Accidentally booked holiday for A level results day 2026. DD mad at me!

[Onecrazymama]

My DD is sitting her A levels next year in 2026 and then planning a gap year. She isn't even sure about going to University at all and despite being predicted all A's for her her subjects she isn't planning to apply to a university for 2026. She may apply for a 2027 place though once she realises what hard work getting a real job is 🤦🏻‍♀️.

So I went ahead and booked a package holiday for August 2026 to Spain for her, my husband and other child. Then about a week after I'd booked I realised it would mean we are away for her A level results day 🤦🏻‍♀️. We'll be back 5 days later, she can get a friend to collect them for her and obviously as she's not planning to go to uni I thought she'd be absolutely fine about this.

However, she has caused an huge fuss and wants me to change it! I've looked into moving it until after results day but it is going to cost £320 extra. We really can't afford that and the holiday itself is already alot more than we would usually spend and it's going to push our finances as it is. We booked the holiday as treat for her to be away for her birthday, celebrate finishing school etc and now I feel terrible. I don't know what to do for the best! Right now I feel like cancelling it completely 😞. She's being horrible to me, telling me she won't come on holiday and saying I'm being selfish. My husband says he doesn't want to discuss it! As far as he's concerned we aren't changing the date as it isn't actually important or necessary for her to collect her results in person as she isn't going to uni. Does anyone have any advice or just something to make me feel better 😞

Dear god. If she wants to be there for results day, you must change it.

Your DH is being an arse. No wonder they are arguing lately.

On this day - I think it actually does

Dd got hers via text at 9am then an email and the postman delivered them. We are in Scotland, assumed elecreonic results were universal???

When I booked the holiday I asked her if she still wanted to be away for her birthday which she did, but we didn't even think about results day. Any of us! It was a complete oversight 🤦🏼‍♀️

Can she stay home get her results and join you later?

FFS.

My children would have been so grateful for such a holiday. I can’t comprehend the entitlement I witness on MN.

Yeah, because A level results day is just another day! 🙄

Got a chip, have you? Didn't go to uni, or weren't treated specially on such an important day by your parents?

Would they? On A level results day?

This would be amazing but unfortunately she has to get them in person at her school 😞

If your budget is so finely balanced that you can’t afford £320 change fee over the course of a year (eg pay now on interest free credit card etc) then is a big holiday such a good idea? Can you afford passports, travel insurance, spending money ? FWIW I think you should change the date.

We get home 4 days after the results and it's a package deal so I don't think that's an option 😕

Do they really have to go into school to get their results in England? Do they not get texted and emailed? I know loads of DC who were on holiday and got their Higher results electronically.

Realising I went against what seems to be the grain based on other replies, just wanted to add some points from my own experience that shaped my perspective on this.

When you’re at DD’s age, you are at a crossroads in a lot of ways. Making choices about whether you’d prefer to still be doing things like going on holiday with your family or be doing something else with your mates etc. is going to become increasingly more common. It’s all part of the transition into adulthood. It’s perfectly acceptable to prefer to be doing something else without the family when you’re OP’s DD’s age.

Linked to that, there are going to be times in the future when clashes happen. You may not physically be there for every “event” in life. If OP and family end up being away for A level results day but OP’s DD is at home, they can still talk/face time on the day. My mum was abroad on the day my 2nd and 3rd year degree results came out. Should I have insisted she book her holiday on other dates and not be away when my degree results came out? Absolutely not. I remember I couldn’t get hold of Mum to tell her I’d ended up with a 2.1. I was so keen to share my news I ended up telling my Nan first.

The night out after A level results wasn’t one of our best nights out. Damp squib springs to mind. I remember people left early and feeling we’d had much better nights out previously. I think secretly a lot of us were glad to be seeing the back of one another! I realise at the time though it does feel like a bit of a milestone. If OP’s DD would prefer to be there than be abroad with the family, that’s her choice.
The family can have a celebration a few days later when they get home.

My DD collected her A level results in person last year. We had a holiday booked, luckily only in Scotland. Not much I could do about it, it was a big group holiday, and that was the only week everyone could go. I didn’t think DD would be too bothered about going to get her results tbh, as there were postal/email options available. I was wrong! She was not going to miss it for the world. I had to get her a train ticket to go back home a few days before the end of the holiday. She was collected at the train station and got her results the next day, then had 2 days alone at home before we drove back. The group on holiday included me, nan and siblings. We were all waiting for news of her results and when they came we were celebrating. She met her friends at school, saw her teachers, went out that evening. I hadn’t realised it was such a big deal, but it is a big deal. Reading the comments, it is clear that majority also agree its a big deal. I think you’re going to have to change the holiday…🫩

I think most of the comments here are bizarre.

She wanted to be on holiday and there is zero urgency to get the results.

If it costs to move the flights, ask her how much she is prepared to contribute. The answer will tell you how much she really cares.

Change the dates OP! Your daughter deserves to be there to find out how she has done - it will be excruciating for her not to get her results when everyone else does and you’ll have a terrible holiday anyway with her pacing up and down wondering what’s happening and not knowing. It’s just not a thing not to get your major exam results when they come out. She’s not being at all difficult or entitled, she’s perfectly justified to be upset about it. And your DH sounds really insensitive and not very supportive of her at all, so please side with your DD on this one!

Trouble is my DD has parents who sent him to boarding school and didn't really take much interest in his school life. As much as he loves his parents he isn't close to them and has been self sufficient from a young age. He can't really understand why she is making a fuss about it and I'm stuck feeling guilty but also worried about falling out with him over it!

I would change it.

I agree results should be available online (my DC’s aren’t but you can request an email). She will just be a grump when you are away and spoil the holiday.

In hindsight it should have been discussed before booking.

You won’t want to hear this, op, but if you can’t afford an extra £320; you can’t afford to go on holiday.

It’s not about how you collect the results, it’s the build up, the chat, the conversations and celebrating or commiserating. For those who tell her to get a grip/she’s spoilt etc obvs don’t have a-level aged kids.

Bad call OP. You had the whole of the summer to chose to go away. How can you not foresee the possibility of her changing her mind to go to University and therefore needing to have feet on the ground to act?

My dd just got her A level results and was in the exact same position as yours is now this time last year. She was also talking about having a gap year and wast sure she'd go to uni at all. Also predicted all A's so of course I was a bit gutted but understood it was her choice. In that year since then she's gone full circle and is now going off to uni in September! We didn't book our holiday for this year until a few weeks ago and she really didn't want to get her results in holiday if possible, despite some dates for the holiday coming up cheaper then. We booked it for the week after in the end. She did get her results online but she didn't want to have anything else to think about that day, especially if she'd needed to go through clearing (however unlikely, she got her grades). So I understand why your dd isn't happy, but that doesn't excuse her being horrible to you. Id perhaps how her time to cool down and if she's still not happy I think it's worth it to find the extra money to move dates if at all possible. Of course if you can't you can't so she'll have to get used to the idea.

I had those parents. Which is why I would totally do what my DD wanted in this situation. And did.

You'd be surprised how people book trips for their adult children. They seem to forget they are not kids anymore.

However, part of the problem is the inflexibility around travel plans. How can you not be able to rebook a year away without paying through the nose?

She has actually just offered to contribute! Not sure how as she hasn't got a job 🤦🏼‍♀️. At first when we realised the error she said she wasn't bothered but then this week said she wants to be there in person and wants us to move the holiday.