Would you take your kids out of school for a week at Disney?

[stsomewhere]

I was planning on taking my daughter in early Dec. She will be in 4th grade. She does not want to miss that much school becasue she will have a lot of homework. We hae taken our kids out a few times. My son never seems to get as much homework as daughter. He will be in 7th grade. So, he would not go.

 

[kristinw3girls]

Have done it 3 time and will do it again. They rarely miss time from school. All 3 have only missed 1 day last year, and it was for a funeral. They are good students, so I don't worry.

 

[Texas4]

Thank you so much for all your replies and comments. Haven't decided on what to do yet...This is a great board and y'all are great! Thanks again!

 

[daisyduck123]

Sure I would & have done it many times to take 9-10 day trips - usually pulling them out on a Friday & out the entire M-F the following week. We used to do this during during the first-second week of May...a lovely time to go!!

Oh, & I would pull myself out as well

 

[princessmom29]

My answer is it depends on the child, how old they are, what the school's policy is, and wether you are willing to live with the consequences. My answer is that I have taken DD out for a couple of days added to an existing holiday (Thurs. and Fri. after Thanksgiving) but would not do it for an entire week. I feel like it is too disruptive to the school routine to miss that much. Taht is apersonal choice however, and most elementary kids do just fine missing a week. It is a different ballgame in high school however. I teach high scholl, and from what i have seen, it is just too much work to make up. Most of the students I have seen miss a full week or longer see their grades suffer for it. They never seem to quite get back to where they were. One or 2 days is ok, but a full week seems to be the tipping point where it becomes really difficult to bounce back.
In our district the rule is that only 4 absences a semester can be excused for any reason without a doctor or court note, so, assuming no other absences for the semester, the 5th day of a weeklong trip would be unexcused. The student would recieve zeros on any work or test given that day. Friday is usually test day so there would be zeros on every test given that day.

 

[kkmcan]

We took our kids out in 2006 for a Disney cruise and 4 nights at WDW in November. My kids were 4th and 1st graders at the time and it went well but the teachers did send us with a mountain of work. It was hard to get the kids to do it when they didn't want to and we had to lug it with us on the plane etc. We decided our kids were too old esp. the 4th grader to be missing that much school at one time so we don't take them out more than 2 days at a time now.

With that said, we took them out the Wed, and Thurs (no school Friday) before Winter/Christmas break last year and it was a breeze- no work to makeup. They are mostly doing fun, crafty types of things those days since it's so close to the holiday break.

If we do take our kids out anymore, we try to do it close to a holiday or a 3 day weekend to lighten the load, so to speak.

 

[MomtoAlexnWilliam]

We've done it for 2 years and plan on doing it again this year. We have always let the kids teachers and principal know at the beginning of the year. They have encouraged us to go have a fun family time! As our DD gets older (she is just going into 2nd grade) it may be more difficult. But for right now we are enjoying our special time together!!!

You know your kids and you know how well they do in school and if they struggle. If they are good students and/or won't have a hard time catching back up, go for it! If not, then really take a good look at the pros and cons. Good luck deciding!

 

[Nanu57v]

I also think it depends on the child. As long as they won't fall behind, I'd totally do it. (Acutally I am...this fall!)

 

[walkdmc]

I would for elementary school-aged kids, no question. I took DSs out during Thanksgiving week last year. The teachers were so excited for the kids, it was nice. No one gave us any trouble about taking them out. Things went so well that we're doing it again this year, except it'll be the week before T-giving week.

 

[Mom2apirate&princess]

Yes I have. I do agree that you should check with your districts policy and also I think it depends on the child. If my kids weren't doing well in school and missing days would make that even worse I wouldn't. Thankfully both of mine are good students with great grades.

DS is starting 7th grade this year. I'm not sure how I feel about pulling him out of high school in the future.

 

[DONALD38]

Are son is starting Kindergarten this year and will be missing 6 days in Sept. We figure this will be the best time for us and him. As time goes on it will be more difficult due to those school attendance policies.

