taking kids on holiday outside of school holidays

[Spennymackem1981]

Ours insist they're off for 48 hours after puking, but then they complain about attendances too. You really can't win.

If we decide not to send the youngest into nursery for a day, they always ask why, nosy fuckers, no free childcare required today, fuck off.

thats the dream factory right there....roll on another 13 or so months

 

[jedi_toaster]

well... my brother is a professor, we all had our choice of Oxford or Cambridge and half of us the Royal Academy also

my son's two can recite poetry like "She walks in beauty like the night" the 6 year old and the 9 year old recites Dover Beach at the moment

they have brilliant holidays, just not in term time

my family are mostly teachers

Sorry Kat, but Boris Johnson can quote Kipling, but he lacks the empathy to refrain from doing it in a Myanmar temple. So as arguments go, it’s a pretty facile one.

 

[Spennymackem1981]

If you're in a big group then a villa is always going to be the cheapest. For us it worked out just as cheap to stay on site once we factored in the cost of food and stuff (got free/cheap dining). Villa offers loads of other advantages too (and disadvantages) - I've been in a villa before and would do it again.

i would like to be able to drive over there like and wrestle an aligator

 

[AndrewP]

well... my brother is a professor, we all had our choice of Oxford or Cambridge and half of us the Royal Academy also

my son's two can recite poetry like "She walks in beauty like the night" the 6 year old and the 9 year old recites Dover Beach at the moment

they have brilliant holidays, just not in term time

my family are mostly teachers

All my kids know every word of Hakuna Matata, multi lingual at 3 thanks to Disney. MLF song too so a bonus.

i would like to be able to drive over there like and wrestle an aligator

Well you can drive wherever you stay, hire cars are cheap. A villa will work out at next to nowt per person if there's a big group.

 

[becs]

been looking at xel-ha it looks amazing and the better one for the kids compared to Xcaret and Xplor

p.s. did u go to Chicken Iztca

Xel-ha is most natural with mainly only swimming and walks. The other two had shows and activities and were more theme park like. Depends what you think yours would like best.

Did Chichen Itza with Yuccatours linked above. We got there early so had a good explore before the big tourist buses arrived. Lunch was antojitos in a town off the beaten track. All the other customers were locals and they kept bringing us all sorts of food to try. I loved that. Had a swim in the Grand Cenote afterwards which you might have seen on adverts for the area. It's stunning.

 

[AndrewP]

thats the dream factory right there....roll on another 13 or so months

We only get 15 hours a week, so he's in all day Monday and Tuesday, it's a fuck on sending him in for a half day on a Wednesday so we sometimes pull him out on a Wednesday. Those with two working parents get 30, which is a bit of a kicker as 30 would have been ideal!

 

[pavarotti1980]

well... my brother is a professor, we all had our choice of Oxford or Cambridge and half of us the Royal Academy also

my son's two can recite poetry like "She walks in beauty like the night" the 6 year old and the 9 year old recites Dover Beach at the moment

they have brilliant holidays, just not in term time

my family are mostly teachers

You are a granny???

 

[becs]

We only get 15 hours a week, so he's in all day Monday and Tuesday, it's a fuck on sending him in for a half day on a Wednesday so we sometimes pull him out on a Wednesday. Those with two working parents get 30, which is a bit of a kicker as 30 would have been ideal!

Do they not count students in the free hours? That's shocking if they don't. It's not like your other half is sitting at home doing nothing. She's working too, just in a different way to those with a job.

 

[AndrewP]

Do they not count students in the free hours? That's shocking if they don't. It's not like your other half is sitting at home doing nothing. She's working too, just in a different way to those with a job.

Yeah, being a student doesn't count as working so we're stuck with the 15 rather than 30. I agree if you're both working or in full education you should get the 30 rather than 15, but I guess there's reasons why you don't that I haven't considered.

You are a granny???

I knew she was lying about her age, just knew it.

 

[Some Random Guy]

my son's two can recite poetry like "She walks in beauty like the night"

Sorry but I really don't see how that is more impressive than being able to recite twinkle twinkle little star. Probably less so as the 2 year old would probably be able to comprehend what a star is understand the poem (or that Bob is a Builder and can fix it). At two years old the kid is just mimicking words in something like Byron, they aren't going to understand what a simile is, could just as easily teach them a Yorkshire Pudding recipe.

Not trying to be a dick here, it just seems that for someone that doesn't have kids you have some pretty strong opinions on how people should raise theirs. There are plenty of experiences that a kid could have on a family holiday that would be more beneficial to their development than a week in the classroom. While I don't think it's right for parents to do it as standard practice annually to save a few quid a few weeks across an education isn't going to have a negative impact.

