.

wume · 06/05/2015 13:46

*and

CloserToFiftyThanTwenty · 06/05/2015 13:52

Depends what you are going to do on holiday - hill walking no, playing on the beach yes

I wouldn't go away for the whole seven days though - you'll get home and be back into the school routine before you've had a chance to unpack

flowery · 06/05/2015 13:53

We went to Center Parcs October half term including DS2 who is in Reception, but to be fair it was only an hour's drive away...

Meita · 06/05/2015 14:14

DS was ill from the Friday before October half-term to the Monday afterwards. (I'm sure some people at school wondered/doubted, but yes he was honestly just ill.)

Afterwards we were very sorry to not have had a break (being ill is not really good for recovering/resting from school stress).

Later, in the Easter holidays, we stayed at home too, but had guests staying for the whole two weeks. DS was absolutely exhausted by the end of the hols. It would have been better for him, had we gone away to a quiet beach or something.

Booking a holiday away can be very restful, or not. Staying at home can be very restful, or not. I think the question is not 'should we go away?' but rather 'what should we do to allow DC to recharge batteries/to allow us as a family some down-time, time to re-connect'? And that depends a lot on your family, how you are together, what you like to do.

That said, I would NOT plan for exhausting travelling to happen on the Sunday before term starts again.

Hillfog · 06/05/2015 14:53

Check the dates of half term. Our council has given an extra half week this year (break up Wed) so potentially time to go away and still have some chill out time before back to school.

Radiatorvalves · 06/05/2015 14:59

We went to Dubai in Oct half term when kids were smaller (I think probably one of them was in their first half term) to stay with a friend. It wasn't a problem and we had a lovely holiday.

I would say do what suits you as a family. If he's tired, he can sleep / relax on holiday.

IKnowRight · 06/05/2015 14:59

We did this last year, dd2 had just started reception

She was absolutely fine, however we did have a two week half term so the second week was spent at home.

Holidays just as good as staying at home for recovering from school imo :)

NormHonal · 06/05/2015 15:03

Our DC2 starts this Sept and based on experience with DC1, we are not going away in the October half term and will have a couple of days out and lots of quiet time.

PatriciaHolm · 06/05/2015 17:44

Both mine have always been fine for holidays in the first years of school; we went to Disneyland Paris one year in DDs reception year. Only you can really know whether you think your child will be that shattered, but it's not my experience.

noramum · 06/05/2015 18:20

We went with DD but it was a visit to the grandparents. It still involved a flight and a foreign country though.

We could do what we wanted, did trips, had fun and apart from reading no school work at all. We went Monday - Friday though. I think Saturday - Sunday a week later would be a bit much.

Flip