Taking the kids out of school for a Disney trip?

[goodrn]

I'm contemplating taking my son out of school next year for a Disney trip for about a week or so... he will be in second grade. I don't think it should be too much of a problem. But would like some thoughts or opinions of some of you who have done this?

 

[Pop Daddy]

I do it once a year, its just a week, live a little

 

[Cruisin]

I agree Pop Daddy.....

in the grand scheme of life, is it really going to matter 25 years from now if they miss a few days of school each year?

 

[GreenEyes0205]

I have done it a few times. I spoke to their teachers well in advance & they were able to get the kids the work they would be missing before we even left for vacation. So, thankfully, it never effected their grades.

 

[KrnB]

My parents did when I was little - about 8. I turned out OK.

Seriously, it all depends on your child, I think. If you are confident that he can keep up fairly well while on the trip or easily catch back up, then why not? It might help to let the teacher know far in advance so that he/she can work with your son to make sure that nothing really important is missed.

 

[goodrn]

I agree but it's good to hear it from others.... I wish I could convince the SIL the same. My inlaws are offering to take us as a family for a Christmas present. I think January would be a great time and she is refusing saying she won't take her son out of school (he will only be in 3rd grade).

 

[browneyes]

I took my kids to WDW in November. They missed a week of school. My ds is in the 2nd grade this year, my dd is in the 5th grade. I let their teachers know a couple of weeks after school started when the kids would be out. My ds's teacher was so good to help us get all his work and everything before we left so he could work on it on the ride down. She said he could work on it when he got back if he wanted to. She understands the Disney magic. She's going to WDW in June. My dd's teacher is a Disney ogre. He gave her some work to do, but he kept grumbling to me about how boring Disney was the last time he went.

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

I got taken out of school for a disney trip in 6th grade.

I brought my homework with me and did it by the pool.

I also had to do a report on something I saw at disney. I did it on the solar powered lawnmotors at Epcot.

 

[newmousecateer]

Our son and DIL took GS 16 and GD 8 out of school for a week last September to go with us, and DH and I are taking our GD again in May...so she will miss another week of school.

She does very well in school, and DS and DIL feel like Pop Daddy and others...25 years from now what difference will it make?

GS is not coming with us, as being 17 now, it would be too hard to miss school around exam time.

 

[kadaten]

I agree, not a big deal.

If you truly want some other opinions, though (or rebuttals to those from SIL) go read some similar threads on the family board. Careful before you post...folks can get very defensive/insistant on their position

 

[CamColt]

Personally I dont think its a big deal, I actually think its a good thing, however, teachers and schools dont always agree with that. That is what worries me about doing it. With that said, we will be doing it for the first time in Oct 05 for our Disney Cruise. My kids will be in 3rd & K and they will miss 4 days of school. IMO, spending a week with family traveling to places that they wouldnt usually have the chance to go to (Cozumel, Grand Cayman, etc...) outweighs about 20-25 hours of classroom time.

 

[Lars624]

Our schools have aleays been very supportive about this. We have 3 kids........DS &DD 14 & DS 8...............the high school has written in it's handbook 6 excusable days for family vacation but I still notify their teachers & get homework in advance. as a matter of fact they had so much homework to do that they were actually ahead in some of their classes when they got back.

 

[PRINCESS VIJA]

You may get people arguing both sides of the issue. It becomes a passionate debate. For our family it was not a problem. My DS was out for a week in Kindergarten and 3rd grade. We did the homework when we came back and cought up without a problem. I say go for it!!!

 

[Nancy]

I pull my kids out. We are going in May for 5 days..I just let the schools know in advance and they get work to do over vacation. Since we are driving they have plenty of "down" time. The district does consider it illegal absenses, but they don't make a big deal out of it. My kids are 11, 14 and 15.

 

[bjgrazi]

First off please don't flame, but just incase I'm zipping up the suit.


Our old school system had hard and fast rules regarding taking kids out for vacation. A letter would come home with the school calander, their position was the parents didn't apprciate nor respect the job the teachers did.

I had become very friendly with one of the teachers and asked her about it and she said to me "most teachers when asked if it matters if I take my child out for a week was viewed as an insult, she said, what do parents think we do all day play games, yes it matters." Her words not mine.

Now, me I don't think it's a big deal if they miss 1 or 2 days, but I'd never take my kids and have them miss an entire week. But that's just me.

 

[debster812]

We have done it for the past 2 Januarys when DS was in K and in 1st grade. This does always turn into somewhat of a heated debate. Basically, you need to do what is right for your kids and your family. We have to go during school due to DH's inability to get vacation during normal school vacation weeks. I am hoping to do a long weekend with DS this fall, and then another big trip in the winter of 06 for the whole family.

We got all of DS's missed work when we got back, and we had the same number of days to make up the work, that he missed from school. Plus he had to make up a math and a spelling test.

 

[kasar]

I don't have a problem with other people taking their kids out - if that's the only time parents can get off work then I think a week with their parents is time well spent. However, I don't think I would ever do it, I'm just against it for our family. We take lots of vacations but they are during school vacations and summers (my DH is lucky enough to have flexibility with his work schedule and I'm a SAHM). Sometimes we'll tack on a trip to a long weekend so if they miss school, it's just one or two days.

It sure does stink to go when everything's so crowded and more expensive but that's part of life when kids are in school and involved in activities. If the trip was for a family wedding or celebration, or some unique experience that couldn't be done any other time, yes. For Disney, nope. Again, that's our opinion, I really don't have any problems with others doing it!!!!!

 

[Maleficent13]

My parents took my brother and me out of school for a week almost every year between the ages of 5 and 18 for a trip to Disney. The schools never had a problem with it, and we always finished our homework assignments. One year I had to do a scrapbook of 25 different leaves with their scientific names and descriptions. My dad and I took one whole day at the Polynesian and collected all kinds of tropical leaves, then spent another whole day looking them up. We had a blast, I had the most interesting notebook, and it's something we still talk about to this day, 20 years later. Education happens everywhere, even at Disney!

 

[disneygals]

We have done it three times and have survived it! However the younger they are, the better. My kids missed one week this January and are in 2nd, 4th and 6th. The 6th grader was the most affected (not only was she sick with bronchitis WHILE we were in Disney), it was viral and she missed more days when we got home, then got a sinus infection, then an ear infection! She was able to make-up her work, but her test scores suffered.

That was our last hurrah, in 7th grade they have multiple teachers and it would be very difficult to make up the work.

Vivienne

 

[clh2]

The one thing you may want to consider is when (or if for that matter) the 2nd graders would typically do their standardized testing. But, generally those tests typically happen around the same time of year. In our school district, the 2nd graders take the Terra Nova's iin mid-March. If I had some flexibility, I would not schedule a trip just before then or during this time period.