Kids hols during termtime - 10 days max ?

Becles

ruthyjo wrote:

Our August gite for this summer is £420 a week. It's in Brittany, sleeps seven and has a small private pool (cheznous.com). Our ferry crossing is £50 return in a seven seat mpv (speedferries.com). We're only going for a week because of the time constraints mentioned above but a fortnight for five would still have come in at less than a thousand pounds. Surely holidays don't ever come in much cheaper than that?

Last week of August in a static caravan in Scotland - £240. Petrol there and back £40. (Scots schools go back mid-Aug so out of high season)

Easter holidays 2 years ago - BMI Baby flights to Majorca £40 return. Apartment in Cala D'Or £49 for the week.

May week 3 years ago - last minute deal in an AI on Majorca allocated on arrival for £149 each. We were sent to the Jupiter/Saturno complex in Alcudia along with people who had paid the brochure price of £850 per person each. They were sick as chips when we told them the price we paid

TurnaroundSue

hammy_the_hammer wrote:

i'm still playing ball !!! is he on, or going on a 5 week roster pattern ? if so without annual leave over that period what is the most consecutive days he is off for ?

OH is on a 4 week roster and then is off for one week - however, the beginning and end of these weeks are what they call joking days. The first day of his week off starts when his batch of night shifts finish - therefore that day is spent in bed sleeping and the last day of his week off starts with a batch of night shifts - therefore unable to go anywhere far as he needs to go into work in the evening! 5 complete days off in one stretch, which doesn't enable us to go very far at all, seeing as 2 days would be spent travelling and only 3 days on actual holiday.

TurnaroundSue

gregg1 wrote:

I am afraid you contradict yourself yet again here. You say you subscribe to the "if parents can't, then the school can't" school of thought, yet, in the next sentence you deny you play school yard games - listen to yourself!! I will repeat again that I strongly feel it is naive to think that time off from school for holidays does not affect kids' education IT DOES. That is a fact whether you admit it or not. My OH sees this first hand, it is a view held by a lot of people on this post. I still maintain I DID touch a nerve by disagreeing with you but lets just agree to leave it at that - we both have our opinions and are not going to change them.[/QUOTE]

I am not contradicting myself as I am not taking my kids out of school just because the school are doing it and therefore am not playing school yard games - I am doing it reluctantly because that is the only way we can have quality time as a family which we feel is important. My kids don't feel that they see enough of their dad as it is as he works a 12 hour shift and travels an hour to work each day, so to deny them an annual holiday we feel would have a detrimental effect on them. They love it when we have such a period of time together as it is rare (as previously stated, this christmas and boxing days they will hardly see their dad as he will be working!!).

I feel that you are missing my point completely in respect of the government saying about parents NOT taking their kids out of school, but it is okay for the schools to take them out for an annual holiday!!! I don't really know how much more I can say to get my point of view across, but it is a case of them practising what they preach!!

One thing I can agree with you on is that we leave this much discussed topic where it is and agree to disagree!

Rachie_B

ruthyjo wrote:

different priorities.

I'm really curious to know how people can afford the time to take their children out of school during term time, time wise. To cover looking after our children during the school holidays my husband and I barely have a day of holiday all year that coincides with each other. If we started having holiday in term time as well we'd never be able to look after our children during the holidays. How are all you people who take your children away during term time managing to care for them in the school holidays? This is not a sarcastic query - I genuinely wonder if I've missed a trick here. I would love it if we had more time as a family with both husband and I off in the school holidays together!

?

im lucky enough to not have to work i stay at home hubby goes out to work

pipkin71

Hi Ruthyjo.
I take my children out of school during term time because it is cheaper than taking them away during official school hols.
If holiday companies didn't dramatically increase their prices and I could get the same holiday in the same accomodation for the same price during official school holidays, then I would.
If the 10 days with permission is withdrawn, that would IMO discriminate against parents at the lower end of the financial ladder, and why should children miss out on the chance of a holiday / quality time with their families because holiday companies exploit the fact that most families go on holiday during school breaks?

pipkin71

Sorry Ruthjo, didn't really answer your question. I'm studying, not working, so I am able to go away at a time that suits us.

Regards
Pipkin

Becles

"quality family time" can be spent on short trips to local attractions, playing board games, ordering pizzas and renting a film, going bowling/swimming/other sport, going out for a meal........

Not a dig at anyone - just an observation

pipkin71

That is true Becles and I make sure I do lots of day activities with my girls. Going on holiday is also an experience which we enjoy as a family and I have no intention of giving that up - unfortunately at this moment in time, we can only enjoy a holiday during term time.

Rachie_B

Becles wrote:

"quality family time" can be spent on short trips to local attractions, playing board games, ordering pizzas and renting a film, going bowling/swimming/other sport, going out for a meal........

Not a dig at anyone - just an observation

that goes without saying surely !

i hope all familes do this kinda stuff all the time with their kids!

not the same as a holiday abroad though eh

rdwarr

Rachie_B wrote:

not the same as a holiday abroad though eh

There seems to be an assumption growing on this thread that families have a right to a decent holiday together, even one abroad, even at Disneyland. There are millions of families in this country who do not take holidays simply because they can't afford it, term time or otherwise.
I remember myself once working for eighteen months without a day off because we were in financial trouble and needed every penny to make ends meet. As a contractor I had the choice between holiday and income and was forced into the latter. I enjoyed Bank Holidays and weekends with my family but that was about it.
So next time you plan to take the kids out of school so you can get a £3000 holiday for £2000 spare a thought for those for whom even a week in a caravan at Clacton is currently an unattainable dream.