 Poster: A snowHead
|
| Quote: |
the self catering apartments ive seen look very ropey.
|
there are plenty of very luxurious and beautiful self catering places, but you won't find them in the Crystal brochure.
I have my own apartment and a season lift pass - and am in a resort with very few Brits. but I am not here at half term and the other French school holiday weeks (there are four, and they ALWAYS coincide with UK half term) because it's too busy and there are lift queues.
If you absolutely MUST ski at half term, go to Austria or Italy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
alti - dude, if you want to trade every tax penny you have paid against every benefit (tax or otherwise) taken then i would wager i have paid more and taken less....... (remember we as parents, pay tax on a whole lot of other crap that you do not have to) our choice yep, and i am happy to accept it but that does not mean you are subsidising our lifestyle.
popcorn time....
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
ansta1, I am a tax payer and have 2 kids.
I get fed up with the attitude about 'don't need to turn up to school as it's been paid for by the state already'. No different to people who don't turn up to hospital appointments. It's a well known fact that the 'no shows' in private hospitals is materially lower than in the NHS.
PS on the tax front, check your facts first as many child related items are VAT free so you're not on strong ground.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
alti - dude, this year, in my daughters report, 6 years old - class 1, she was recorded as having one days absence for the year. It was the Monday after my Dad had died on the Friday - think she was run down by the disruption to her routine as I was travelling to and from Wales every other day for two weeks, spending every other night in Wales.
In many/most families these days both parents work, some kids are put into full time childcare from a VERY young age (under 1). Family holidays are so important these days as often life is just a cycle of juggling work/housework and childcare. Let families have some quality time together - otherwise what is the point in life?
Finally, my husband and I have paid plenty in taxes over the years (in 2006 ph paid £50k in income tax alone). I also work a lot and have sat on the PTA for school giving plenty of my time, money and effort. If I wanted to take my daughter out of school, I think my conscience would be very clear.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
alti - dude, apologies I also have 2 kids, and i think we (probably me it seems) may have cross posted or missed something somehow because i am, and i think most around these parts, are not in anyway saying "its paid for by tax so milk it".
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
pam w is very quick to condemn skiing in France during the February holidays but there are advantages for doing so if you have children. More choice of ski classes which don't always take place outide of peak seaon for older children, activities at the bottom of the lifts at the end of the day that your children might enjoy. My own learnt to climb on an ice wall, looked at saturn through a huge telescope and had great ski lessons. From my point of view, the queues have not been unbearable. Whether it is worth the extra cost is another matter.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hells Bells, also, thres more chance of them making friends in ski schools they will naturally gravitate towards other English speaking kids. From our experience this did make quite a bit of difference. It would be fine if the class was a mix of all different Nationalities but 9 French kids and one English kid in a group will be a bit challenging for the English kid.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shimmy Alcott, not sure of your point. My point is clear - I and the other tax payers have paid for the school place so please have the decency to use it. Remember my ski school analogy - bet you don't miss a second of that because you've paid directly for it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
|
A little bit off topic - but if all parents did comply with the rule of not taking kids out in term time then there is no way on earth that the tourist industry would cope with the demand; and the lack of demand throughout the rest of the year (be it for beach or ski hols) would probably result in collapse of the industry
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shimmy Alcott, I agree.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
alti - dude,
playing devils advocate...
Our taxes pay for the the provision of the service, ie a teacher and the services supporting the teacher to teach a class of in the region of 30 students in the average state primary. Therefore if i choose to take my child out of school in term time then i am improving the child to teacher ratio and actually improving the other childrens education as a result.
discuss if you like.
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
alti - dude, did you read my post? My daughter missed one day of school in the recorded school year - I think that I can safely say I "had the decency to" use her school place.
I work in a very heavily female dominated industry - I actually couldnt accommodate giving my (100%) female employees time off only in school term time as they all would want/need that - and I would be left with no staff.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
alti - dude, Errm no I disagree with this, I pay for my children to have swimming lessons these I need to pay for monthly but to allow us to visit the girls grandparents (requires a weekend away) means they miss the lessons that I have paid for. But in the scheme of things I feel it is also important for them to get to spend a bit of time with their grandparents.
Similarly I have taken my eldest daughter out of school for 2 weeks out of 3 years - this was the only way we could afford to take them, it Meant paying an additional £200 for an extra week in childcare during school holidays, again I felt it was worth it to give them the chance to experience skiing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
Shimmy Alcott, my children made friends with both French and English children. I think there is more chance of an English speaking class at half term than off season, and there are plenty of English speaking ski schools
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
NickyJ, yes, we often miss swimming as it falls on a Friday afternoon and that is when we would take off to visit family for the weekend
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
ansta1, doesn't work like that. If the right number is 30 in a teaching group, then we should have 31 in a class as 1 will be off getting down to the optimum 30 otherwise you are wasting space, which is my point. When things are free, generally people don't value to - when they do, they appreciate things.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
and whilest i am biting...
