Holidays with kids in school time, have you done it?

Mrs_Arcanum

kelloggs36 wrote: »

Regardless, had I been you I would have accepted that I was not in a position to afford such a holiday, and wait until the children left school I'm afraid. I just would never consider taking an expensive holiday if I couldn't afford to do it when I was supposed to. We went to Florida during the school holidays 3 years ago, and that was only because we had come into a lump sum of money. As much as I would loved to have gone before that, we couldn't afford it, so we didn't go - it is very simple.

Because of WHEN we went we COULD afford it - simple.

It was something we always dreamed of and promised our children. Most people have regular annual holidays we don't. It is exactly the sort of holiday that suits CHILDREN. Adults have different expectations and wants from a holiday. DS learnt to swim while we were away, something the school failed to manage.

How YOU choose to save and spend is your choice. Believe it or not the whole holiday cost less than £2,500 for everything including spending. Many people pay that every year for some bog standard holiday during the school break.

Our choice was a once in a lifetime experience whilst they were young enough to get the full enjoyment and old enough to appreciate everything.

Last family holiday I had as a child was during school time a few months before my father died of cancer. I still have fabulous memories of climbing the Leaning Tower of Pisa with my Dad. No amount of schooling would make up for that.

bestpud

Spendless wrote: »

This thread is reminding me of a tale my 87yo Grandmother tells, when she went to Grammar School. Her Dad asked her what she'd been doing one day, and she told him, they'd gone to a building site, to be shown new builds and then they were to do sketches of interior desgins. My G-Grandfather was appalled, 'learning should only happen in classrooms behind a desk' he said.

It's because the teachers are hung up about grades as that is (supposedly) how we judge a good teacher and assess how much the child knows.

They have a rigid timetable designed to get the children from A to B as smoothly as possible and a 'wayward' parent mucks up this force feeding regime.

The only way to learn is sat in a classroom as far as teachers are concerned - they clearly cannot think beyond that and see no value in anything that distracts them from the task at hand.

I don't blame teachers as such; they are victims of the system in the same way their pupils are.

kelloggs36

zoeleigh wrote: »

But you could have saved up for a few years couldn't you??

yes I could have - but I didn't take them during the school holidays. Another poster was complaining that as soon as they saved up enough, the price increased so it put it out of reach. What I was saying was if that was the case then one might have to accept that they weren't in a position to take such an expensive holiday.

kelloggs36

bestpud wrote: »

It's because the teachers are hung up about grades as that is (supposedly) how we judge a good teacher and assess how much the child knows.

They have a rigid timetable designed to get the children from A to B as smoothly as possible and a 'wayward' parent mucks up this force feeding regime.

The only way to learn is sat in a classroom as far as teachers are concerned - they clearly cannot think beyond that and see no value in anything that distracts them from the task at hand.

I don't blame teachers as such; they are victims of the system in the same way their pupils are.

Clearly you are not a teacher otherwise you would not have written such drivel.

bestpud

kelloggs36 wrote: »

Clearly you are not a teacher otherwise you would not have written such drivel.

Clearly not, no, as I can see beyond the curriculum.

kelloggs36

Mrs_Arcanum wrote: »

Because of WHEN we went we COULD afford it - simple. But as you had children you couldn't actually afford to go really because you had to take them out of school time - that is the point!

It was something we always dreamed of and promised our children. So? I dream of lots of things I can't afford, it doesn't mean that I will go to any lengths to have it though - if I can't have it when I want it, I can't have it. I have to wait until I can - I don't sacrifice my children's education to have something I can't afford.Most people have regular annual holidays we don't. Lots of people DON'T have annual holidays - I didn't have one for nigh on 15 years - I had to go without because I had a child and I couldn't afford it.It is exactly the sort of holiday that suits CHILDREN. And when you have the money then that isn't a problem - but you didn't. You chose to withdraw your children from an education to go on holiday - I'm sure all had a great time, but you could always do it in the school holidays. Adults have different expectations and wants from a holiday. DS learnt to swim while we were away, something the school failed to manage. He could have managed that in swimming lessons after school - he didn't need to sacrifice the rest of the curriculum to do it though.

How YOU choose to save and spend is your choice. Believe it or not the whole holiday cost less than £2,500 for everything including spending. Many people pay that every year for some bog standard holiday during the school break.

Our choice was a once in a lifetime experience whilst they were young enough to get the full enjoyment and old enough to appreciate everything.

Last family holiday I had as a child was during school time a few months before my father died of cancer. I still have fabulous memories of climbing the Leaning Tower of Pisa with my Dad. No amount of schooling would make up for that.

.....................................................

kelloggs36

bestpud wrote: »

Clearly not, no, as I can see beyond the curriculum.

So do teachers, but we are restricted to some extent - but parents can fill in the gaps and give them outside experiences too - they have 13 weeks a year plus weekends to do that!

bestpud

kelloggs36 wrote: »

So do teachers, but we are restricted to some extent - but parents can fill in the gaps and give them outside experiences too - they have 13 weeks a year plus weekends to do that!

And if they choose to take them out of school for an extra week, it won't cause a problem so long as the parent helps the child catch up if need be.

I know teachers are restricted and that is the problem - too much to fit in over a short period of time and children are effectively on a conveyor belt.

Zoetoes

kelloggs36 wrote: »

Lots of people DON'T have annual holidays - I didn't have one for nigh on 15 years - I had to go without because I had a child and I couldn't afford it. QUOTE]

You are coming across as very bitter rather than being constructive, I am just wondering if this may be why?

gregg1

zoeleigh wrote: »

As I said earlier he is top of the class, must be down to my selfishness teaching him at home I suppose :rotfl:

Funny how everyone justifies taking their kids on holiday during term time by claiming they are "top of the class"!