Would you/do you take your kids out of school

[happymom52003]

How will you manage that? DW is a school teacher, and the only reason we don't go during the school year is she can't get off. That and because older DD, in 8th grade, will have a hard time making up all the tests and quizzes she'd miss - she doesn't deal with that sort of thing well.

But mainly it's because of DW's work. So how would that work for you?

One of the schools I taught at allowed a certain number of vacation/personal days in addition to a certain number of sick days. It was great....I actually used a few of my personal days to go to WDW, and I didn't even have kids yet!

 

[clareita]

One of the schools I taught at allowed a certain number of vacation/personal days in addition to a certain number of sick days. It was great....I actually used a few of my personal days to go to WDW, and I didn't even have kids yet!

You are lucky. Most school districts have rules that say you are not allowed to use your one or two personal days consectutively and not before school vacations.

 

[clareita]

We always take our son out of school for our trips. It is too busy during school vacation times. Now that being said our son is a good student and the school district offers an independant study program if your child is out for more than 5 school days. Each teacher makes a packet of assignments for him to complete and turn in when he comes back to school. The teachers are usually understanding that we are on vacation and do not pile on the work, many even try to incorporate the trip itself into the assignments.

When I was a high school teacher I was working at school from 6:45 until 4pm just about every day at which point I would take papers home to grade. I also worked several hours on Sunday or Saturday afternoon. In addition to teaching I was busy planning lessons, helping students, writing exams, meeting or talking with parents, working with other teachers, writing college letters of recommendation, etc. Creating a packet of assignments for a student who was missing school for a vacation would have been the last thing on my to-do list.

 

[happymom52003]

You are lucky. Most school districts have rules that say you are not allowed to use your one or two personal days consectutively and not before school vacations.

Yes, I was lucky. It was at a private school I taught at. I would not have been able to do that at the public school I taught at. School districts have tighter policies because of the large number of employees.....allowing teachers to take vacation days would be a nightmare because so many would be off at the same time. In a small private school it is much easier to allow vacation days for teachers. They were approved on a first come basis so that there would not be multiple teachers gone at the same time. And, we were only allowed a few...I forget the exact number. I took two days off for our WDW trip and combined it with a four day weekend the school already had.

 

[daliseurat]

No matter how you slice it, taking kids out of school for a vacation can't be rationalized as a GOOD IDEA academically. We're kidding ourselves when we say it's GOOD for the kids to be taken out of school. We do it because it's more convenient, cheaper and can provide us with a better vacation.

I could not disagree more to such a generalized statement.

My parents took me out of school at least every other year for a vacation. I was blessed enough to have the opportunity to travel to places all over the world including China, Central America, Tunisia, Rome, etc. Not to toot my own horn, but those experiences have benefitted me so much more so than if I were to have stayed in class during those weeks.

I learned things about culture and history I never would have learned by listening to a lecture or reading a book. I learned compassion for people in other countries. I learned not to take the things we have here in America for granted. I became "worldly" at age 12 - and not many can say that.

If my parents didn't take me out of school for those trips, I would have missed out on visiting those magnificent places. We couldn't afford trips like that during peak season. And becuase they DID take me out and let me experience the world, I have been to places some people only dream about going and I feel so blessed to have been able to do so.

So, needless to say, I would take my kids out of school (granted that they are good students and have proven that they could handle such) to experience the world in a heartbeat!

Okay...I made a much too generalized statement. Clearly the vacations that your parents took you on were several steps above a DISNEY vacation, and as a child you must have been one of those kids who actually appreciates those types of trips. I hope your own kids are like you! So, yes, you probably DID get more benefit out of being taken out a school.

However, you do make the point I was trying to make clearer. Your parents opted to take you out of school because it was CHEAPER. It was the only way they could take you on these wonderful trips. You can rationalize that you benefitted more from those trips than being in school (And I'm sure your correct), but the reason you were taken out of school was convenience and price. They could have taken you during breaks, if they could have afforded it. And you would have had an equally awesome experience. And I'm not pointing fingers. I'll do the same thing. I can't afford to give my child those experiences during peak seasons either.

And in my generalized manner, I was meaning to specify a DISNEY trip, which, re-reading my post, I did not. But I have heard many parent. trying to rationalize a Disney trip as being educational during school days. Not that it isn't, but I just say, call it what it is. It's cheaper and more convenient. And many of us, like you, wouldn't be able to go at all.

