Do you guys take your kids outa school to go to wdw

[scojos]

i have only taken my kids out of school twice, last oct as my school had diff holidays to theres, and we had a bargain week in turkey!
as a teacher, i could rant about missed school, cirriculum gaps etc. however i firmly believe that we apply so much of everything inour hols, time management (FP times, travelling times, tips % etc.) we cover geography, culture, language (spanish) etc. that kids learn as much if not more on a trip to wdw.
To each their own, but i would never flame the parents of a kid i taught for taking them to wdw
tracy

 

[buzz for boys]

Im amazed that this thread hasnt turned nasty yet!! Im another one that will get flamed for this but I always take my kids out.
The first holiday I took them out of school for I was made to sit in front governors of the school and to beg for the time - I didnt and it was refused but we still went and eventually my ds moved school anyway.
then it was Cams wish trip to florida and I went in all guns blazing and told the head mistress that it was a wish trip and we would be going whatever she said she told me there was no need to fight and approved it all with no questions. This year I went in expecting a bit more of a fight and she just smiled and said happy holidays and signed the form !!Each schools approach is very different.
The school we are at are very understanding and embrace the kids when they return my ds Dan (7) spoke for nearly 2 hours at show n tell about his holidadys and shared his presentation on the laptop to all the kids in the class - Id argue with anyone that he didnt learn anything on that trip!
I also think that 2 weeks out of a school term is very little if you send your child the rest of the year !!
I am constantly challenged about my decision to take the kids out of school but I believe time as a family having fun is just as important as time in the classroom !!

 

[JohnnySharp2]

As parents of a special needs child we have taken Joshua out of school occasionally and never had a problem being able to do so, quite the opposite in fact.

The bottom line is as parents we make the decisions we feel appropriate, I don't think anyone should feel concerned personally or worried what others will think.
It's all about personal choice.

 

[Sweet Pea UK]

I'm afraid I have to take my daughter out of school every year in order to have a holiday. We run a seasonal business in Great Yarmouth and have no choice but to do so - it would be impossible for us to go away during school holidays as this is when we are busy (well, hope to be!).

I took her out of school in the November after she had started school in the September. She was 4. I went to see her teacher and we discussed what she would be missing. We therefore practised sounds on holiday when we could. I took her out of school again in the November of 2007 when she was in Year 2. Again I went to see her teacher who asked me whether I wanted my DD to be worrying about school work or whether I wanted her to "ENJOY" her holiday. I obviously chose the latter! We worked on a diary while we were away and each day she wrote a couple of lines of where she had been and what she liked best etc. Following her teachers strict instructions that it was not to be more than a couple of lines!

I again took DD out of school this year for a trip to DLRP in January, Turkey in June and Turkey in October (different school years). I make sure that she reads every day she is away - we learn spellings, do little maths sums etc.

I will be taking her away again next August for the first 6 days of Year 5. I have managed to persuade my Dad (whose Business it is) to let me go away in August - I compromised for the last week of August, first week of September so it will mean one week off instead of 2 from school.

Of course, I wouldn't dream of taking my DD out of school during SATs or later on when she is studying for GCSE's etc, now would I dream of not going in to see her teacher about work to do while we are away etc. But I strongly believe that life is about gaining life skills as well as academic studies. SOme of the experiences my DD has seen from places around the world in her 8 years of life will stay with her forever. This is not always something you can learn from school!

It is of course personal choice and I am certainly not trying to inflict my views on others. It is just not possible for us to go during school holidays.

 

[Nubbedy]

I'm also a teacher and think every child should be entitled to miss two weeks of school for the sake of a family holiday. I missed two weeks of school every year as a child due to my Dad's set holidays and it didn't do me any harm!

Obviously I am limited to school holidays myself, but when I was on maternity leave with DS2 I took my own DS1 out of school during term time without a second thought - it was cheaper, less crowded, and the weather in May was far better than it is in August. He made a WDW scrapbook to take back to school as well as taking his completed Epcot passport and masks and some photos for 'show and tell' when he returned.

Go during term time - life is too short. Enjoy!

 

[wideeyes]

I take my DD out of school for holidays. I think it depends on the child, DD copes well with school work etc however I won't be taking her in september at the start of the term again at my DD request as she found it hard to go back later than everyone else.

 

[Stitch's Greatest Fa]

Another primary school teacher here - I too would not hesitate to take DD out of school if it were not for the fact that I obviously can't do this myself. From a teacher point of view we get annoyed with the same kids taking days and days off school for authorised holidays, illness and other random things. These are inevitably the children that are academically behind and whose parents don't talk to them about their holiday.

