Taking children out of school

As for caravan holidays? Forget about it unless you can afford to pay more than you would for flights and hotels!

Even if you collect Sun vouchers and pay £9.99 EVERYTHING is extra! (And most are not actually £9.99, most of them actually start at around £40)
Heating
Linen
Use of facilities
And of course food

AND the £9.99 holidays are....
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..drum roll...
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for term time holidays!

Notanan

I’m not disagreeing, I don’t know enough about holidays here or abroad to make too many assumptions, but I do know my frugal daughter holidays here quite cheaply, in some nice places, but I think they tend to go for last minute deals, and aren’t too specific about locations

Not forgetting that you have a high chance of at least some dry weather abroad instead of spending money trying to keep warm, dry and entertained I know because I’ve spent plenty wet and cold holidays with my children . Me and the other grandma had been buying the children loads of little bits and pieces for their holiday that wasn’t to be. Little swimming costumes, shorts, tee shirts, summer dresses, sandals etc. All wasted .

There's a BIG difference between being frugle (a choice) and being actually on a budget!

On a budget you cant gamble on last minute deals. Especially since on a budget, its not just accomodation and travel you have to save for, but all spending money too.

Gillybob

I agree with what you’re saying, And I’d feel the same, I just feel that children shouldn’t really be missing school.

Notanan

Well I have one daughter who is frugal, by choice, and another on a very tight budget. They took all the children and went camping in the summer holidays, can’t imagine it cost much, and all the children loved it.

As a GCSE secondary teacher, I can state that 2 weeks holiday can have a fairly big impact on a students learning. They will miss a BIG chunk of whatever is being studied. This might be half of a text. Not funny when it's Shakespeare and they struggle with that anyway. OR if they miss key skills for a specific exam question.

Parents expect teachers to help their child make up for the time they were out of school, quite forgetting that their child will not be the only one out, and that teachers work 12 hour days already. We've only been back at school now for 5 weeks and out of 5 classes I've had 10 students away at different times, for different amounts of time, on holiday.

8 years ago, I had a student who had THREE holidays in a year. All in term time. He missed an exam and ended up being moved down from top set (aiming for A/A*) to 2nd to bottom set (lucky to get Cs) all because of term-time holidays. What stupid, selfish parents! A holiday before his GCSE in English.

can’t imagine it cost much

Well then I think you may be surprised!

Pitch rates in the UK are not cheap.

You can spend as much camping here as you would on a cheap package holiday in Europe.

Even if you camp: a pre pitched tent with linen supplied and an onsite pool is cheaper in Europe than a basic non hook up pitch in the UK where all the things to do involve "outings"

There are some lovely sites for kids in the UK with nice on site facilities, but you sure do pay for 'em!

It is fun though, we are a family that loves camping too! but I dont think it'll have been quite as "bargain basement" as you are assuming!

Well, I know for certain it won’t have cost a lot.

But I don’t think there was anything there apart from a little playground, they weren’t even hooked up to electricity, but they all had a good time and would definitely do it again

Have just looked up my nearest local campsite.

2 adults & 3 children is £40 per night.

That includes NOTHING but the pitch!

That site has zero on site facilities (just toilet block/showers/kitchen, however is well located for local attractions. Which cost extra. But there isnt even a swing or a games room as the location I guess assumes you will go to local attractions

And camping requires an intial outlay for equipment! Our tent has done many trips, but it's first trip cost £££ because there was the tent to buy!

So a week at £40/night = £280
Plus ALL food because not even breakfast is included.
Daily petrol costs to go out and about
A tent And other camp gear
All activities

Vs a package deal thats half board, with a beach & pool on site so no extras unless you want it, evening disco for the kids. Nothing to buy/bring but yourselves, suncream and swimwear/clothes..

You dont have to convince me that kids have a good time camping.

Mine have always loved it

It's not the cheapest way to holiday any more though. It used to be, it isnt any more.

