Schools no longer allowed to authorise holidays

mumps

securityguy wrote: »

Yes, but tricky with small children, I would have thought, although I'd be interested to hear of people who've done it. I've stayed in plenty myself over the years (probably twenty or thirty universities) but I can't think of many I'd fancy with smaller children who can't stay in rooms on their own.

RHUL, I notice, has started fitting double beds in standard student accommodation, and I hear others are going to follow. Parents please note!

I've stayed in a few, some of them change the beds for summer lets to make them more family friendly and we have had a whole five bedroom flat to ourselves before now.

Just read the above and wanted to add that when I said change the beds I didn't mean putting fresh sheets on but putting doubles in or two singled in a room that a student would have as a single.

Spendless

jellyhead wrote: »

There was a comment earlier saying that now would be the time to take kids out as they are winding down ... there are more than three weeks of schooling left! Nobody's winding down yet, surely?

My 10 yo is spending parts of every day outside either trying out for sports day, which is the week after next as different kids are entered into different events depending on ability or taking part in a mock up of the Ashes.

13yo has all his end of year grades in and his report sent out and there are several athletic days going off, day fishing competitions and practicisng for their sports day going on.

I suspect that for most adults when they reflect back on their school life it depends on how sporty they were as to whether or not they considered it having much academic merit.

jellyhead

Mrs_Imp wrote: »

I just had a quick look and found a 4 berth boat holiday in the Norfolk Broads for under £600 in mid August.

We can't afford expensive holidays, so we don't take them. When the children are a bit older I expect we'll go camping. Never mind the world, there's a whole country out there that needs exploring. The UK has some fantastic places to visit that will light up any child's face without costing a fortune.

I love the UK, although I suppose the only foreign holidays that I've had weren't to special or especially interesting places.

Unless a child is particularly Disney mad I think they would be just as happy with Thomas Land or Peppa Pig World. My son was excited to meet Sonic The Hedgehog at Alton Towers a couple of years ago, and he met the Moshi Monsters there too which was very exciting :rotfl:

A mum I know recently suggested Disneyland but her children begged her to take them back to Peppa Pig world instead

Janepig

I think if you have the weather then there's no better place to holiday than the UK, especially with the kids. Unfortunately you can't guarantee nice weather, so people go abroad where they'll know there'll be sun.

Jx

jellyhead

I'm not too bothered about sun. My kids will play in an icy paddling pool in Llandudno in the rain

This year they want to go the the angry birds park, so we're going up north and staying in a premier inn. We'll also be camping in Wales. Last year we lay outside the tent with our sleeping bags, watching the meteor shower. It was magical, if I'm honest.

Some people reading this might think it's sad that my children aren't visiting fantastic places this year, but the point is we're poor. They will have fun wherever we are. They can go abroad occasionally, but it needn't be every year.

Mojisola

jellyhead wrote: »

I'm not too bothered about sun. My kids will play in an icy paddling pool in Llandudno in the rain

This year they want to go the the angry birds park, so we're going up north and staying in a premier inn. We'll also be camping in Wales. Last year we lay outside the tent with our sleeping bags, watching the meteor shower. It was magical, if I'm honest.

Some people reading this might think it's sad that my children aren't visiting fantastic places this year, but the point is we're poor. They will have fun wherever we are. They can go abroad occasionally, but it needn't be every year.

We haven't had any holidays abroad either. Our kids loved camping - they might not have visited the wonderful places abroad that we watched documentaries about but they can live happily without the trappings of modern society. I don't think they've suffered from not doing the trips abroad.

Janepig

jellyhead wrote: »

I'm not too bothered about sun. My kids will play in an icy paddling pool in Llandudno in the rain

This year they want to go the the angry birds park, so we're going up north and staying in a premier inn. We'll also be camping in Wales. Last year we lay outside the tent with our sleeping bags, watching the meteor shower. It was magical, if I'm honest.

Some people reading this might think it's sad that my children aren't visiting fantastic places this year, but the point is we're poor. They will have fun wherever we are. They can go abroad occasionally, but it needn't be every year.

Angry Birds park?? Where's that, DS would love that!!!!

My two aren't averse to a bit of rain - they've played enough rugby in foul weather, and done cross country races and love getting filthy - I'm the one that doesn't like it!!

You absolutely don't have to lay out loads of money for magical experiences for your kids, like you say, camping and watching a meteor shower, fab times.

Jx

Dunroamin

I have to say that, for me, it's parents who need a holiday, not children. I wouldn't take children somewhere they'd hate but neither would I spend my hard earned money on something I wouldn't enjoy, just because children would like.

I expect this is a minority opinion on here.

jellyhead

Janepig wrote: »

Angry Birds park?? Where's that, DS would love that!!!!

My two aren't averse to a bit of rain - they've played enough rugby in foul weather, and done cross country races and love getting filthy - I'm the one that doesn't like it!!

You absolutely don't have to lay out loads of money for magical experiences for your kids, like you say, camping and watching a meteor shower, fab times.

Jx

It's only a little play park, but it looks good

http://www.lightwatervalley.co.uk/

here's a link from the mail http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2329541/Angry-Birds-Activity-Park-launches-Lightwater-Valley.html

seven-day-weekend

Dunroamin wrote: »

I have to say that, for me, it's parents who need a holiday, not children. I wouldn't take children somewhere they'd hate but neither would I spend my hard earned money on something I wouldn't enjoy, just because children would like.

I expect this is a minority opinion on here.

I absolutely agree. We all liked camping (and watching meteor showers in a sleeping bag sounds terrific) and it meant our son had plenty of freedom but we also had some adult time too. Being an only child, we usually took a friend so that our son had someone to do things with that didn't always involve us.

No way would I have gone to Disney. If he wants to do that he can do it himself now he's grown up (it's his girlfriend's dream! ).

It's like what they call 'family' films. More often than not they are childrens' films. Something like The Sound of Music is a family film, imho.