Have you taken your kids out of school for non-Disney vacations?

[merrittstevenson]

Hmmm, at the risk of being flamed I will say that this is an issue I really feel comes down to priorities. A somewhat unrelated, but similar example: My husband and I are often amazed by how many hours people are willing to work (50-60+) with no vacation in sight. Many other countries don't do this, I think it is a very American thing. That said, I was pulled out of school when I was a kid for Disney World trips, ski trips etc. and the school never gave my parents any grief about it. We pull our son out a few times a year (for a day or 2 at a time) mostly for family trips to the beach (my brother and his family live there). My kids are hardly ever sick (son never missed a day last year or any so far this year for being sick) so I don't see it as an issue. This January I will be pulling my kids (5K and 2nd grade) out of school for 6 days to go to Disney. The timing is due to my graduation from graduate school in December. My kids/family deserve this after putting up with my schoolwork for 2.5 years. I feel no guilt about this decision. We do makeup work and my kids are ahead of the average for their grade levels. I think truancy laws were enacted to ensure that parents weren't being negligent in regards to their children and their education. An attentive, loving and responsible parent choosing to take their children out of school for a family vacation is hardly the situation that these laws were meant to punish in my opinion.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I think truancy laws were enacted to ensure that parents weren't being negligent in regards to their children and their education. An attentive, loving and responsible parent choosing to take their children out of school for a family vacation is hardly the situation that these laws were meant to punish in my opinion.

Actually, it probably comes down to $$$$ much more than anything else. If your children attend public school in my state (and most states, I suspect), the $$$$ the district receives from the state is directly related to total attendance. If your child misses even 1 day, the school gets less money. Naturally, 100% attendance isn't expected, so they allow for mild absenteeism in the budget. But, just as an example, our district had unusually high absenteesim due to weather & illness this past calendar year. The budget's been slashed by $300,000 for the next calendar year as a result & it will cost some folks their job.

I say this not to send guilt your way, but I do think it's important you know what's going on

As for 50-60 hour weeks, I'm hourly. Those (and the 70 hour weeks) mean the difference in affording a vacation or not

 

[Gumbo4x4]

We take the kids out for skiing. I see no difference than taking them out for Disney. We do it for the slower crowds. I know some of DS's classmates were out for a cruise before spring break started.

Actually, since you can't ski 365 days a year, that to me makes even more sense.

 

[Pesky]

I haven't yet (my kids aren't in school yet) but have already planned to pull DD out for a week ahead of Christmas vacation next year and wouldn't hesitate if it was a big trip. Obviously better if not but some things just don't lend themselves to that, nor do our work schedules.

 

[mrsr2ro]

We do every fall to go to the beach along the Texas Gulf Coast. They usually miss 2 or 3 days and we make it a long weekend. The condo rates are unreal in the summer - after Labor Day they drop considerably. We usually go mid Sept and the weather is still nice enough to swim and enjoy the beach. The resort is also empty which is nice. Our oldest is in 2nd grade and so far this has not been an issue with the school.

 

[Yoshiandi]

We had a Make-A-Wish trip for our daughter in the beginning of November. Now both of my kids are special needs, so it wasn't so difficult to pull them out of class for a week. The teachers didn't have a problem at all with it. Now we are planning our next trip for 2013 on our own, and I don't know what the teachers will say, but I will push that going around Epcot is plenty of education on different countries!!

 

[Queen2PrincessG]

I've never understood taking a kid out of school for a vacation family what have you. It's just selfish in my eyes and is disrespectful to the learning process, teacher and your kid. But people do what is right for their family i guess.

 

[edillen3953]

Absolutely, my daughter does well in school and I don't feel it is having a negative affect on her. I hope our trips provide experiences to for her that she will remember for her life. More so than missing one week of school.

If for some reason she starts having trouble in school I would reconsider.

For me, I don't feel it disprespects the learning process. We do coordinate any homework or whatever with her teacher pryor to leaving. My belief is that schools not allowing this disrespectc the parenting process and the right to make certain decisions for our families and children.

Good memories are one the best things I feel we can give our kids.

 

[MissionWDW]

Usually the only other vacations we do is beach trips....so that is something that is summer time anyway. However, if it were something that is best to do other times of the year....yeah, I would. Our schools have strict laws, and it all boils down to money. Education is extrememly important to me, but when I look at the big picture, it's just a few days here and there. We don't vacation every year due to finances. With the pace of life these days, quality family time is rare. My kids had perfect attendance this year until the mega-stomach virus hit and they lost a couple days last month. When they are grown, how important will this last year of near perfect attendance be.....compared to the family memories that will be made on our next vacation (where they will miss 5 days of school) next November.

 

[merrittstevenson]

I also believe that missing a few days of school here and there in no way disrespects the teacher, as long as he or she is kept fully informed and parents are willing to work with him or her as far as make up work is concerned. I just spoke to my son's teacher about this last week and she was very excited for us (taking kids out for 6 days in January). She said that "people take trips like this all the time" and that as long as I let the teacher know in advance it would be no problem. She certainly wasn't offended; quite the contrary.

 

[tchauvin]

Our trip to Disney is in September, my kids will be missing a full week. My theory is if im paying $5,000 on a vacation then I want it to be worth it. I dont want to have to wait in line for an hour or more and I want to go when it is less crowded.