 

[pacochran]

We feel that as long as the kids are doing well in school it's alright. We figure though we might give it second thought when the kids are in High School.

 

[dubba10]

My wife has been a teacher in a public school for 15 years and in that district you are allowed to take up to 5 personal days in a row. That makes it very easy to go in the off season. I know how rare this is and I think of it as a great perk to that school system.

 

[KingStefan]

One of the schools I taught at allowed a certain number of vacation/personal days in addition to a certain number of sick days. It was great....I actually used a few of my personal days to go to WDW, and I didn't even have kids yet!

You are lucky. Most school districts have rules that say you are not allowed to use your one or two personal days consectutively and not before school vacations.

Yes, you are lucky. I wish DW could get a job in a district like that! She has more than two days (six? I can't remember) but she is not supposed to use them for vacation. I don't remember exactly what the rules are. I think most districts around here are flexible and the rules are not well defined (it just says they're not vacation days, I think), so you can get away with a few in a row, but not a whole week (unless you're really sick, of course).

 

[DisneyGigi]

No matter how you slice it, taking kids out of school for a vacation can't be rationalized as a GOOD IDEA academically. We're kidding ourselves when we say it's GOOD for the kids to be taken out of school. We do it because it's more convenient, cheaper and can provide us with a better vacation.




Okay...I made a much too generalized statement. Clearly the vacations that your parents took you on were several steps above a DISNEY vacation, and as a child you must have been one of those kids who actually appreciates those types of trips. I hope your own kids are like you! So, yes, you probably DID get more benefit out of being taken out a school.

However, you do make the point I was trying to make clearer. Your parents opted to take you out of school because it was CHEAPER. It was the only way they could take you on these wonderful trips. You can rationalize that you benefitted more from those trips than being in school (And I'm sure your correct), but the reason you were taken out of school was convenience and price. They could have taken you during breaks, if they could have afforded it. And you would have had an equally awesome experience. And I'm not pointing fingers. I'll do the same thing. I can't afford to give my child those experiences during peak seasons either.

And in my generalized manner, I was meaning to specify a DISNEY trip, which, re-reading my post, I did not. But I have heard many parent. trying to rationalize a Disney trip as being educational during school days. Not that it isn't, but I just say, call it what it is. It's cheaper and more convenient. And many of us, like you, wouldn't be able to go at all.

I don't think that you should assume that most people take their kids out of school to avoid peak season to get a cheaper price. That doesn't factor in with our family at all. The first year we ever took DS out of school was to go at Thanksgiving (we stayed longer than the break). The crowds were terrible and we could not enjoy ourselves like we do at other times of the year. There are educational benefits to a trip to Disney, especially EPCOT, no that doesn't mean the whole trip is educational but as long as your kids make the grades, which mine do... and they are willing to work hard all year every year for a few days of family memories that live in their hearts forever .. go for it.. they are only little once. :wave:

 

[cooleo]

As stated in the thread right above this one, the answers are Yes & Yes. Never had any problems & will continue to take DS out of school for our trips.

 

[moosicalnwdwmad]

This is from the old post and I just posted in it sorry lol

My parents were supposed too take me out two weeks in September 2008 which would be the start of Year Ten for me so we asked the school if we could have a authourised absence for the holiday as the limit is ten days (in the UK) and it was denied because it was classed as a holiday so we have now moved our holiday mtoo August 22nd until September 5th which means i will now only miss three or four days but hopefully the scholl will authourise that absence because if they don't I will cry :ROFLOL:​

 

[kstella]

mInE Pairents taked mee oot of skool evvere years four a weak and I Terned out Fine!:ROFLOL::ROFLOL:

:ROFLOL::ROFLOL::ROFLOL::ROFLOL:

 

[wdwmomof3]

I have and will again. As long as they do not miss school a lot and their grades are good, I don't have a problem with it. If my children were poor students then I would not have held them out.

 

[Monty]

I've taken DS out of school for a week in either late January or February each year but one for the last seven years. His school allows it and provides some work-sheets for him to do while we're gone. His grades haven't suffered and he hasn't had to work all that much to catch up when we return. He's in Grade 7 this year and our February trip will likely be the last one I take him out of school for. We'll still go, but it'll be late August for the week before school starts here for the rest of his school years. I think he's reaching the point where a week-long absence isn't a risk I want to take.

