katgod, that sums up my feelings exactly. The flexibility has existed without wholesale chaos and was in existance when I chose to have my son. When I tell my 93 yr old grandmother that her youngest great grand child can't go to her birthday celebration without us being fined she is, quite rightly, going to think its bonkers. Not sure that at 93 she will be still around when he finishes school or that my son will learn to value and respect old people by being forced to miss it. A year ago my mum decided to delay retirement to save for the holiday of a life time visiting the baby whales in mexico, a trip like that can completly change a childs future, sparking a profound love of nature and the enviroment, a future in marine biology? Who knows? I do know if he doesn't get to do it until he leaves school his educational choices will already have been made. Perhaps the Whales could be persuaded to birth only during school hols?