 

[Kies99]

We do it every year.

My dd's are in 3rd and 4th grade. We've been taking them to the beach around the same week each year they've been in school.

We follow proper school procedures for getting authorization as well as we work with both teachers to get all homework and assignments, etc... The one brings her clarinet for practice as well.

Nobody at the school has an issue with it so it in no way is disrespectful to the teacher or education process.

 

[Britgirlus]

We pulled my son for the last 2 days of school 2 years ago (1st grade) - I had booked the Disney trip to start the day after school got out - but we then had 2 snow days. we NEVER get snow days, so I wasn't expecting that
This fall, he'll miss the first two days of 4th grade - we're taking a family trip to Yellowstone, and my mom, niece and her husband are coming over from England, and that was the only time they could come. Pretty sure ds will survive

 

[smitch425]

We only pull the kids our for one day each year for Disney. The Friday before their week long fall break.

We have only pulled them out one other time, and that was on a Thursday when they had that Friday off. We took them to NYC for a couple days on our way to a football game (Dayton vs. Marist). We had grand plans of it being a somewhat educational trip with museums and the Statue of Liberty, but as it turned out, we spent two days in ToysRUs, the Disney Store (it had just opened in Times Square two days prior), and Nintendo World. Oh well...we tried. But hey, if they ever have a history test that asks "who won the Pioneer Football League Championship in 2010?", they will know the answer. UD!

 

[DH-2-mamaduck]

Yes, I pull my kids from school to go on vacations. Having two in competitive gymnastics, there is a meet somewhere every year that is a drive or flight away. For example this February it was Chicago and last year it was Daytona beach.

Of course, when we do this, we are sure to let the teachers know, get the school work that is required, and the kids must give a report to their class on where they went and what they did. My kids are all A students. Isnt't traveling to some place education (and fun of course).

Sometimes the trips they only miss a day, others several days.

 

[SgtsWifeandmommyof4]

We pulled our boys out of school last Sept for a week so that we could make a LONG 26+ hour drive to MA to visit my hubby's family. (I was 7mo pregnant too, not the best car trip ever) He had just gotten home from his 4th deployment. While he was gone, his father passed away so it was a must that we go when he got home. We had originally planned for Disney but quickly decided it was more important to go be with his family. The school wasn't upset but they did receive unexcused absenses since the funeral was 5mo prior. Oh well, they are both straight A & B students and rarely miss school. My hubby hadnt seen his family in almost 5 years and we were going regardless.

Now that we live on post in military housing, they actually give you excused absenses for R&R and block leave with parents. I think its awesome. Our kids (along with the thousands of others) go through so much constantly having him gone every other year. The less they have to stress about the better. This trip wont count (block leave will be over by then) but with enough advanced planning and commication with the school & teachers, getting assignments together and finished; I think we will be ok!

 

[BLAZEY]

I went to Australia and NZ for 3 weeks at the beginning of 6th grade. the trip was 6 weeks but only missed 3 weeks of school. Then in grade 11 I went to England, France, Spain and Belgium for 50th Annviversary of V-Day Celebrations for 2 weeks and I spent 2.5 weeks in Japan in grade 12 (1 week was spring break). I can tell you I learned more on those trips than I would have sitting in a classroom at school. I took homework with me and it was done on the plane or on trains between countries. When I came back I had tonnes of topics for projects and essays for many subjects.

I would be more likely to pull my daughter from school for this kind of vacation than for a Disney vacation. We also live in Canada and our attendance rule are not as strict as our school funding is based on registration, not daily attendance.

 

[Aliceacc]

We're both teachers.

We've only pulled our kids out for things like family funerals, religious observances, and similar reasons. We go to Disney in August.

 

[sukhakuli]

I have pulled my kids out for non-Disney vacations before. the last time we did it, we had planned all summer for a trip after my dh got back from a 12+ month deployment, and 2 weeks before school started they changed the day of the first day of school to match the colleges, and so the kids were going to miss the first week of school. They brought the date of the first day of school up by a week and a half with almost no notice. Very frustrating.

And we've pulled them out for a Friday or a Monday for a long weekend.

It's easy when you can choose your own vacation to only take them when school is out, but for a lot of people they take vacations when their job says they can vacation. For a few years the Navy was not allowing and vacation time, for dh's job, during any school holiday time. It was prohibited taking more than one day off at a time during those months and various weeks throughout the year. His job has to have someone cover it 24/7, no exceptions, and we move every 3 years during the summer, so we take vacations when we can. We try to be proactive when the schedule is coming out and secure vacation time when it coincides with school holidays, but it can't always be helped.

 

[surfgirl]

yes.

I have followed 'procedure' and gotten administration approval.

In the last few years, we've pulled them for DC, Italy, Paris, and Germany. Of course, those trips have some real educational components (as opposed to some of the OTT letters I've seen praising how Disney is educational). I don't try to claim that it is all educational, I just know that we find those fun and interesting experiences that are also learning about art, culture, history, etc. as a bonus. We're fortunate that we've been able to fly for free and use miles and points. Unfortunately, I think we are out of miles, so the international traveling may be curtailed!

I've only had one issue and that was when a teacher tried to tell me my son was behind in a class due to missing. Ironically, it was math and we had done the packet given over vacation and it was something he understood. I was thankful he did well on the test!