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

[Love_the_Mouse]

I always pull my kids out of school for any Disney World trip or Disney Cruise - usually a full week. I don't think twice about it. Once my kids are grown and out of the house, I don't think we'll look back and think that missing a week of school every few years ruined their lives or hurt their educational experience one bit. I doubt we'll think about school at all and will instead think of our family memories on our fun trips. I should note that my kids get good grades and I always let the teachers know months in advance. And we are always timely on completely all school work that is missed.

 

[Pandafamily]

We have pulled our kids out twice. When my oldest was in third grade, the school changed fall break from a full week to a long week end, half day on Wednesday, off Thurs. Friday, and the following Monday. Last year, his high school changed the dates of fall break, 3 months after they first published the school calendar. I booked my cruise on the original calendar. We talked with his teachers at the beginning of the school year and they worked with him. It did not affect his grades. I try to not pull them out of school, but I will depending on the situation.

 

[FigmentSpark]

I have no trouble taking my kids for a couple extra days around spring break. I'm not the only parent who does, so teachers know this happens. Last year, however, my 10th grade son missed 3 days (two before the break and one after) for a cruise, which we thought would be fine. But then, after our PIF date for the cruise, a fantastic chance to do an overseas worldclass sports touranment came and it was 4 days before Easter and through Easter. Well, that meant he was back from our cruise for 4 days and off for another week. He did it, but we should have managed the school and teachers better. He did suffer from so many days off during that same timeperiod and we had to get him a tutor to help him catch up.

He passed all his classes just fine, but he could have done much better if he hadn't missed all those day and the teachers said so. But, he will never forget that Easter trip and competing with kids from around the world, so that was certainly a lifetime memory. Was the (educational) cost worth it in hindsight? We'll see when he starts applying for universities, I guess.

 

[mom4mad]

We pull our kids out of school every year for 1-2 weeks. They are now in 3rd and 7th grade. We put them on independent study during the time we are away. It has never been a problem. I think it has to be an individual decision though. DH used to be a teacher, so that helps. Our kids do well in school, and they know that is a condition for us taking them out of school for vacation 1-2 weeks per year. We are very involved at our children's schools, so the teachers and staff know us and know we will make sure the work gets done. I know independent study isn't the same as being in school, but we also believe travel with family is an invaluable life experience. I suspect once our oldest is in high school it will be more difficult. Time will tell.

 

[Minnie & Daisy]

Never. Different generation.

 

[cadien]

Well my kid brought home an official letter yesterday saying there will be no homework this year because the most important thing kids can do developmentally outside of school is spend quality time with their families. So I guess our February cruise won’t be an issue.

 

[KashasMom]

We have a 2 day break in November and I usually take my daughter out for 3 days for a cruise. I also take her out for a week to combine with her Easter vacation to go visit family in India (too exhausting to make the trip in a week). (We've also done China at that time and next year, Japan.) Although I let the teachers know, they've never sent any homework in advance and she's never had any issues making up the work. Since she's moving to middle school next year, this will likely be the last year I'll take her out for the week in April though.

 

[lizzyb]

We have pulled our kids out for our previous cruises and will again.

 

[verleniahall]

Depends on your school district - vacations in ours are considered non excused and 5 consecutive non excused will result in the ta us cy officers and the courts getting involved

Make sure and check your school handbook

 

[lovin'fl]

We did for our first cruise. We booked Disney Magic for Sept of 2007. It was during our kids' year round intersession so they would have been off school. Then DH switched jobs and we moved and the kids went into a traditional school and had to miss that week. They were in 5th and 3rd grades. I would have preferred not to take them out of school but we had the cruise booked well before the move came up. But at least it was elementary and not middle or high because as they get farther along in school the classes are harder to miss and make up for (ie: Geometry or Chemistry and the such). But they did miss some days here and there for Disney trips throughout the 13 years...like 2 days after a 3 or 4 day break.

I will also add that my DDs will graduate college a semester early due to all their AP credits. They have like a 3.8 GPA and are in honors and got highest scholarship amount. So missing school was no problem for them.

 

[MinnesotaMouseketeers]

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.

We took our son out for up to five days during elementary school and picked a week in October or November when Thursday and Friday was off so he missed only three days through jr. high.

Graduated with honors and was chosen for the School of Science and Technology at the U. of MN. A handful out of a few thousand applicants. So I don’t understand your objection to trying this!

 

[Joe Brig]

At my kid's school nothing educational occurs the week before winter or summer break, so that is when we go.

 

[DisneyPiPhi]

Well my kid brought home an official letter yesterday saying there will be no homework this year because the most important thing kids can do developmentally outside of school is spend quality time with their families. So I guess our February cruise won’t be an issue.

This is a great policy! The research on homework - especially in the elementary grades - is that it has little or no positive effect on learning. My experience as an educator of 12+ years is that homework in the elementary grades - especially "projects" assigned to be done at home - are a measure of whose parents have the most time and money. Reading and maybe practicing for a spelling test or reviewing math facts are all the "homework" that needs to be done in the elementary years, except in special cases.

At my kid's school nothing educational occurs the week before winter or summer break, so that is when we go.

Can happily confirm this - again, as an educator. I tried my best, but it is what it is. (Again, this may be different in high school if you have exams scheduled!)

 

[serenitynow]

We took our son out for up to five days during elementary school and picked a week in October or November when Thursday and Friday was off so he missed only three days through jr. high.

