Should children be allowed to have the day off school on their birthday?
When I was a kid I never spent a single birthday in school.
That’s not because my parents decided to keep me home, but simply because my birthday is early in January which means schools are closed due to the Christmas and New Year period.
Being in school for my birthday wasn’t something that I’d ever thought of because I was just used to the fact that this never happened.
It’s not something I ever really thought about again, that was until recently.
Our twin girls birthday is February, and unless it falls on a weekend, it means they’ll always be in school for it.
This is a pretty strange concept to me, mainly because I was never in school for my own birthday. I actually contemplated taking the girls out of school for the day so that we could spend the morning at home, watching them opening their presents without having to rush to get ready for school.
We could then have a birthday breakfast, maybe go out for the day or just spend the day at home playing with their new presents before having a celebratory lunch or dinner with family and friends.
To be honest though, I couldn’t actually go ahead with it. As much as I really wanted to keep the girls home from school, and I really, really did want to, my husband and I decided that they should go to school.
Of course this was the right decision to make. The girls loved being in school on their birthday. They got to stand up in assembly whilst the teachers and other children sang happy birthday to them, and again the children in their class made a fuss of them both, as did their teachers.
We let the girls wear a birthday badge each on their uniforms and even sent them into school with some party sized packs of smarties for them to hand out to their classmates.
We did spend the morning before school watching them opening their presents, and to be honest it wasn’t at all rushed. They flew through them!
When they came home from school, we had a party at home with family and the girls had a birthday party on the weekend which their school friends were invited too.
So, as strange as it may seem to me, the best thing was to send them into school on their birthday. They had a great time. Although, I spent most of the day counting down the hours and minutes until I could get them home again! This year was the first year that I haven’t spent their entire birthday with them. It’s going to take some getting used to!
31 Comments
Hannah Brown
July 27, 2017 at 9:36 pm
I took Josh out – Bad parent! He hadn’t had one sick day and I had booked for them to go to Peppa world as the next day was an inset day!
Heather Keet
July 28, 2017 at 12:27 am
My birthday fell during the school year, my brother’s did not. He always hated that he never got to see his friends and get sung to since everyone was off on vacation. #ThatFridayLinky
Dad
July 28, 2017 at 3:28 am
I think you did the right thing. Sounds like the girls had a great birthday!
#ThatFridayLinky
Fran Back With A Bump
July 28, 2017 at 7:23 am
I think going to school on your birthday is a fun thing, especially in younger years. You generally have the class sing to you and at our school there’s birthday hat (like a cake with candles on) and as you get older a badge. We always take sweets in to share with the class too. I admit this year Ellas birthday was on a Sunday and she was “ill” on the Monday as we took her to Chessington! Thanks for hosting #thatfridaylinky x
Katie
July 28, 2017 at 7:44 am
So far my children’s birthdays have landed on weekends I don’t know how il feel when I have to send them to school on their birthday it will be stance but the children normally bring a cake in to school so they’ll have a nice time with their friends
Liz Deacle
July 28, 2017 at 8:11 am
I think they like going to school on their birthday as they get spoilt rotten!
#ThatFridayLinky
Mummy2twindividuals
July 28, 2017 at 9:12 am
I guess I’d want to keep them home for all the reasons you said but they’d probably prefer to be in school with their friends. I’m pretty sure I’d send them too.
Mummy2twindividuals
July 28, 2017 at 9:12 am
Oops forgot #thatfridaylinky
kerry sayers
July 28, 2017 at 9:17 am
My little boy is never at school on his birthday as its always the week before they go back for the new term. My little girl on the other hand will always be there like your girls unless it falls on a weekend. We have a little thing in our family were we take them on a weekend away somewere like LEGOLAND, peppa world etc instead of presents, so we tend to celebrate it on the weekend anyway. That been said i think it will still bother me once she starts school! #thatfridaylinky
Pnina
July 28, 2017 at 10:34 am
Birthdays are a big deal in our house but I also always send them to school on their birthday. I wake up early and make them a special breakfast and send then to school w a cake or cupcakes to share w their classmates and teachers. They love the attention they get in school. When they get back home we celebrate as a family as well.
Eoin
July 28, 2017 at 11:07 am
It’s a dilemma alright. Think you guys did the right thing, education is everything.
But it’s hard to be separated from them on such a landmark day. Our girl was in daycare for her last birthday (3), even though we’d had a party on the weekend and lots of ceremony, it still felt wrong. She didn’t care though – she got another cake in there!!