For me it's never been about the cost, it's just less crowded and leaving Ottawa in February to go anywhere warm appeals to me. :lol:

 

[daliseurat]

I don't think that you should assume that most people take their kids out of school to avoid peak season to get a cheaper price. That doesn't factor in with our family at all. The first year we ever took DS out of school was to go at Thanksgiving (we stayed longer than the break). The crowds were terrible and we could not enjoy ourselves like we do at other times of the year. There are educational benefits to a trip to Disney, especially EPCOT, no that doesn't mean the whole trip is educational but as long as your kids make the grades, which mine do... and they are willing to work hard all year every year for a few days of family memories that live in their hearts forever .. go for it.. they are only little once. :wave:

I'm not assuming that EVERYONE who takes kids out of school to go on a Disney trip does it to avoid peak times and save money. I would be surprised if that wasn't the reason MOST people do it. I also said that people do it for their own CONVENIENCE. Whether it be the only time parents might be able to take time off, or like in your case a decision to have a magical holiday.

And I'm not saying it's a BAD thing to do it, or that anyone is wrecking their child's education by doing it. As long as a child isn't getting behind and can make up the work, it shouldn't be a big deal, generally.

My point is that many people try to rationalize why it's okay to take their children out of school for a Disney vacation, with all kinds of reasons except the real ones. I will take my child out of school because I want to avoid peak season. Someone else will do it because they can only get time off at that time. Someone else just likes to go at that particular time. It can be difficult to get the entire family on the optimum schedule and something has to give sometimes. A few days of school won't destroy a kids education. But anytime I hear a parent say that they are going during the school year because their child will learn more by going to Disney for a week than by remaining in school, I want to scream. That is not the reason any of us do it. And if it is, those kids need to be put in a better school. And if we need to make up false excuses to make ourselves feel better, then we shouldn't be taking them out in the first place.

 

[ilovetigger]

My experience

It is totally up to you.

My experience, though, is "never again."

I took my daughter out of kindergarten for 3 days to celebrate my 40th birthday at WDW. We had a fabulous time. However, when we returned to school she could not get back in the routine and did not for several months.

So, now that she is older and more is expected from her at school, I say "no way."

Again, it just depends on the kid.

 

[mousebymarriage]

We take our kids out every year for 1 week(we have been going to WDW every year since my DD was born). This year they will be missing school for 6 days in January. DD is 11 and in the 6th grade and DS is 6 and in the 1st grade. They are both very good students and normally do not miss more than a day or 2 each school year for illness, so missing a week is no big deal. We always let the principal and the teachers know well in advance and we remind them again a week or so before we leave. I think if your child is a good student and not a discipline problem in school the teachers should be o.k. with it. My husband and I feel that school is very important but, we also feel that family time is important. I have never regretted or felt guilty about taking the kids out of school for 1 vacation each year.

 

[momofnine]

Wow, what timing! We leave for the world tomorrow.:sohappy: Our children will be missing 2 and 1/2 days of school, it is fall break and the teachers have an "in service" day. Yes, we go this time of year, and at Christmas time, because we LOVE the parties and the decorations, also it's the time of year that my husband can get his vacation. I have two children who have already graduated from high school and college, neither one hurt by missing a few days of school. One is a teacher and the other a fireman. Taking your child out of school for a vacation should be something decided by the parents. Some children can do it with no problem, some will have a hard time because of it.
As for us, we have decided that in the big picture of life, a few days will not hurt. I'am lucky that none of our children fall behind, they are all honor students. Everyone should do what is best for their child. :wave:

 

[BuzzLite_Fran]

The main reason we go in NOV and take my daughter out of school is because my daughter does not sweat, she has a medical issue , and gets overheated VERY easily and quickly. During the summer when the temps are in the 90s we have to keep her in, she is not able to be out in the sun for long periods of time. This is the MAIN reason we have always gone in the fall. Of course it is always beneficial to us that nt only are the temps low but the crowds and attendance as well. There would be ABSOLUTELY NO WAY WE COULD GO DURING THE SUMMER! Our Daughter would never make it! Of course I am not going to lie, we love going when it isnt as crowded and cooler...

 

[piratelass]

my mom runs in the disney marathon every year, so i typically miss about 3-4 days of school in early January. i'm a high school junior in honors and ap classes and time management is something i've perfected. so when i miss school i get all my work and space it out and get it done. i go after school for extra help and get copies of teacher's notes and lectures.

it all depends on the kid - i've almost never had problems with missing school and for the last three years i've missed atleast 5 days for disney and have made up my work on top of making up for lost musical rehersals.


it can be done.