Graduated with honors and was chosen for the School of Science and Technology at the U. of MN. A handful out of a few thousand applicants. So I don’t understand your objection to trying this!

Congratulations on your son’s selection for the School of Science & Technology at the U. Of MN!

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

He passed all his classes just fine, but he could have done much better if he hadn't missed all those day and the teachers said so. But, he will never forget that Easter trip and competing with kids from around the world, so that was certainly a lifetime memory. Was the (educational) cost worth it in hindsight? We'll see when he starts applying for universities, I guess.

I just want to push back gently on this last part. (I don't think this is off topic, we are talking about taking kids out of school and its impact on education. This is about the long-term impact.)

First I want to say that I agree with all the rest of your post. It is such a challenge and there are so many competing factors that seem to be at odds with each other, and it sounds like you did the best you could with a difficult and unexpected circumstance and made it through.

But this notion that applications to college/university is the ultimate arbiter of what worked and what didn't in one's child's life is something I don't agree with. Maybe it was just an offhand comment on your part or not something you agree with personally. I don't mean to single you out. In our household this idea that college applications will tell us about the success of 18 years of parenting has a lot of support. Sometimes my wife, always (it seems) parents of my sons' friends, often my sons themselves, and yes a voice in my own head. "If they don't do X, and Y, and Z just right, they won't get into a good enough college."

Quotes from my sons (ages 16 and 17) are the most representative:

"My friend's Mom said she (the friend) had to take 7 AP courses and all honors otherwise throughout High School in order to get into 'a good school.'"

"Should I take this course/join this club/run for this office so that it will look good on my college application?

"I can't fit AP Spanish 5 into my schedule, but I really like Spanish, but the only class that fits is regular (not even Honors!) Spanish 5. Should I drop Spanish altogether?"

"Is my GPA/SAT score high enough?"

"Which IVY LEAGUE school should I try to get into?"

I have always (for years) pushed back gently but firmly against all of this. "Don't worry about what your college application will look like!" "Do what you are passionate about and do it well, the rest will work itself out." "Any one of hundreds of colleges can give you a good education if it is a good fit for what you want to do, it doesn't have to be IVY."

Well, now my oldest is about to apply to colleges, so I guess I, like you will find out if I was right or wrong, but I HOPE that whatever colleges he does or doesn't get into, he'll be a happy, confident, capable person, and that what college he goes to will not define him.

As always with such an individual subject, I'm not trying to comment on what is right for any other family; I'm just sharing the events in mine in the hopes that some will find it useful or at least amusing.

 

[jimmymc]

While I don't have kids, my parents would pull my younger brother and me out of school before high school began for up to a week. During high school, it was limited to 1 or 2 days. We were both good enough students, not always perfect but nowhere close to failing. Teachers were always good about telling us what to study and letting us make up tests when we returned. Some of our high school teachers would not have done that for us.

 

[ChicosWife]

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.

It's a shame you feel that way. My kids still complete the work they miss on the cruise, so technically they are not missing anything but actually being in the classroom. It's not selfish, because we do this for them, to give them lasting memories, to deviate from the normal day to day activities, bonding with them in a completely different way. This is something they will hopefully tell their children about and hopefully be able to share these types of memories with them. My kids don't struggle in school, even when missing a week, so we are not sacrificing one thing for another. We are adding amazing experiences to their lives that we, as children, never got to experience.

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.

Amen!

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!

Thank you!

 

[dad of 3 addicted to DCL]

When our kids were elementary school, we pulled them for a week and longer without a thought. Catching up there was very easy and the principal didn't blink. For middle school, we approached the principals and explained we were doing international travel and got excused absences; again, catching up was fairly easy though there was a class or two that required tutoring if the absence was extended. When we went to Alaska with a 5 day visit to Vancouver beforehand, I thought i was being an awesome planner by booking the 8/20 cruise. Then the school district moved the start day of classes back from after labor day to mid August. When explained, the principals understood, but our high-schooler children effectively missed the first two weeks of school. Catching up the hard science classes required quite a bit of extra work by them and me/DW to help them learn. Missing two days for HS aged kids? No prob. 2 weeks? Big dent in academic efforts. I'll caveat with the statement that all 3 of our kids are Governors's School/International Baccalaureate students.

 

[GrrArrgh]

My daughter's school district is constantly changing or trying to change their start date, which makes planning around them extremely difficult, so I've stopped trying. When I first booked our Aug 16th European cruise, the school start date was Sept 3rd, plenty of time for a 10-day cruise. By the time we took the cruise, the start date was Aug 30th and they had been negotiating with the teacher's union to start on the 16th. Next year, I don't know what our start date will be. Will it be the 30th again, the 16th, or the 12th? I've heard all floated as options. How am I supposed to plan around that? There was a kid on our cruise who would have started in something like July (Australian school) and the principal at his school was fully supportive of taking him out for an extended holiday. The kids' clubs were full of kids at all ages, so I imagine a lot of families were either doing the same thing or running right up against school start dates. We'll be missing three days at the end of October to go to Disneyland, which won't be terribly educational, but it will be fun. Our next Disney cruise will probably be in August 2020 and if we want to do that, we'll probably have to miss some school.

 

[southerngirl528]

The question was whether to take a child out of traditional schooling.

Not to be argumentative but I did not specifically read that. I guess one could surmise that was what was meant.