Mama Grace
July 28, 2017 at 11:36 am
Yeah, I think celebrating with school friends is also exciting. Sometimes our birthday would be broke up for sinner holidays and some of our friends had gone away. So I missed celebrating with friends some years. #ThatFridayLinky
Jaki
July 28, 2017 at 12:10 pm
I think it’s good that they go and get used to it. It mixes the day up s bit for them as well. I can remember always waking up early to go and sit on my mum and dads bed to open my presents – and it had to be early so that was time to do it all – perfect excuse! #thatfridaylinky
Becky | Bringing up the Berneys
July 28, 2017 at 1:01 pm
I used to love going into school on my birthday! I knew I was going to see my friends and I’d be showered with “happy birthdays” from everyone! It’s a social thing I guess, I’ve not had to deal with it from a parents POV yet, my daughters birthday falls in the October half term so she doesn’t have it at school either! #ThatFridayLinky
Ray – Lukeosaurus And Me
July 28, 2017 at 2:32 pm
I can understand why parents would want to have their kids out of school on their birthday, after all, it’s a very special day! But I always had my birthday on school days, and I’ve got to say, it’s pretty cool being the centre of attention! I loved walking around with my badge on, and I loved getting all the extra presents from my friends that I wouldn’t have had if my birthday was on the weekend/fell on a school holiday. So I suppose my reasoning was a bit selfish – I got more stuff! But I think that’s fine, they’re kids, after all. And you can always have special breakfasts/dinners and have a special treat/outing at the weekend! 🙂 Ray x #ThatFridayLinky
Lexie @ mommyhomemanager.com
July 28, 2017 at 2:47 pm
Being at school on your birthday rocked! Treats and people singing to you… especially fun if you wear a birthday badge and everyone knows. 🙂
Kate
July 28, 2017 at 3:49 pm
Not something we have to think about as we now home educate so feel liberated. Used to send them in for their birthdays when there were in school which at least made it easy to make last minute impressive cakes if I had left it a day late
Musings of a tired mummy…zzz…
July 28, 2017 at 8:48 pm
This completely resonates with me! My birthday is at the end of Mat so always fell in half term. It wasn’t until I started work that i had to work on my birthday (aged 22!). My eldest’s birthday is the day before mine so he also always has a holiday birthday. Anya’s in September: this year she will have her first full day of school on her 5th birthday and that makes me a bit sad but I’m trying to make it sound exciting. Zach’s birthday is April so sometimes will be in the Easter holidays but not always. #thatfridaylinky
Jo – Pickle and Poppet
July 28, 2017 at 9:12 pm
I don’t remember ever going to school on my birthday, not because it fell in a holiday, I just don’t remember whether I was at school or not. I remember birthday parties that would be at weekends so family could go and remember opening gifts and thanking people.
I have booked Reuben’s birthday off work this year as it is the last year we will have the day together on his birthday unless it falls on a weekend. I intend to send him to school on his birthday, he will be made a fuss of everyone there and when he is my age he probably wont remember where he was on his birthday just his birthday memories #ThatFridayLinky
Richie Sayers
July 28, 2017 at 9:53 pm
my son always has his birthday out of school at its 30th August but I do think they should be allowed it off. it doesn’t feel special if they’re not at home #thatfridaylinky
Chloe
July 29, 2017 at 1:42 pm
Hi, it sounds like they had the perfect day at home and school. To be fair I had never though about this before I read. I used to love going to school on my birthday #ThatFridayLinky
Heather Burnett
July 29, 2017 at 5:40 pm
Interesting question! Part of me says YES! It’s a special day that should be celebrated & many parents are going to keep them home anyway so why not! But then the other says NO! They will not get the day off in the real world at a job & this would set a bad example. So I guess my answer is…I don’t know!!! HA!!!
#ThatFridayLinky
Martin Lee
July 29, 2017 at 5:57 pm
I never spent a birthday in school! but then I was born on Christmas Eve! #thatfridaylinky
Jade – Raw Childhood
July 29, 2017 at 11:10 pm
My birthday falls on half term week.. always has, so I have never thought about it either. However, I did take the boys birthdays off uni to spend the day with them oops. I’m homeschooling so we won’t need to think of that #thatfridaylinky
hayley balozi
July 30, 2017 at 6:19 am
Sounds like they had a great day and weren’t bothered in the slightest. I’ve actually never really thought about it, Skyler has just gone in with a cake and then we’ve celebrated on the weekend. Although, I’m taking him out of school for 2 months in September to travel so I’m definitely the bad parent haha! #ThatLinkyFriday
Sadie
July 30, 2017 at 12:22 pm
Not only was I always in school on my birthday, I even had exams on mine (the perks of being a May baby!). It wasn’t always great, but I was just used to it. All my kids have school-term birthdays, so we try to have a special breakfast together, with cake and gifts after school and a party at the weekend. Now I’m an adult though, I usually take the day off for my own birthday!
#thatfridaylinky
kristin mccarthy
July 30, 2017 at 2:05 pm
This year was the year I gave a choice. We compromised on a half day.
#thatfridaylinky
Life as Mum
July 30, 2017 at 4:03 pm
I have my birthday in August – so it was always during the summer holidays and this was something I never thought of until my eldest started school. It’s strange isn’t it! I remember trying to make a decision if I should take Mia into school on her birthday or not. She wanted to go to school and was so excited. She loves wearing a badge and so does Elliw. Their class sing Happy Birthday at the end of the day to whoever has their birthday! It’s lovely.
#thatfridaylink
Susie / So Happy In Tow
July 31, 2017 at 10:30 pm
I always had my birthday in the summer holidays as it’s end of July so I never had to have my birthday at school but the downer was that a lot of my friends were away on holiday so I had to have my party the term before. All my kids have their birthdays at school and they love it, they get loads of attention. #ThatFridayLinky
Mrs Mummy Harris
August 2, 2017 at 10:09 pm
This is a tough one, both my brothers and sister had birthdays in the summer and I didnt which I didnt like as a kid but looking back I loved going to school and handing out sweets to everyone. But in my current job we get our birthdays off which I love!
I dont think I’d let him take the day off but I think I might let him bring friends over straight from school perhaps? I guess its hard to not be selfish and want to spend time with him but I’m not used to losening the apron strings just yet! #Thatfridaylinky
Troy Comstock
November 9, 2022 at 1:59 pm
This is crazy to me. No matter when your birthday is during the school year you should go. You can always celebrate on a weekend plus it’s a obligation to teach them to work hard regardless of a event. I don’t want to hurt ppl but it’s just a birthday. That’s like when my co workers take it off for theirs. It’s fine when you have days but to just take it off is weird imo!