Next one along starts at £30/night for a 2 man tent. It goes up with pitch size & type.

That's after you've bought the tent!

My DS was looking at tents for next year. Blimey they are VERY pricey (they would need a 5 person) and no point in buying the cheap crap that blow away or tear in the slightest breeze either. Not to mention all the sleeping bags, pegs, stove, washing up facilities, chairs, tables........

That’s before you pay for a pitch, food etc.

You simply cannot buy the cheap triangular 2 man tents that I used to camp in in the past any more.

I wanted one for the girls so we could have an adult tent and a teen tent now that they're older. The old basic but reliable 2 mans do not exist I searched

There are "pop up" "festival tents" which are not really weather proof and are designed to be disposable but I prefer to buy things that work and will last!

And then there are "high performance" tents for £££s.

And nothing inbetween

So we'll have to bunk up together for a bit longer!

I’m a retired teacher and I totally agree with Hetty. Many parents simply cannot afford school holiday prices, and others simply cannot get the time off in school holidays, as there is fierce competition for those holiday dates at their workplace. I do not agree with fining parents for taking term time holidays with their children. If a family can afford a holiday, a week in a caravan somewhere in Britain, or a trip abroad, then it is good that the family can spend that time together. Family life is important.

As for camping, it's not everybody's cup of tea (and certainly not my idea of a holiday- at least not in our unpredictable climate).

How often do you see adverts tents for sale "good condition, hardly used". There's a reason for that!

Notanan

Well my daughter bought a tent in the sales for £25.00, I’ve no idea what the quality is like, but it had several rooms.

Re the euro holidays, which sound like a great idea for them, doesn’t the cost of the ferry make it expensive?

One thing that often gets forgotten in the arguments about taking children out of school is that some people can't get time off during school holidays. I worked in a couple of large supermarkets and in the summer there were always more women with children wanting a summer holiday than there was time available. Hard luck if you didn't get your holiday request in quickly enough. If your husband also works for a similar company you may find that even if you've been lucky your husband may not be able to have the time off.

My DDiL works in the automotive industry and her holidays are dictated by Nissan and JLR . When they are off she has to be in work . No arguments . End of . My DS also works in industry and has an enforced shut down. Easy for those who have flexible holidays or a luxurious 13 weeks isn’t it ? Not so easy with 4 enforced weeks per year .

Also: blended families. Makes it extra important to have that uninterupted time away as a family unit when the children spend half their time elsewhere

And less likely for each parent to be able to take non term holidays

We always worked in a seasonal occupation ,busy from March to October .Our children didn't get holidays they went to the family farm for a couple of weeks and spent weekends with Papa and granny there during the year.We had the odd couple of days up north..thats North of Scotland if the weather was half decent during the week ,but always on the spur of the moment .
We had a few holidays in Ireland with our youngest when we left running the business to staff and often came back to find the person left in charge had decided to sack a driver or just somebody they didn't like and we had to sort it all out.Holidays were certainly more bother than they were worth .Speaking to my children recently they said they never felt they missed out ,they spent loads of time with us normally so they were happy with what they had.Its been 12 years since we last had a holiday ,do I feel deprived? Not at all .

Oh I do paddyann (feel deprived that is ) . I hate my job so much I would give anything for a proper week away from it. A week when our subject matter was anything but engineering and work . Heaven .

We went camping for years when the DC were young until I rebelled after one very damp holiday in Cornwall. Otherwise it was two weeks at Grandma's.

We did camp in France a few times later on but the weather was more predictable.

Paddyann

When our children were young they always came to work with us in the school holidays, we also worked Sunday mornings for many years, so opportunities for holidays were slim.

We went through a period when my in laws were not up to being left in charge , and the oldest children, not old enough. Our youngest didn’t have a holiday till she was six, we made up for it later by having some lovely holidays.

I think if you hate your job like gilly, you long for a holiday, but I’m not that bothered anymore.