 

[AndrewP]

Sorry but I really don't see how that is more impressive than being able to recite twinkle twinkle little star. Probably less so as the 2 year old would probably be able to comprehend what a star is understand the poem (or that Bob is a Builder and can fix it). At two years old the kid is just mimicking words in something like Byron, they aren't going to understand what a simile is, could just as easily teach them a Yorkshire Pudding recipe.

Not trying to be a dick here, it just seems that for someone that doesn't have kids you have some pretty strong opinions on how people should raise theirs. There are plenty of experiences that a kid could have on a family holiday that would be more beneficial to their development than a week in the classroom. While I don't think it's right for parents to do it as standard practice annually to save a few quid a few weeks across an education isn't going to have a negative impact.

She mentioned grandkids on this thread like. Maybe just a typo, but a weird one if so.

 

[Some Random Guy]

She mentioned grandkids on this thread like. Maybe just a typo, but a weird one if so.

I'm assuming typo. Cat had a thing with, I assume, GM where he kept saying she had a teenage son for....reasons. She said she had no kids there, and I can't think of a time she's mentioned having kids.

Even if she had kids they aren't going to old enough to have 6 and 9 year olds (and if they could be bravo CatRyan, you look a hell of a lot younger than your age).

 

[AndrewP]

I'm assuming typo. Cat had a thing with, I assume, GM where he kept saying she had a teenage son for....reasons.

Even if she had kids they aren't going to old enough to have 6 and 9 year olds (and if they could be bravo CatRyan, you look a hell of a lot younger than your age).

I know a 50 year old with a 12 year old grand kid like. You're right though, most likely a typo.

 

[Some Random Guy]

I know a 50 year old with a 12 year old grand kid like. You're right though, most likely a typo.

My step dad is 51 with a 12 year-old grandkid (mine).

My mam has 10 years on him like.

 

[AndrewP]

My step dad is 51 with a 12 year-old grandkid (mine).

My mam has 10 years on him like.

It's easily do-able like.

 

[Some Random Guy]

It's easily do-able like.

If Cat is 50 whatever skin product she uses is worth it.

 

[Motor City Cobra]

As my son is 15 I've bit the bullet and taken t two weeks in the 6 weeks holiday.

The hike in price is a pisstake but I'll live with it

Previously though always took them both out and still do for a couple of days here and there, just thought 2 weeks in a block was a bit much at a crucial age/year.

Next year his gcse are in may /June so will probably take him and 13 year old daughter away early July and save a bomb.

 

[AndrewP]

If Cat is 50 whatever skin product she uses is worth it.

Nah, she's younger than that, mid 40s iirc.

As my son is 15 I've bit the bullet and taken t two weeks in the 6 weeks holiday.

The hike in price is a pisstake but I'll live with it

Previously though always took them both out and still do for a couple of days here and there, just thought 2 weeks in a block was a bit much at a crucial age/year.

Next year his gcse are in may /June so will probably take him and 13 year old daughter away early July and save a bomb.

Sounds sensible mate.

 

[Spennymackem1981]

Xel-ha is most natural with mainly only swimming and walks. The other two had shows and activities and were more theme park like. Depends what you think yours would like best.

Did Chichen Itza with Yuccatours linked above. We got there early so had a good explore before the big tourist buses arrived. Lunch was antojitos in a town off the beaten track. All the other customers were locals and they kept bringing us all sorts of food to try. I loved that. Had a swim in the Grand Cenote afterwards which you might have seen on adverts for the area. It's stunning.

i dont actually think the youngest can get into Xplor....its seems more child friendly at xel-ha at least for mine..and thats whats its all about....did u try swimming with dolphins

We only get 15 hours a week, so he's in all day Monday and Tuesday, it's a fuck on sending him in for a half day on a Wednesday so we sometimes pull him out on a Wednesday. Those with two working parents get 30, which is a bit of a kicker as 30 would have been ideal!

yeah were gonna get 30 hours thank fuck its such a rip off childcare like...i love the fact that single mothers on jobseekers get 15 hours free makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside

 

[AndrewP]

yeah were gonna get 30 hours thank fuck its such a rip off childcare like...i love the fact that single mothers on jobseekers get 15 hours free makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside

Mental that isn't it! The very people who need it least. Think they might get 30 when they're three too, not 100% on that though. Why they need 15 hours from two I don't know.