Curious...Do you take your kids out of school for cruise??

[anjuan]

I did twice when my DD was in elementary school. It was considered an unexcused absence and I got a letter from the school, but the teachers themselves were fine with it and it didn't effect her grades. Since she's been in middle school I haven't and won't in high school.

 

[ChicosWife]

Hey y'all! Out of curiosity, I wanted to know people's thoughts and experiences with taking kids out of school for a vacation. We have one booked during the 2019 school year, but my husband and I keep debating over whether or not it's a good idea to remove our daughter from school for 1 week. Thank you!

Yes, we do, but we only cruise once every couple of years. During one of the parent orientations one year, the principal told everyone that they prefer you do it when school is out, but understands that prices are higher. He said if you need to pull your kids out of school to enjoy some quality family time, it's worth it. We agree. Keep in mind, our kids' teachers give them all their school work for the week that they miss and it must be completed within 3 days of return to school. It's worth it for us.

 

[MJB03]

But Kindergarten is not mandatory in Texas, right? A child does not have to go to Kindergarten.

Mandatory if the child is 6 on Sept 1. My DS turned 6 earlier this month.

 

[ChicosWife]

Sometimes vacation and family time is as important as school time.

Amen!

we wish we did it more. Once kids get to middle school - it's NOT the school it's the activities / sports that really begin to interfere with family vacations year round.

So YES - we did, needed to do it more!! My we got my kids homework ahead of time from the teacher(s) - they were NOT amused!!! They did the required work and after a one week vacation, they were usually 3 weeks ahead of the class!!

Public Schools (frequently) get "paid / funded" by the number of butts in the seats, and a student on vacation for a week will have an impact on funding - but Who Cares!! Family time is IMPORTANT.

And my kids have learned a lot by exploring the world. We are Lilly white (I'm getting sick of the "beached white whale" comments while I'm enjoying some time at the beach ) and from a predominately white state, therefore walking around the towns in Caribbean was an eye opener for all of us. Then visit the sugar plantations. More education! And then there are the historical cruises in the Med and Northern Europe - lots of education there. Alaska - learn about glaciers and critters!!!

There's more to life than just book learning. Getting out into the real world helps cement the book learning. Need Both.

I second that!

My kids do well in school also but it is too hard to catch up if they miss. Our high school is a block system which means that they have 4 classes each semester. These classes cover a years worth of material in 1 semester. Missing a week or even a day is really hard on them. Why should they have to suffer through trying to catch up just so I can save a few bucks? I’ll shop for deals for summer or just pay more.

That's great for you, but not everyone has the choice to "just pay more". It's either a Disney cruise during school time or a lesser vacation during the summer. If the kids aren't struggling, then it doesn't seem to be a problem, in the big picture of life!

 

[trvlgirlmq]

Amen!



I second that!



That's great for you, but not everyone has the choice to "just pay more". It's either a Disney cruise during school time or a lesser vacation during the summer. If the kids aren't struggling, then it doesn't seem to be a problem, in the big picture of life!

And what happens when they can't catch up or struggle to understand the material when they get back because they missed the lectures? I think it is completely selfish to put your financial needs above your child's education. If you can't afford a DCL cruise in summer then choose another cruise line or vacation.

 

[Numtini]

We don't because we feel like it would send the message that a vacation is more important than education.

 

[All about me]

I think it is completely selfish to put your financial needs above your child's education.

I think it is difficult to justify calling any adult selfish who is willing to take kids on a Disney cruise in the first place as it is an indulgence, not a necessity.

 

[dvcdisney]

Every year since 2002, we've taken our children out for at least one week before our March/Spring Break in order to have a 2 week vacation.

 

[lorimay]

And what happens when they can't catch up or struggle to understand the material when they get back because they missed the lectures? I think it is completely selfish to put your financial needs above your child's education. If you can't afford a DCL cruise in summer then choose another cruise line or vacation.

Well if that's YOUR feeling about YOUR family, income and lifestyle thats one thing.
You don't have a right to judge anyone else's circumstance and call them selfish.
WOW!

 

[Mikamarii]

I wanted to take our grandkids out for a week to do a cruise to Mexico and see the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza but due to the rules in Texas the parents said no, they can't be taken out of school. But now I find that in the spring the granddaughter will be missing some school days so the school dance team can go to Disney World for a competition. OK, confused, can't go on an education trip but can go on a trip to do a dance preformance.

I agree. When I was in Jr high we missed school for basketball/volleyball tournaments and in high school it was football. Teachers didn’t like it but the school didn’t have a problem with it.

Off topic from your post.
I’ll admit when I was in Grade 11 I went with my parents to Florida (not wdw), my choice, for 3 weeks. I was always a great student and figured I could keep up. I was wrong. I couldn’t teach the math to myself and when I got back I couldn’t catch up. I trailed behind but squeezed out the year. When I started grade 12 I still struggled with the concepts and dropped Math 30 to Math 33 ( not sure what the US equivelent is). I didn’t learn calculus, quadratics, etc but I learned about interest rates, mortgages, financial planning, etc. It turned out to be one of the most advantageous moves I made. I still use that stuff everyday. I went on to university and now have a great job and wonderful family.
But most importantly I still remember that trip. I’m still close with my parents. They still vacation with us and our little ones. We still reminisce about eating conch fritters in a little treehouse restaurant on the way to key west. I wouldn’t have traded that decision for anything else. During a time when many youths are embarrassed by their parents we grew closer together.
I’m not advocating that everyone should ignore school and go party or that my choice is the right one. It worked out well for me. It may not for others. People need to decide what is best for them and their family. We try to instill balance in our family. Strong Work ethic, treating others with respect, education but above all else family comes first.

