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

[JeninTexas]

I'm completely with you @21stamps. Family travel is really important to us too. I so wish we could miss a week of school here or there, but it is just not in the cards for us right now. I guess there is always hope for when they are in college and get longer breaks

 

[teacher100]

7th grade was the last year for my kids. Some people pull high school kids out MLK week because it is when the semester usually falls and there are a couple of teacher work days. Then there kids would only miss two days. I never wanted my kids to miss the first 2 days of their new classes though. Plus everything is unexcused unless there is a doctor's note and if you miss more than 7 days in the semester you fail the class.

 

[joanchris]

We minimized in middle school and planned to stop in high school, then began homeschooling so planned a trip---THEN teen ended up dual enrolled in community college, but missed a week anyhow, with no real problems, though she only had 2 classes.
I think, though, that it depends on the particular children and the schools your children are in. Some are easier on handling make up work than others. Some kids can handle some extra work before and after better than others as well.

 

[kiramay]

Honestly, we may be done pulling them out of school. They missed a week in 4th grade and it wasn't a big deal, but then they missed 4 days in 5th grade (this past December) and it felt like it took forever to catch up. Our next trip they'll be in 7th grade. We will either go the first week of November for F&W and they'll miss 3.5 days, or we'll wait until Christmas break. I'm waiting to see how 6th grade goes.

 

[DisneyYahoo]

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.

As soon as it mattered to them. Elementary school was no issue, ever as long as we gave the teachers a heads' up and most gave work (coloring, doing a diary, etc). Middle school grades started to matter and so the kids were hesitant to miss class. High school - no way, never during school - their grades are important to them and they don't want to do the make up stack of work. So now we travel to WDW in the summer only - yuck! But we do it for them - There will come a time soon enough I can travel to WDW at my favorite times of the year but for right now I want to spend time with them at WDW but I don't want them to miss the awesome things that happen in the summer. So we have a small window that opens up at the beginning of August when we can go. In fact, this year we have a trip planned during this time and my daughter (going into 10th) just asked if it was possible to come back a day early as a mandatory school mtg happens for those kids that make this special leadership/mentoring thing at school. So I sit and wait to see if she makes it....hoping she makes it for the awesome experience, also kind of wishing somehow it all works out and we don't have to adjust the vacay.

 

[Momof2Singers]

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.

Our last trip in school was when my DD's were in 3rd and 8th grade, it was a disaster, they came back so stressed and had to do homework on the trip. Since then it is summer for us, a real bummer I know, but we made it work, you just do things differently. So I would say not past 5th at the most. A lot depends on teachers working with you, our school did not look fondly on taking kids out of school for vacation. It should be fun for everyone, not kids stressing over what awaits them when they return. We have been doing summer since 2009 and our trips have been wonderful.

 

[vinotinto]

I know many of you will think we are crazy, but the last time we pulled kids out of school for a week, my DD was 3 years old and in daycare, and my son was 5 and just starting Kindergarten.

We have allowed them to miss 1-2 days/year since then for travel, but no more than that. They just finished 3rd and 5th grade. We have not been more than 4-5 days at a time at WDW since they were in daycare and K.

Travel is one of the most important things we do as a family. We have travelled with them all over the Caribbean, Mexico, Costa Rica, the USA, and this year, we're spending 15 days in Europe. We travel about 4-5 times per year, but we go during vacation time. The kids are off school for 2.5 months in the summer, 2 weeks in the winter, a week in Thanksgiving, a week for Spring Break, and multiple 3-4 day weekends throughout the year. They have sufficient time off and we plan around that. For us travel is a priority, but they've learned that leisure comes after the responsibilities are addressed.

 

[AliceIn]

We only had the kids miss school one year, but it was due to the school year changing. The week we booked for our cruise was originally before the start of school, but they start date was pushed up by 3 weeks. Our district doesn't excuse non-medical absences. Teachers do not have to provide any allowances for make-up work. Some teachers will, others won't.

We would not consider it after elementary school, and our preference is not to do it at all. Two of our kids are in accelerated programs, and the workload catching up the one year we did it was very hard. The kids asked that we not do it again.

 

[KrazeeK120]

I know many of you will think we are crazy, but the last time we pulled kids out of school for a week, my DD was 3 years old and in daycare, and my son was 5 and just starting Kindergarten.

We have allowed them to miss 1-2 days/year since then for travel, but no more than that. They just finished 3rd and 5th grade. We have not been more than 4-5 days at a time at WDW since they were in daycare and K.

Travel is one of the most important things we do as a family. We have travelled with them all over the Caribbean, Mexico, Costa Rica, the USA, and this year, we're spending 15 days in Europe. We travel about 4-5 times per year, but we go during vacation time. The kids are off school for 2.5 months in the summer, 2 weeks in the winter, a week in Thanksgiving, a week for Spring Break, and multiple 3-4 day weekends throughout the year. They have sufficient time off and we plan around that. For us travel is a priority, but they've learned that leisure comes after the responsibilities are addressed.

