Parents giving 'duvet days' to kids for mental health: Points of View

The panel (Liz Webb, Rae Whitehouse and Tom Rogers) discuss - Three-quarters of parents have allowed their child to stay at home and take a “duvet day” if they don’t want to attend school, according to a new survey. Seventy-five per cent of 2,000 parents surveyed said they have allowed their child not to go to school if they feel tired, emotional or not able to attend. Forty per cent of those surveyed said they had allowed “duvet days” to happen more than once. On average, parents reported letting their children take six days off during the past school year for these reasons, while 75 per cent of parents said their child’s behaviour improved after such absences. Ninety-seven per cent of surveyed parents said they believe their child’s mental health is just as important as academic success.