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Since time began I have been passionate about skiing. I love everything skiing. I love snow, I love cold I love winter. I am totally in love with the mountains, the fresh air, the atmosphere - everything. Since I discovered skiing at the ripe old age of 23 I have only ever missed one year which was when my firstborn was a few months old and even then I considered taking him and putting him in the ski creche. All the kids skiied before they were born (sshh don't tell the midwives). I have worked in various ski resorts for the full winter season and I never felt more healthy, alive or more at home than I do in the mountains.
Skiing is my drug - I don't smoke or drink or spend to excess. I work hard and I save hard to be able to indulge in what I have to do. It is my main hobby - it is a drug to me. I am not a sporty type - believe me - I climb the stairs and I am knackered, I really can't do any other sport but skiing - it is as if the energy comes from somewhere else. None of my family ever skied when I was growing up but it was something I always knew I would love. My first trip was to Mayrhofen, Austria where I was so rubbish that out of 300 skiers that week I won the booby prize for coming last in the ski race. That didn't matter because I had fun. The next year I went out to work for the season and I got better and better and better. Now I like to be up the mountain at 8.30am and do not come down until the lifts close for the night at about 4.30pm. I can do virtually any run happily and confidently.
For seven years I skied on my own as none of my friends ski. I was quite happy to find a ski buddy once out there, just link up with a group or even ski alone. Give me a week in the mountains over two weeks on a beach somewhere tropical any day.
My point is skiing to me is something I just have to do.
Since the kids came along and hit five years old I have taken one of them away skiing with me every year. So each gets to ski once every three years. The bloke doesn't ski but as an addict I NEED TO SKI. I have to ski - it is a compulsion. When Hell freezes over I will still ski.
I have really enjoyed the one to one I get with the kids as having three of them, I very rarely get to spend any quality time with any one on their own. As an adult skiing with one child I still have to pay adult prices for both of us - reduced or free child places only happens where there are two adults. It is expensive and probably costs about £1,700 all told for two of us for a week.
Skiing holidays are typically for one week - this equates to FIVE days off school for one child every three years. The child benefits greatly, none are yet in high school and other than that they all have 98-100% attendance for the rest of the year.
The school in their wisdom have sent a flyer in which they say the school is open to pupils for 190 days of the year which, according to their recent letter, leaves 175 days for holidays. Have you ever gone skiing in August? The ski season is mid December to mid April. So the only holidays during that time are:
1) Christmas - As it is just me and one child we are not going to leave the rest of the family over Christmas or New Year - besides you can DOUBLE the price for these weeks if you do so £3000 plus for a mother and child.
2) This leaves Easter break which is a no for the same reason.
3) So half term then - quite aside from the price for the half term week - about £1000 more for the two of us, you get half the amount of skiing in because of all the other kids on the slopes whose parents are rich. The queues are horrendous - ever queued at a theme park - picture that for every lift whereas if you went out of half term you would get almost straight on the lift and go.
So sorry kids - even though you have above 99% attendance every term and the only holiday we can afford as a family is camping in Tenby, I am sorry but the one week every three years you look forward to so much is no longer going to happen.
I am gutted. -
and now I have found a link to a petition.
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stopping-school-fines-for-taking-our-children-on-family-holidays?bucket&source=facebook-share-button&time=1421177212
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