[New Horizons]

In today's newsletter, there is an article outlining the importance of everyday attendance at school, and a comment about how many children have already had significant time off school. Mine had 3 days off last week because I crashed our car hundreds of km from home. Because of the floods damaging the train track, trains were not running so we had to come back by bus. The first bus was Tuesday night, which got us close to home Wednesdsy morning. We then had to get on another bus, getting us home Wednesday afternoon.

Reading that article, I feel like a horrible mum! Getting her to school has always been a priority, and choosing the right school has been as well. She's on a modified programme, gets no regular homework, and was able to catch up by getting some as homework for a few days. The only subject she totally missed was science, which was experiments. She is not on a modified science program, and is at the top of the class.

Anyone else feel guilty when kids miss days of school when they are not sick? Illogical I know lol.

[Regular Show]

I feel guilty when my kids miss school and they are sick

You dont even want to know how much time my special needs child has missed out on - its pretty shocking.

This post has been edited by Regular Show: 22/02/2013, 04:37 PM

[Oriental lily]

No. Because she is never of for a not a good reason.

Op your reasons were totally legitimate.

Why would you feel guilty?

Not taking them because you all slept in and couldn't be stuffed and this happened on a regular basis are reasons to be guilty about.

[New Horizons]

I feel guilty when my kids miss school and they are sick

You dont even want to know how much time my special needs child has missed out on - its pretty shocking.

Mine too lol, but normally she is able to complete her school work at home at those times. She's in a very small class this year so has been ok at school, but last year she had 22 in her class with a cow of a teacher who was not invited back to teach. She had lots of time off but did not skip school work.

[bye]

.

This post has been edited by bye: 29/03/2013, 02:16 PM

[New Horizons]

No. Because she is never of for a not a good reason.

Op your reasons were totally legitimate.

Why would you feel guilty?

Not taking them because you all slept in and couldn't be stuffed and this happened on a regular basis are reasons to be guilty about.

Yeah I know it's illogical

[Luvmy4]

My DD missed 3 1/2 days of the first school week due to gastro.
Try not to let it get to you it's not as if you were having lazy days at home.

[wombat]

OP I'd bet the newsletter was referring to parents who just can't be bothered to get their kids to school on some days. I know people who keep their kids home just so they can watch TV together - regularly, or because they've had a big weekend and everyone is tired - regularly. Your circumstance was obviously very different. But I know how guilty these newsletters can make you feel, even when not aimed at you. It could have been worded better IMO.

[baddmammajamma]

I'm so sorry to hear about your car crash -- how scary.

I think you are being way to hard on yourself. It's not as if your daughter missed school because you just couldn't be bothered to take her.

Like you, I also have a child with ASD. We take off mental health days from time to time, and I don't feel one iota of guilt because these are needed for her happy functioing. I also won't feel one iota of guilt when I pull both kids out for 2 weeks so that we can celebrate my parents' 50th wedding anniversary in the U.S. I haven't seen my dad in 3 years.

I appreciate that schools don't want children to miss school "just because," but IMHO, this is one policy arena where the "shades of grey" need to be recognized.

[Jenflea]

The kid next door decides he doesn't want to go to school, so his dad lets him stay home. Not sick, just doesn't want to go.
Being hundreds of KM's away on a BUS is a perfectly legitimate reason for not being at school!