Kids hols during termtime - 10 days max ?

Rachie_B

rdwarr wrote:

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.

not sure what your point is?


and where have you got 2 or 3k holiday from ?!!!!

we are taking my eldest (aged 9)out for school for 3 days this yr ,in june to go to france with keycamp grand total less than £300

we wouldnt want to go in summer hols as a) would be far too hot for myself and my youngest and b) hubby has to take his hols around his bosses so june it is

its not always about the money though yes it is a factor when hol prices triple in summer holidays !!

pipkin71

There are families that cannot afford to go on hols at any time of year - I have a friend with an 8 year old who has never been able to go anywhere since her child was born, and the only way the child gets to see the beach is on the annual school day trip to the seaside. That is a shame.

That doesn't mean that I should not take my children on holiday just because others cant. It also doesn't mean that if I am able to get permission to take my children away for a week during term time, I should say "no thanks, I'd much rather pay double / triple the cost during school hols!" To me, that doesn't make sense

Regards
Pipkin xxxxx

Becles

rdwarr wrote:

There seems to be an assumption growing on this thread that families have a right to a decent holiday together, even one abroad,

I think generally life has changed and holidays are now classed as a necessity rather than a luxury.

There is a report somewhere (I think it's a Joseph Rowntree one) that has different terms used to describe a child living in povety. As well as the expected terms like not having a winter coat and not having a hot meal each day, one of the terms was not having an annual holiday.

pipkin71

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation carried out a big study and asked parents from all socio - economic backgrounds to list their main necessities. Holidays featured regularly in that list and the conclusion was that children who did not have holidays had a poorer quality of life and were often from the lower end of the socio - economic scale.

Of course, in real life, this is not always the case - parents may forsake a holiday for a better quality of day to day living etc. However, if parents feel that an annual holiday will benefit their family, then they have that right to do so, IMO

TurnaroundSue

pipkin71 wrote:

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation carried out a big study and asked parents from all socio - economic backgrounds to list their main necessities. Holidays featured regularly in that list and the conclusion was that children who did not have holidays had a poorer quality of life and were often from the lower end of the socio - economic scale.

Of course, in real life, this is not always the case - parents may forsake a holiday for a better quality of day to day living etc. However, if parents feel that an annual holiday will benefit their family, then they have that right to do so, IMO

Hear! hear! (or is it here! here!) :rotfl:

gregg1

Rachie_B wrote:

erm yeah they do lol
1k is a huge amount of money for a "normal" holiday IMO

Are you kidding? That is only £200 per person for a fortnight abroad in the main weeks - thats a good deal (and she makes sure her kids don't miss out on their education either!!)

pipkin71

£200 pp for a fortnight abroad is really good value. Unfortunately, if I would not be able to go on the same holiday during school hols or any other time of year as I don't drive and therefore have to find alternative means of transport - bumping up the prices before I even start on our journey.

Incidentally, my children do not miss out on their education by missing a week of school in June + September, as alongside state education, they also receive home tuition and have done so since they were young, This was reflected in my eldest child's above average sats results in KS1. Youngest is also on target to achieve above average in this years KS1 sats tests as well.

Our holiday to Wales in June is going to cost £275 for 1 week self catering. The same holiday to the same site for the same length of time in the same accomodation in August would cost £785 an increase of £510!!!!!!!!!! Why should I pay the extra to line someone else's pockets?

Looking forward to holiday 84 days to go and already got permission from the head at my children's school.

gregg1

TurnaroundSue wrote:

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!

This is starting to resemble Groundhog Day!!

Can I just clarify something? You say "to deny them an annual holiday would have a detrimental effect on them". And yet, strangely, you don't appear to think that denying them two weeks education on an annual basis has a detrimental effect on them. I am not missing your point, I understand entirely, I just don't agree with it. Most kids who go abroad with the school, go once during their entire education - thats a bit different from two weeks annually(although, as I said before, I would not allow my child to go on a trip abroad with the school but again, I have my own personal reasons for that) My OH works a 60 - 70 hour week and this has a detrimental effect on our kids too - it happens to a lot of people in this day and age.

ruthyjo

Becles wrote:

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

All good deals but:
my oldest two go back to school on 31st August and I like them to have at least a day or so at home first so wouldn't go for the first one as would consider it getting into termtime and first day of new school year would be a pretty bad one to miss.

The Easter holds one was very jammy - I can never find flights that cheap. When I saw your post I did have a quick look just in case but no joy. Perhaps it's too late to be trying now. Well done for that one.

The last one would have cost more per person than my August break (5 * £150 = £750 per week or £1500 per fortnight) and probably couldn't have accomodated five. We haven't been on a package holiday since my youngest child was born because of the difficulty of accomodating more than 2 + 2 kids. It would also demand nerves of steel that I don't have. As I said we have little time off together so need to know we have definitely got something booked. France has been booked since last August!

Anyway this thread has had me thinking about holidays in general. For people who struggle with affording school holiday prices it might be worth considering Eire. Their school holidays are different to ours. Ireland has a bank holiday first Monday in June so if you go for Spring Bank all the Irish kids are at school with consequent cheap rates on cottages and low demand on kid friendly facilities. Weather, particularly if you go south and west (Cork, Kerry area), is pretty good by then. Schools also break earlier than in UK for Summer and so, I think, go back earlier, so it might be worth trying for end of August.

ruthyjo

Rachie_B wrote:

erm yeah they do lol
1k is a huge amount of money for a "normal" holiday IMO

I notice you've also posted your holiday plans on another thread:

"we are doing 4 nights to france with eurocamp from june 7th staying in midi accom with decking for £271 which includes ferry crossings

we are taking lots of our own food / meals so dont have to shell out too much when we get there

also as you have the car it means you can take lots to keep the kids occupied


also taking our own bedding so dont have to pay their prices

HTH

there are destinations all over and as you arent restricted my school hols should find a good hol bargain : )"



I think the cost of our two holidays is very similar on a per day basis and I did say in my post that I was only actually going for a week not the fortnight I quoted the price for, so my actual cost is £470 (and in school holidays too!).

Anyway, I hope you enjoy France. We always have a great time. I find it "moneysaving" to bring a boot full of booze and nice french food back once we've eaten any groceries we took along - that way you can continue to enjoy your holiday whatever length for long after you get back!