 

[lucyem]

Depends on you, your child, the school district etc. Call the school and make sure there are no rules against this. Speak to the teacher well enough in advance. See if work can be done ahead of time or if special extra work can be done while on vacation. Make sure your child will be capable of dealing with any consequences if any, like tons of homework after the fact. Then go and have fun! Our boys missed a week last year and this year the younger one will miss 2 weeks and the older one (in 3rd grade) only 1 week.

 

[lilmissbehaved]

I totally would take my 2nd grader out for a week.. but my husband totally disagrees.. So he wins this one

honestly my son missed 10 days with illness last year, So really if i took him out for vacation he would have missed at least 15 school days.... so even though I do disagree, I understand my husband's point. You never know what's going to pop up.

We do late August instead. Extreme heat, good rates, managable crowds... Great way to end the summer. !

 

[disneyfor5]

yes

 

[Princess Haylie]

We have 3 years in a row. Kinder, 1st, and 2nd and planning on 3rd. This is the way I see it. It may sound harsh but I don't care. This only applies to public schools. It's a public school they can't tell me what to do. Nor can they get cranky about. Don't forget we pay their salary. They don't raise my kids. I do. I decide what's best for my kids. Not them. My kids are only young once for a very short time. Yet the crusty old mean teachers will be crusty old and mean when their kids get them as teachers. I hate when the school thinks they raise my kids and I do get in their face if I have to. With all that said. We do have a great school system with young with the times teachers who are wonderful and never take things out on the kids. So, if I sound like a big meany, I'm not. I just speak very cleary if I disagree with something, especially when it comes to my kids.

Bottom line is you can only make that decision. You know what's best for your family. Whatever you decide will be the right decision. Regardless of what you decide. Don't forget to have a wonderful time.

Now I'm ready for you guys to rip me apart.

 

[debster812]

I would and I have. DS missed a week of school for a WDW trip when he was in 6th grade. It was a trip celebrating my father's being cancer-free, and he and my mom treated DH, DS and I, as well as my brother's family to a week at WDW.

I explained the situation to his teachers, and they were all on board. I did not try to 'sell' the trip as educational, and I knew he would not get any work until we got back.

It took him about a week to fully catch up, with only having to stay after school 2 days that week.

OP--you know your child, and how she'd cope with missing an entire week's worth of instruction. For us, we knew DS would have to work, and we would have to help him, so the trip was worth it to us!

 

[TinkPearl]

We took DS out of school for a week on our last trip when he was in K4.....this time he'll be in 1st Grade and we're still taking him out for a week. We refuse to spend all that $ to be miserable half the time because of crowds or heat or both. I think he'll be fine and catch up quickly...

 

[princessmom29]

We have 3 years in a row. Kinder, 1st, and 2nd and planning on 3rd. This is the way I see it. It may sound harsh but I don't care. This only applies to public schools. It's a public school they can't tell me what to do. Nor can they get cranky about. Don't forget we pay their salary. They don't raise my kids. I do. I decide what's best for my kids. Not them. My kids are only young once for a very short time. Yet the crusty old mean teachers will be crusty old and mean when their kids get them as teachers. I hate when the school thinks they raise my kids and I do get in their face if I have to. With all that said. We do have a great school system with young with the times teachers who are wonderful and never take things out on the kids. So, if I sound like a big meany, I'm not. I just speak very cleary if I disagree with something, especially when it comes to my kids.

Bottom line is you can only make that decision. You know what's best for your family. Whatever you decide will be the right decision. Regardless of what you decide. Don't forget to have a wonderful time.

Now I'm ready for you guys to rip me apart.