"many child related things are vat free"
yep they are, that doesnt mean paying for petrol, holidays, food or eveything else apart from the odd childs toy, clothing item or somethng else doesnt accrue a tax of some sort...
eg Air passenger duty, vat on food in restaurant.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
| alti - dude wrote: |
| ansta1, doesn't work like that. If the right number is 30 in a teaching group, then we should have 31 in a class as 1 will be off getting down to the optimum 30 otherwise you are wasting space, which is my point. When things are free, generally people don't value to - when they do, they appreciate things. |
Of course you never have children off sick and it only us naughty parents who take children out for ski holidays which cause absences.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Hells Bells, yes, my kids too make friends with all Nationalities, but we've generally always used ESF and if its 10/1 French to English then we've found it a bit of a struggle. We put Izzie in the International Ski School last time and that worked well as there was some balance.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| alti - dude wrote: |
| ansta1, doesn't work like that. If the right number is 30 in a teaching group, then we should have 31 in a class as 1 will be off getting down to the optimum 30 otherwise you are wasting space, which is my point. When things are free, generally people don't value to - when they do, they appreciate things. |
hmm, so to turn your argument around, you have a ski lesson booked, its a group lesson and you expect it to be a group of 4, 2 were on the vino last night so dont turn up. are you going to complain that the teacher/student ratio isnt as advertised.
perhaps i have had a grape juice or 2, or maybe I am just missing the point. might have avoid further responses till after sleep....
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
ansta1, I dont think you have missed the point but I do think alti - dude has an opinion that really hasnt taken into consideration wider circumstances.
At the end of the day, if my child is not at school then it will cost the school less - water/electricity going to the loo, using lap tops, drinking from the water fountain etc
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| boredsurfin wrote: |
| Surely if a fine was issued for taking a child out of school the fine would still be less than the extra cost of going at half term! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| boredsurfin wrote: |
| Surely if a fine was issued for taking a child out of school the fine would still be less than the extra cost of going at half term! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
| boredsurfin wrote: |
| Surely if a fine was issued for taking a child out of school the fine would still be less than the extra cost of going at half term! |
You seem to feel pretty strongly about this point boredsurfin
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
would you take your kids out of school to go skiing?
Yes I would, but I wouldn't take a 1 year old on a skiing holiday at any price.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
| Quote: |
pam w is very quick to condemn skiing in France during the February holidays but there are advantages for doing so if you have children.
|
I was largely saying that I don't do it myself, even though I could do so at no marginal cost (ie my apartment and ski pass are already paid for). But yes, I do think there are better destinations than France during those French school holiday weeks - much as I love France. Not that lift queues are confined to France - there have been reports on SHs in recent years of major queues in Canada, Bulgaria and Austria and the worst I ever encountered (even worse than Chamonix in mid January  ) were on Cairngorm.
When I skied with kids it was never at half term - always dead cheap early/mid January week, the first after the New Year holiday. We all had our first proper ski lessons in Austria and 5 of us were in 5 different classes. Very good lessons - and being in a minority as Anglophones didn't do anybody any harm, even the 4 year old. I did once ski here in Les Saisies at half term because I was looking after a family who could only visit then because their daughter was a trainee teacher. The queues were bad but the worst aspect was the crowded pistes - there are places where you can escape the crowds but they were not strong enough skiers to get there. My daughter and son in law (teachers) did half term in Flaine before they had kids and though both are strong skiers they were very spooked by the hugely crowded pistes (exacerbated by very poor snow conditions in lower areas of the Grand Massif).
All the ski destinations have their pros and cons - it depends where, and when, you go and what things are important to you. You need to do some careful research. I really dislike big lift queues and crowded pistes and finding somewhere quieter would be far more important to me than having lots of entertainment laid on or guaranteed all-British ski school classes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
|
Kel, I took my youngest when she was only a few months old. To be honest I wouldn't do that again as she didn't seem to be comfortable (altitude). But we took her again the following year and it was fine. We (husband, me, eldest daughter) skied in the morning while she went to crèche and then we all had family time in the afternoon (sledging, making snowmen etc). It's a great holiday for young kids if you get the balance right.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Both my girls went as 1yr olds
Here is a piccie of my eldest when she went when she was 1. She had a lovely holiday - kept calling the snow "bubbles"
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
It's only the teachers/SLT's that are jealous of parents taking their broods out of school for better prices, less crowds, happier holidays.
