Do you allow your kids to take "Personal Days" from school?

[OlderMan]

I voted no because they--my 2 DD's--have enough "Holiday(s) for All," "Teacher In-Service Day(s)" etc.

For example, even though they are out of school for Winter Break until January 7, they still have THREE student holidays before January 31.

I keep them home only if they're sick or have an inconvient Doctor/Dentist appointment.

PS: I'm the Father............

 

[KelNottAt]

No. The idea never even occurred to me. Heavy course loads and a variety of scheduled school holidays make it unwise and unnecesary.

But, having said that, I've allowed them an early dismissal in order to catch a plane.

 

[ckay87]

Only when kiddos have a good year health-wise...not a lot of absences due to sicknesses.

One year DS had perfect attendance - didn't miss a day. Right at the end of the year, I felt this was worth celebrating, so we took a day off and spent it in NYCity together. It was a gorgeous spring day and we just did a lot of nothing. If I get run over by the milk truck tomorrow, that will be one of my DS's greatest memories, I'm sure.

I stressed to him that we were celebrating his good health. How he took care of himself and kept clean and healthy and that was worth a reward

 

[jwann]

I voted no because they--my 2 DD's--have enough "Holiday(s) for All," "Teacher In-Service Day(s)" etc.

For example, even though they are out of school for Winter Break until January 7, they still have THREE student holidays before January 31.

I keep them home only if they're sick or have an inconvient Doctor/Dentist appointment.

PS: I'm the Father............

Yea, but what if they needed a day and there were no holidays or in-services near? I wonder how many of the people who vote "no" on this poll are employed full-time outside the home. As a father, I assume this DISer would have to take off work to let his daughter stay home.

 

[spima3]

Yes, I do. They are all good students, good grades, not very challenging curriculum, so unless there are tests, they aren't going to miss that much.

However, I do have criteria, and I initiate it. If they have been running around a lot, with activities, and are overtired, I let them take the day off just to sleep in and relax for the day. OR, they have a short day. Next week, they are off on Tuesday and Friday, and the other 3 days they are out by 11 am, so the district can schedule Parent/Teacher conferences.

One of those short days, they will not be going in. It's ridiculous to have to get up before 7 to catch a bus, to spend 2 1/2 hours in school doing nothing (the teachers have light days on conference days). They can sleep in, relax for the day, and we'll all go for lunch.

I consider them mental health days, and I think everyone needs them occasionally.

lori

 

[MomNeedsVacay]

My Mom used to allow us ONE day a year for X-mas shopping in dEcember.... it was so fun...we would get up really early, go to breakfast, travel 45 minutes to the outlet stores, and shop all day. It was great memory.

 

[Nikel]

Reading some the the responses made me think back on my experiences. My father passed away the spring of my senior yr. I took half a day (spring of sr yr - too much going on for me to want to get behind), but my brother (11 at the time) took several days. Is something like considered a personal day or no?

 

[KelNottAt]

Yea, but what if they needed a day and there were no holidays or in-services near? I wonder how many of the people who vote "no" on this poll are employed full-time outside the home. As a father, I assume this DISer would have to take off work to let his daughter stay home.

I don't understand this comment. Would you please clarify? I'm afraid it comes across as if you're saying that parents who are employed outside the home are insensitive to their kids' needs.

Is that what you mean?

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

I think that kids learn a lot in places besides school. One of those lessons is to take care of yourself. I take days off from work throughout the course of the year for my mental health and I think it's important. You don't need to have the flu to need rest or to need a break. In fact, you can avoid getting sick by taking care of yourself in the first place. I would want my children to feel that they could have time off if they needed it. That is, of course, if they normally try hard at school and in life in general.

 

[Tink&SquirtsMom]

I absolutely do. My parents let me also and I still grew up to be a responsible citizen.

 

[MOMTOMOOTOO]

Yes. No need to explain why. I just do.

 

[Pigeon]

No. I'm sort of surprised that so many people do.

My older dd is a strep throat magnet. She always gets it at least 2-3 times a season. So, she misses enough school as it is.

 

[Mrs.Toad]

Reading some the the responses made me think back on my experiences. My father passed away the spring of my senior yr. I took half a day (spring of sr yr - too much going on for me to want to get behind), but my brother (11 at the time) took several days. Is something like considered a personal day or no?

No way would I consider bereavement a personal day.

I'm sorry that you and your brother had to lose a parent at such a young age.

 

[Aidensmom]

My child has missed school once because my husband and I were going out of town and it is too far for Grandma to drive him to school, he has missed when I was too sick to drive him to school (45 minutes away on a good day) and my husband was already at work, and he'll be missing tomorrow to go to WDW.

I don't let him just stay home because he wants to, but there are things besides being sick that I keep him home for. I would also keep him home if there were some real reason he needed some kind of mental health day. I'm not sure of an example as one has not occurred yet, but I'm thinking along the lines of tragic/traumatic experience type thing.

 

[beattyfamily]

I have let my girls stay home....

When they are sick, very sick.

When we go on a trip like WDW (and Paris) but probably won't do that anymore for more than a long weekend (2 days max).

When we had an opportunity to see Rachael Ray!

If I felt they needed a day off due to stress of a personal issue like a death for example.

After saying all that, my girls don't take much time off other than our previous WDW trips which was 5 days.

 

[KimR]

I kept my youngest out of school one day last year for MY mental health. She had just started kindergarten and I missed her and wanted to spend some time with her. I didn't want her to think she could just skip school any time she liked so the evening beforehand I told her she had a fever and wouldn't be able to go to school the following day. Then when she woke up I told her the fever was gone but school rules were that she had to be fever-free for 24 hours so we spent they day at the game ranch and then went to the mall.

It was a fun day for us and I was going to do it again this year but unfortunately, she's already missed too many days due to legitimate sickness.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

I didn't want her to think she could just skip school any time she liked so the evening beforehand I told her she had a fever and wouldn't be able to go to school the following day. Then when she woke up I told her the fever was gone but school rules were that she had to be fever-free for 24 hours so we spent they day at the game ranch and then went to the mall.

While I see no problem with keeping her home, why lie to her?

 

[KimR]

While I see no problem with keeping her home, why lie to her?

Because I didn't want her to get the idea that school is unimportant and she can just blow it off on a whim (yeah, even though that is what I was doing).

 

[kdsjjb]

We allow each of our children to take their birthday off (youngest DS gets to pick his day because his B'Day is in the summer) and DW or I usually take off as well and let the kids pick what they want to do on their day.

 

[JimB.]

Absolutely Freakin' Not!

They get 2 "mental health days" a week.

They're called Saturday & Sunday.