This attitude is the cause of no end of problems to public school teachers and it so detrimental to the students they are trying to teach and really care about. Actually, by law you can either abide by the school's policys or find another educational alternative for your child. If your child is enrolled in public school the school is well within their legal rights to deny your child credit due to absences. It happens all the tmie when parents disregard attendance policys. The whole "the school can't tell me what to do mentality" sets un an adversarial relationship with the perople responsible for the education of a child and no good can come from that. I so wish more parents were willing to see themselves as in a partnership with thier child's school rather than donig everything possible to undermine them. In order for a child to really get the most out of thier education the parents really need to be on board nad woking with the school not agianst it. They have to accept that the school actually does have some authority and can indeed enforce thier policys. In the end they cannot tell you what to do with your child, but they can deny that child credit and have you prosecuted for truancy if it comes to that. I am not saying this to be harsh, but it is the reality of the situation. If any parent diagrees so fundamentally with the idea that the school has some degree of control over thier kids, they are free to homeschool and not be bound by the rules anymore, but as a public school teacher I realy wish that parents who choose to send thier kids to public school would support rather than undermine that schools effort to educate thier children. By saying "the school can't thell mwe what to do" and "they don't raise my kids" you are basically saying that school has no value and is not worthy of any respect. The fact is that schools do in fact have a hand in raising the chilkdren that are teaching. They have them 7 hours of the day, how can they not have some influence on the adults they will become? Bottom line is your children know when you have no respect for the school, so why should they?

 

[Teacher03]

I would and I have. DS missed a week of school for a WDW trip when he was in 6th grade. It was a trip celebrating my father's being cancer-free, and he and my mom treated DH, DS and I, as well as my brother's family to a week at WDW.

I explained the situation to his teachers, and they were all on board. I did not try to 'sell' the trip as educational, and I knew he would not get any work until we got back.

It took him about a week to fully catch up, with only having to stay after school 2 days that week.

OP--you know your child, and how she'd cope with missing an entire week's worth of instruction. For us, we knew DS would have to work, and we would have to help him, so the trip was worth it to us!

As a teacher, I appreciate the way you approached this. I never get upset when anyone pulls a child for a vacation, as long as they accept the fact that there may be consquences. Consequences such as doing work after and helping your child to catch up, some childen's grades might drop a little, etc. What I don't like is when parents demand work before the trip and/or expect me to teach the child during my lunch or after school without putting the work in at home. BUT, I have been so fortunate, these parents have been few and far between.

I actually love it when families vacation at Disney, it's fun to share stories. My classroom is Disney themed, so many times someone will bring something for the room.

 

[Michelle and crew]

This attitude is the cause of no end of problems to public school teachers and it so detrimental to the students they are trying to teach and really care about. Actually, by law you can either abide by the school's policys or find another educational alternative for your child. If your child is enrolled in public school the school is well within their legal rights to deny your child credit due to absences. It happens all the tmie when parents disregard attendance policys. The whole "the school can't tell me what to do mentality" sets un an adversarial relationship with the perople responsible for the education of a child and no good can come from that. I so wish more parents were willing to see themselves as in a partnership with thier child's school rather than donig everything possible to undermine them. In order for a child to really get the most out of thier education the parents really need to be on board nad woking with the school not agianst it. They have to accept that the school actually does have some authority and can indeed enforce thier policys. In the end they cannot tell you what to do with your child, but they can deny that child credit and have you prosecuted for truancy if it comes to that. I am not saying this to be harsh, but it is the reality of the situation. If any parent diagrees so fundamentally with the idea that the school has some degree of control over thier kids, they are free to homeschool and not be bound by the rules anymore, but as a public school teacher I realy wish that parents who choose to send thier kids to public school would support rather than undermine that schools effort to educate thier children. By saying "the school can't thell mwe what to do" and "they don't raise my kids" you are basically saying that school has no value and is not worthy of any respect. The fact is that schools do in fact have a hand in raising the chilkdren that are teaching. They have them 7 hours of the day, how can they not have some influence on the adults they will become? Bottom line is your children know when you have no respect for the school, so why should they?

What indication do you have that the person quoted does everything to undermine their child's education? No one says that you must agree with an institution 100% of the time.

As far as the second bolded comment you again take it to the extreme. Judging whether one policy works for one's family is far different than saying they are not worthy of any respect. Schools do help in preparing a child, but when the rubber hits the road, parents are responsible for their children.

The school absolutely can follow through with their policies. That is their right. A parent must be willing to deal with the consequences of their actions. But your broad brush generalizations are just that. Most of life is not that black and white.

eta: it would be much easier to read your post if it were broken into paragraphs. For what it is worth.