Just think................. ALL UK families must ski in a total of 5 weeks window? Xmas, Feb Half-Term, Easter (which this year finishes in May!). Great "education" policy. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
We took eldest out of school a couple of times in R and Y1 but after that have not. Now eldest about to go into Y9 and there is no way I would take her out of school while she is in senior school - just our preference, but I would not critisise any parent for their choices, I am sure there are plenty of things I decide about my kids that others would disapprove of.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Our sons school does a school ski trip in March. If the missus could get the time off work I have it in my head to go the same week (to a different resort) because then there can surely be no objection on any grounds? Anybody else done that?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
Layne, Go to the same resort and give him explicit approval to buzz his mates and ski off without the burden of being supervised by a responsible adult 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| alti - dude wrote: |
| If anybody is not planning to use the school places that, as a taxpayer, I have funded, can you arrange for me to have a refund please? |
oh don't be a twit....my kids will pay your pension, wipe your back bottom when your senile- either literally (if they spend all their time skiing and can't get a better job) or through their taxes when you are no longer a contibuter to the economy- if you ever have been..
Now- shall we all play nicely?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
The_Mac_Daddy, best of luck- yes you have discovered the first parts of the awful reality of skiing with school aged kids.
1. Prices
2. Extras
3. Taking them out of school
To be discovered
1. Ski hire
2. Getting hire skis and boots for the family back to the chalet
3. Getting ski boots on small kids
4. Walking anywhere with kids in skis boots
5. Carrying a families ski boots whilst hung over
6. Ski school and tears
7. Continence issues and ski school
8. The awful smell of kids ski boots when they have been peed in, secretly everyday for a week and are now drying in the conservatory
9. Lunch
9. Paying for lunch
10 Coach transfers and norovirus
11. The astonishing attitude of the guests with no kids at Mark Warner Hotels during school holidays (they are genuinely astonished / horrified / disgusted that there are children (in the world / at the same hotel))
12 Norovirus in Mark Warner Hotels
13 Trying to drop kids off at ski school / crech and get to the meet for off piste / ski hosting
14 Getting back to pick up kids from crech after off piste / hosting- especially if in Chamonix
Sounds like I hate it- I love it (apart from the vomit bit)
Answering the question I agree with the consensus which seems to be in primary school sure no problem, another matter in secondary school (eldest child starts secondary school in September)-
Have fun........
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Take note of no. 7 above
MAKE them go to toilet before ski school
And allow time for same. They say 10 times in a row they don't even need to go, then decide once they're in there they need to do a poo
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ed123,
Can add to list
Can't find gloves
Can't click into skis
Getting kids to bed
Waking kids up in morning
Stopping them from racing each other on icy slopes
Stopping one from laughing at the other when they fall
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
Yes, take little treasure out of school(if you can).
alti - dude, is just being daft. We(most) all pay tax in varying amounts, minime didn't miss a single day for the last two years, he has hit all his targets at the end of last year(and exceeded 2)it's his SATS year this year coming and the school had no issues with authorising a week off in the beginning of march. Plenty of kids are off sick, I know of one kid that had 3 days off 'sick' because he felt a bit tired!!!! That's taking the p!$$ out of the system, letting a kid that makes the effort have a well deserved week off isn't.
It's not a habit of ours, it's the first time, we didn't go last(this) year, couldn't afford to as we moved in September, the only way we can afford it this year is to take his lordship out of school and go to Andorra(again), hey, any ski hol is better than no ski hol, right 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| alti - dude wrote: |
ansta1, I am a tax payer and have 2 kids.
I get fed up with the attitude about 'don't need to turn up to school as it's been paid for by the state already'. No different to people who don't turn up to hospital appointments. It's a well known fact that the 'no shows' in private hospitals is materially lower than in the NHS.
PS on the tax front, check your facts first as many child related items are VAT free so you're not on strong ground. |
Most parents are tax payers certainly virtually all who go skiing. The same problem exists though for children who receive private education.
For many people holidays are an invaluable resource to stay sane and keep a family together. I have taken my kids out of school on several occasions for holidays, l don't claim the holiday is educational but it is certainly massively beneficial. For me the reasons have not been financial as I have found with advanced planning I can usually go skiing at a reasonable price during school holidays. It has simply been because that is when other family members holidays have been available, for others the reasons may be financial. Whatever the reason though education is undoubtedly very important, it isn't the only part of a fulfilling family life.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
). Toboganning is very good exercise for whoever pulls them back up! Just stomping in the snow, building "snow castles" and poking sticks into snowbanks are tremendous fun.
