Schools no longer allowed to authorise holidays

seven-day-weekend

hunters wrote: »

[/B]So what? Does it make people feel superior to say they never just sit on a beach?

I couldn't care less what they do, as long as they don't try to justify beach holidays in term time by saying they are educational.

I actually don't sit on beaches because I don't like to be in the sun, but my husband is solar powered so loves a beach holiday.

iammumtoone

To a younger child (primary age) life experiences are educational. My son and I are going to legoland and whilst the park itself will not be educational the drive there will be for him. He has only even been on a motorway once before when he was a lot younger - he will learn what a motorway is and what the motor signs are (always on a journey we look at the road signs and say what they are). He will see the planes fly in / out of heathrow and get some sense of how big they are. There will be lots of new experiences for him a big lesson for him in legoland will be if he wants to go on something he may have to wait for a couple of hours in a queue!

He would not see or experience these things if we just stayed at home for 365 nights of the year (for us legoland involves an overnight stop).

We are going at a weekend so not taking him out of school but the point I am making is every holiday is a learning experience for a child whatever you do and I don't feel it is right to deprive children of these life experiences.

Mojisola

iammumtoone wrote: »

We are going at a weekend so not taking him out of school but the point I am making is every holiday is a learning experience for a child whatever you do and I don't feel it is right to deprive children of these life experiences.

But these experiences can be gained during the school holidays or at weekends.

Dunroamin

It's a shame more families with children don't get into house swapping for a cheap, interesting holiday outside term time - whether in the UK or abroad. It solves so many problems so easily.

pigpen

Dunroamin wrote: »

It's a shame more families with children don't get into house swapping for a cheap, interesting holiday outside term time - whether in the UK or abroad. It solves so many problems so easily.

I'd be terrified I, or the children, broke or damaged something that was someone elses home... I was mortified enough when my daughter when aged 2 scribbled on the wall of the caravan we were staying in with a pencil crayon and that wiped straight off!.. Perfectly normal behaviour in a 2 year old and an offence in my own home.. but in someone elses home :eek:

I'm not alone in this fear.. ! I did look into it with a lady up in Scotland many years ago and she expressed the same feelings.

iammumtoone

Mojisola wrote: »

But these experiences can be gained during the school holidays or at weekends.

Not during the school holidays no as even an overnight stop is priced beyond alot of parents wallets. So yes I am left with weekends which is not ideal as we will get back extremely late and he has to go to school the next day

Luke273

Not got kids myself but just chiming in...if your kid started taking days off sick when they're not sick or bunking off school you'd naturally be very angry at them. So how can you justify taking sick days or bunking off on their behalf in order to get a cheaper holiday? It sends out the wrong signal in my opinion and is basically telling the kid it is okay to bunk off if they have their own justified reasons.

peachyprice

Dunroamin wrote: »

It's a shame more families with children don't get into house swapping for a cheap, interesting holiday outside term time - whether in the UK or abroad. It solves so many problems so easily.

Oh, I just couldn't. I wouldn't mind staying in someone else's house but it would take forever for me to put everything away that I wouldn't want other people to snoop through, and where would I put everything, and what about personal things like your underwear drawer, where does all that go? And stuff you wouldn't want broken? And all the children's personal stuff. It would be like packing up to move. I shudder at the thought of it.

seven-day-weekend

You just clear a couple of drawers, lock away personal things and let the visitors get on with it.....there has to be trust on both sides, after all, you are going into their house too.

We did several home-exchange holidays when we had our Spanish house, in the UK and Spain. A good way of getting a cheap holiday, but it is no good if you are too precious about it, you have to be easy-going.

Marker_2

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

I couldn't care less what they do, as long as they don't try to justify beach holidays in term time by saying they are educational.

.

Maybe not educational in the traditional sense but a child is still learning on holidays.

The process of airports. Learning to cue, learning what passports are etc. The process of travelling, be it land, sea or air.

Even if it is your bog standard spanish all inclusive. Learning still continues ... meeting kids from different areas and making new friends, going to a beach and touching sand, seeing tropical fish. Touching warm sea water. Possibly trying local food and drink. Hearing other languages. There is so much learning and experience you can get from a holiday.

But better than that, if you decide to go to Disney during term time, seeing your childs face light up at pretty much everything in Florida is well worth a fine. Because that is priceless. I havent seen my kids facelight up in Florida yet. But just thinking of it makes me smile. All my childhood holidays were in Florida and it honestly was magical. Can't wait to see DD's face light up No amount of education will outdo that.