 

[brentm77]

With zero hesitation when they are younger. A week of elementary school education will mean nothing in the big picture. I am huge proponent of education, but there is more to education than a classical schoolroom setting, and there is more to life than just education. You only get one life and memories/family time are precious too. If it means going at a more affordable time, on a tight budget, or even a less crowded time, I see no harm in it. With high school age children now, we don't for practical reasons. Catching up is too stressful for them and their grades actually matter at this point. I know these comments will rub some educators the wrong way, but I saw zero harm in missing school with younger children. The teachers never seemed to have a problem missing a week of school when they wanted or needed to either.

P.S. Thanks to all those educators out there - you do a tremendous service for society.

 

[aggiedog]

This thread reminds me of a few on an international adoption board several years ago. We refer to it now as "the Great Dreft War of 2008." Followed closely by the "Shopping Cart Skirmishes." LOL

As parents, we feel passionately about what's right for our kids. There's no right answer, just what's right for your family. And what's right for your family can change as time goes on.

 

[TestingH2O]

I'm an educator and parent. My daughter is in elementary school.

When our breaks are misaligned or I have some time off that she doesn't, I won't mind pulling her out in elementary. Middle school will depend on where she goes to school and who she is as a student/athlete/performer/...

From the other side of the desk, I'll say that high school kids missing class is really hard on them and really hard on teachers. Every lab a kid misses has to be made up somehow. Either a teacher has to find the time for the kid to do it or a virtual option must be found and notified. Playing time in sports is impacted by missing practice. Games? Even more of a problem. Foreign language deteriorates quickly without practice. At this point, no matter who she is as a person, I can't see us taking DD out of school for more than a day or two. It's just too hard to make up logistically regardless of how good of a student you are.

 

[RAD]

I agree. When I was in Jr high we missed school for basketball/volleyball tournaments and in high school it was football. Teachers didn’t like it but the school didn’t have a problem with it.

Off topic from your post.
I’ll admit when I was in Grade 11 I went with my parents to Florida (not wdw), my choice, for 3 weeks. I was always a great student and figured I could keep up. I was wrong. I couldn’t teach the math to myself and when I got back I couldn’t catch up. I trailed behind but squeezed out the year. When I started grade 12 I still struggled with the concepts and dropped Math 30 to Math 33 ( not sure what the US equivelent is). I didn’t learn calculus, quadratics, etc but I learned about interest rates, mortgages, financial planning, etc. It turned out to be one of the most advantageous moves I made. I still use that stuff everyday. I went on to university and now have a great job and wonderful family.
But most importantly I still remember that trip. I’m still close with my parents. They still vacation with us and our little ones. We still reminisce about eating conch fritters in a little treehouse restaurant on the way to key west. I wouldn’t have traded that decision for anything else. During a time when many youths are embarrassed by their parents we grew closer together.
I’m not advocating that everyone should ignore school and go party or that my choice is the right one. It worked out well for me. It may not for others. People need to decide what is best for them and their family. We try to instill balance in our family. Strong Work ethic, treating others with respect, education but above all else family comes first.

Agree the older the child is the better to not take them out. We took our son out of school a number of times for vacations, always a week or less, and he did just fine. We had the teachers either give him work to do while on vacation or a special project that has something to do with where we were going.

 

[tlprice]

I am a teacher and I have taken myself and my daughter out of school for a week every year for the past 6 years and will again in 3 weeks. I was a bit worried about this one because this is her first year of middle school. Last night was open house and I talked to each of her teachers about her missing a week and none of them was the least bit concerned about it. Before booking the trip, I also asked my daughter and made sure she was comfortable with it. We do sometimes travel during school breaks, but as a teacher and a single mother, it is not always in my budget. Therefore, if being able to travel during the school year doesn't affect either of us negatively, I don't see any reason not to do it. If it becomes too difficult for my daughter, we won't do it anymore.

 

[ryankski]

Our son will start K5 next year and we are planning on pulling him out for two full weeks of school for a an WDW and Disney cruise in 10/2019. We will take him out for one to two weeks all through elementary and then see as he gets older depending on how he's doing. We figure trips to through Europe & Asia will be an educational experiences we wish we would have had growing up. Hopefully, we can keep up the trips through JR high and even high school but only time will tell.

 

[cadien]

This thread reminds me of a few on an international adoption board several years ago. We refer to it now as "the Great Dreft War of 2008." Followed closely by the "Shopping Cart Skirmishes." LOL

As parents, we feel passionately about what's right for our kids. There's no right answer, just what's right for your family. And what's right for your family can change as time goes on.

Parenting board battles are the nastiest battles.

And why are shopping carts always such a trigger?

 

[Laundress]

We do not take them out of school because it would to hard for them to catch up when returning. We have 2 in high school.

 

[hcox31]

From an educators perspective: I have no issue with kids in my (elementary aged) class being taken out for a week or so. A week usually isn't going to make or break an elementary aged kid. We have issues in my district with extended holidays of a month or MORE to visit home countries, so it is our policy NOT to assign homework in order to try and deter extended EXTENDED vacations. But that's a whole other kettle of fish.

I wish I could take my kids out during school time, but because I'm a teacher I have the same schedule as my kids and am not allowed vacation time outside of the usual "teacher" vacation times.

 

[CamColt]

Ok everyone, lets take a step back and remember, not everything works the same for everyone. All our kids are different, all our schools are different, all our financial situations are different so what works for 1 person may not work for others. The OP was asking for opinions and a variety of thoughts is just fine. No need to get upset if someone feels differently than you. I would like to keep this thread open as it can be useful but if it turns to attacks we will have to close it.
Thanks for your cooperation!