My son is still a baby, but I plan to do the same as you - not pull him out of school more than a day or 2 per year for travel. I agree that schools give adequate break time - I'm sure we will be able to find time to go to WDW (especially in the summer, given the longer break period).

 

[Kaimo]

Took the girls out for Nov trips in elementary (2007 & 2011), and middle school (2015). As some have said previously, no problem in elementary but bit more difficult getting g caught back up in 5th and 6th grade. Dudn't impact grades but later nights for them for a week to get all homework done. Our next 4 yr trip would gave been in 2019 but:
Youngest will well be a freshman and oldest a sophmore. They already are saying no to missing a week.
REALLY want to go during 50th anniversary of WDW so will push back and go in May/June 2021.
Have always enjoyed going during holidays but life happens. We have great memories of our trips when they were young and would not have changed a thing.
Youngest already planning our 2921 trip to BC. Only 1,823 days until our next trip!!

 

[Eastern]

I stopped after elementary school. There was just too much work to catch up on.

 

[disneymom0104]

We homeschool, and school year round, so we are flexible in taking family vacations. My oldest will be starting 9th this fall and is doing a dual enrollment program but will only miss one actual school day due to Labor Day.

 

[edk35]

We have taken our kids out of school during high school BUT it is always in conjunction with days off. For example, this Oct. he is off on Thursday and Friday Oct. 20 and 21st. He has 4 classes one day and 4 different classes the next day so he will miss Tuesday and Wed. that week but go on Monday. Our flight leaves that evening. SO the most they have ever missed is 2 days but ONLY one of each class. Our kids have always been in Honor's and AP classes in high school so missing one day in each class is all they can miss.

 

[WDWRook]

We want to do the MVMCP, likely first two weeks of Dec. so, plan currently is 4th grade this Sept, week off. Either May or Oct 2017, week off. Them Dec 2018 when kids are 6th and 2nd for a week off. Then no trip in 2019 unless we buy more points. So really just looking at December during 6th grade. Doesn't seem insurmountable. But who knows. If we don't do that, then next year would turn into a Dec trip to ensure we get the MVMCP.

Thus the dilemma.

 

[Planogirl]

We only took DS out for a day or two if needed throughout even elementary school. He never missed high school except one day for something but he was involved in activities and didn't want to miss school. We worked around it.

 

[maltdizzy]

This is mixed answer for me. Going into 4th grade, we don't think it's reasonable to expect to take him out for a planned vacation to a resort or theme park, the curriculum is just too advanced in our county (they were breaching algebra in 3rd grade). We did take him out to travel back out west last Fall (with DL thrown in) and we realized it wasn't worth the loss of educational time, it wasn't fair for his teacher, and it sure wasn't worth the hassle of dealing with the principle and the truancy office. WDW, DLR, etc. does not trump school going forward. I now know why my parents never scheduled another vacation during the school year after we first went to WDW when I was 7 back in the '70's.

That said, in recent years we've had to opportunity to travel aboard for work and we have started to bringing him, because worldwide travel and studying foreign cultures does trump classroom education, IMO. We plan our vacations now in summer/holidays (we prefer WDW in late August anyway) and save the unexcused absences for potential last minute trips to Madrid, Paris, Mexico City; Porto Alegre, Brazil; Capetown, South Africa; etc.

IIRC, here 10 unexcused absences (anything without doctors note) means repeating the grade in elementary school...5 unexcused absences in one quarter means an F for the quarter in middle and high school.

 

[babesboo99]

We go every year and my twins are now 9 we are taking them out again this year in October. But we have great teachers that will give me a little extra work before I pull them out or all they have to do is write about the experience they had in FL and that will be it. Our teachers say the experience is part of learning and they would love to hear about it.

 

[RachaelA]

We will through 8th grade (for our oldest. Youngest will be in 6th). Our school provides all the work as long as you give notice. I figure once they are in high school we will use our DVC points for some adults only trips!

 

[RachaelA]

I also didn't read all the responses, but plenty of people cannot get time off during holidays and summer break due to seniority and basically can only go during the school year for family vacations.

 

[melana]

We have taken my niece out of school every time we have went. The last time we went was in October of last year. She was a freshman.

We haven't decided if we are going to do a trip next spring but if we do we will take her out of school. Here, as well as other places I am sure, as long as she is doing something educational on the trip and does a report, etc. She gets her absense excused and it does not count against her. We just can't deal with the heat in Florida. Also most of the time our spring breaks get cancelled because of all the weather related missed school days during the winter.

The last trip was during F&W and she did a report on food around the world. Powerpoint presentation and the whole 9 yards. When we went the year before she did a presentation/report centered around conservation efforts of animals.

She is a straight A student. She had homework she took with her last year and she worked on it in the car and at least one night in the hotel.

The other two times she was in 8th grade and I want to say 2nd or 3rd grade.

If we go next year I am going to add an extra day or two to our trip and go to the Space Center. I think we have used the Disney for education option 3 times too many.