At what age do you stop taking kids out of school?

[WDWRook]

Tying to planning out the next few trips, with various plans and desires, such as an EP trip at Beach Club during F&W, a Christmas trip, etc. but the next few trips all entail taking kids out of school for a week. At what age do you personally feel you shouldn't take kids out of school a week for a vacation? Ultimately what we decide will impact when we do the Dec trip and maybe change out plans for the next trip.

 

[Steffiesunshine]

I stopped when my son was in high school. There was SO much work, it would be hard for him to miss a week and catch up. When they were younger though, I never gave it a second thought.

 

[wdwiala]

We minimized it during middle school and stopped completely during high school. Strangly enough, it was the kids who refused to miss school. It was just too challenging to make up the work and miss content.

 

[sweetyk83]

We are taking our kids out of school for our trip this year. My oldest is in 9th grade. Honestly I have a bit of a moral dilemma taking him out since now his grades go on his transcripts. However, this is the last time we will go until he graduates. The only reason we are going this year is because I was impatient and didn't want to wait 7 years between trips.

 

[butterfly71076]

My son is 8 and just finished 2nd grade. We pulled him for a week last October for the last time. While I prefer to go while it's a bit cooler and less crowded, I don't want him to miss school. Much easier on all of us to wait and go during school breaks

 

[jennyl772003]

In elementary school it was nothing. Middle school it was difficult. No way in high school. Your mileage may vary.

 

[yngsj]

We stopped when my oldest started 6th grade. It's just too difficult to make up the work in MS and HS. Once he started 6th we went to DL on holiday weekends or spring break(We live in Vegas which is only 4 hours away)Looking forward to visting WDW this Aug. for the first time in 9 years! I work in education and it's a lot to ask of the teachers and staff to get work together no matter what grade so be considerate of that.

 

[Love Tink]

We took them out easily in elementary school. Once my oldest started middle school we would still do it, but we were more careful about it (shorter trips, trying to find weeks with a day or two off). Now he is in high school and we decided to take them out for two days in December to do a four-day trip to DL. We learned our lesson! He got sick on the trip and missed a third day and it took about two weeks for him to catch up (we also had the bad luck to pull him during what turned out to be a week very busy with tests and quizzes). So the short answer: I started worrying about it in middle school and it wasn't worth the resulting stress in high school.

 

[JanJan324]

I took mine out of school last year when they were in 10th and 11th grade. They missed 4 days, but it wasn't too bad since I pre-arranged the absence.

 

[MrsJamesPSullivan]

Sixth grade was the last year I did but that had more to do with sports and choir concerts and Madrigal diiners and musical practices and on and on than with school work. I worked with someone who had kids that weren't involved in activities at school and she took them out for a week every October and they never had any problems. It depends on your kids, their activities and their grades. I sure missed that week after Thanksgiving when mine got too busy to go!

 

[SplashMo]

Once they hit 9th grade we were more careful when taking them out of school.

 

[BraveLittleToaster2]

This is our first trip NOT pulling our kids out in January as we have always done. Our oldest is in middle school and even though he is a straight A student, we just know that a weeks worth of work to makeup along with all the regular work when he would get back would be too much catch-up. So know we are stuck with when school is out. But we are making the best of it and taking a 10 day vacation instead of a 7 to make up for it.

 

[Nancyg56]

Sixth grade was the last year I did but that had more to do with sports and choir concerts and Madrigal diiners and musical practices and on and on than with school work. I worked with someone who had kids that weren't involved in activities at school and she took them out for a week every October and they never had any problems. It depends on your kids, their activities and their grades. I sure missed that week after Thanksgiving when mine got too busy to go!

Madrigal dinners!!!! Not Disney related, but I loved it when my son participated in Madrigals, with dinners being among my favorite experiences. A lot of work but so rewarding.

 

[Nancyg56]

My DD pulled our DGD out of school for the last time when she was in 6th grade. It was hard to catch up on her work. Now she in HS and if we even suggested she take time off I think she would faint. I am so glad we were able to enjoy DIsney as a family when she was younger because it is way more complicated now!

 

[DizDaD7]

We've done it 3 times during F & W in the past... 2nd, 3rd & 6th grade.......They were only out of school for (2) full days & (1)- 1/2 day ...The early years it wasn't a big deal, but in middle school the last time, my son's math teacher sprung a PoP Test on material that she never even gave him time to learn. Well, needless to say he got a score of 10( & no way to improve or make it up ). This brought his average to an 89.instead of a 91....He never let us here the end of it because till that point, he never got a B in any marking period before. And the only thing the teacher could say to us was, " Well Mr. & Mrs. ------, Unfortunately that's the risks you take when you decide on pulling your kids out of school... We were like really..all he needed was 5 minutes & he would've learned that. When I told my twins that were were going again this Nov. there was a little apprehension, because he really wants to get into a prestigious H.S. My daughter who also is n excellent student was like, Ehhh we're only missing 2 days ( NO BIG DEAL )..LoL That's my Kid.. To make a long story short, I do believe this will be out last Fall trip for a lil while sad to say....

 

[skysmom99]

I will be taking my kids in November. My oldest will be a senior, my middle will be in 9th, and my youngest, in 5th. We chose a time when the kids and I (a teacher) have a 4 day weekend, so we only miss 2 actual school days. Because we live and work in small rural districts, I know their teachers and we plan ahead to do as much work as possible before the trip. Most years our Disney trip is the only time my kids miss school, so I don't worry about it.

Don't forget to check your school district's attendance policy. Some districts are very against students missing school for things like family vacations.

 

[GC&S]

We have always taken DD out of school in the fall for our vacation. I knew it would be harder as she got older and missing grade school wasn't going to hurt her school performance. Now she will be a freshman in the fall and due to marching band, dance and other stuff (school work ) this won't be possible. It just gets harder as they get busier. If she missed one or two days it wouldn't have an impact but a whole week would. Our school does give 5 excused days for vacation but I think it would still be difficult for dd to miss time in the fall.

 

[MinnieMSue]

Pulled out occasionally in elementary although never a full week. Only pulled out in 6th grade 2 separate trips one day of school missed each. 7th grade will be one trip and pulling out two days for that one. Do not plan on ever doing it again. Honestly she didn't have any make- up to do in 6th grade but didn't want to risk her missing much class instruction.

 

[WDWRook]

Most of you are on the same page as we have been discussion. Kids are going into 4th and KG next year and we are taking them out. 5th and 1st we will again. The dilemma starts for 6th and 7th grades. I think we are not planning to take our son out during 8th grade simply because around here 8th grade is a big lead in to 9th grade. We still plan to got every year or other year, but it means we would need to go during the crowded times of summer.

Then again, our plan is 5 night trips Sun-Fri. I guess we could change that so they are only out two school days and go Thurs - Sun, but it's a long travel for just four nights.

 

[mocame]

Our kids are in high school and middle school and we went to Disney last month (missed 7 school days). The kids and I talked with all the teachers before they left and got most of their work done before the trip. We scheduled the trip between all the required state tests. Unfortunately, while we were gone, a couple teachers changed what they were doing and it caused some problems. For example, my ds had a test in one class the day he got back and it wasn't planned. The teacher just decided to test the kids on the material that was taught while my son was away and of course he got a bad grade. Teacher wouldn't let him him wait even a day to take it so he could look over what was taught.

That being said, most of the teachers were fine with them going and some of my son's teachers even made a point to talk to him about Disney and all of their favorite rides!