On the other hand we have no problem with parents that only take kids out occasionally, do this through the proper channels, talk to their children about the holiday etc and help their child to catch up, if necessary upon their return (which it sounds like you are this kind of parent)

I say do it, especially in November when the child will be well established into their new school year.

 

[thelittlemermaid83]

I would take DD out, i used to say that i never would take my child out during school time but life is too short, you only have one life..live it to the best you can and make memories that will last a lifetime.

I will be taking DD out of school when i have saved up for WDW for 2 weeks, maybe 3 if im lucky

 

[Lisash]

I think you need to look at the bigger picture. Like many others here I have taken my kids out for the odd few days here and there when they were younger. I have tagged them onto end of/half terms to lessen the impact and their exam results show that neither has sufferered any lasting damage . In fact I think the quality family time spent together is just as valuable to their development as school. Life can be very short sometimes and those happy memories are precious.

What does always make me smile is that we get given a hard time for taking a few days out for holiday when there are some kids in my DS's class who constantly take days off 'sick' with assorted coughs, colds and stomach upsets (particularly when it's cold/rainy/snowy and/or mums going christmas shopping) and nobody says a word about this

 

[joolz1910]

What does always make me smile is that we get given a hard time for taking a few days out for holiday when there are some kids in my DS's class who constantly take days off 'sick' with assorted coughs, colds and stomach upsets (particularly when it's cold/rainy/snowy and/or mums going christmas shopping) and nobody says a word about this

I couldn't agree more. I have students in my classes who have lots of days off throughout the year with 'stomach upsets' or 'colds', yet they fly beneath the school radar. I consider these constant occasional days to be far more disruptive to learning than one block of time in an academic year.

 

[howlongtillsummer?]

I couldn't agree more. I have students in my classes who have lots of days off throughout the year with 'stomach upsets' or 'colds', yet they fly beneath the school radar. I consider these constant occasional days to be far more disruptive to learning than one block of time in an academic year.

Correct. Absolutely.

I still stand by the point that a child, especially a 5 year old, has the potential to learn more at WDW than at school. (I taught 5 year olds for 7 years so no disrespect to the curriculum.) It is not your typical lie on the beach holiday as we all well know.

Go for it!!

 

[stoneyloon]

If I could I would, but as DGF is a teacher, we're stuck with the school hols and the ££££'s that go with it.

 

[LORNA ANN]

You do whats right for your family, we work in the hotel business & getting holidays when the schools are off is near impossible, I also have my own business which is seasonal & we have to make hay while the sun shines as they say.
So we have taken our DS who is now 18 out nearly every year for all of his school life although at exam times we took them in the october holidays, but these holidays are important to us as we have time with each other with no phones, door bells or any other interuptions just us having fun & catching up with each other i think this as equally important as a childs education to have these happy family memories...

 

[orlandothebeagle]

I think you need to look at the bigger picture. Like many others here I have taken my kids out for the odd few days here and there when they were younger. I have tagged them onto end of/half terms to lessen the impact and their exam results show that neither has sufferered any lasting damage . In fact I think the quality family time spent together is just as valuable to their development as school. Life can be very short sometimes and those happy memories are precious.

What does always make me smile is that we get given a hard time for taking a few days out for holiday when there are some kids in my DS's class who constantly take days off 'sick' with assorted coughs, colds and stomach upsets (particularly when it's cold/rainy/snowy and/or mums going christmas shopping) and nobody says a word about this

I couldn't agree more. I have students in my classes who have lots of days off throughout the year with 'stomach upsets' or 'colds', yet they fly beneath the school radar. I consider these constant occasional days to be far more disruptive to learning than one block of time in an academic year.

I totaly agree, this is exactly what i was getting at when it bugged me that my sil would let her take daysoff here there and everywhere when she sniffed,whole days of for detist(jeez,could she not go after school) it sets SUCH a bad example, Now working hard all year and going every day and taking time out for hols is not only acceptable in my ho, it is a good life lesson!

 

[chocolateMinnie]

Down to the child definitely. I work in a reception class and many parents understandably decide to take their children out of school to save money. Before working in a school I did this myself when my son was in year one. The only caution I would give is that if your child has only been in school six or seven weeks and the school starts teaching phonics in that time be sure to find out how/what is being taught while you are away. If your child misses out on the first few weeks at school it can throw their confidence out for months and months. I've seen it happen many times but a family holiday is priceless.

If I couldn't go any other time I'd go; if it was a case of a few hundred pounds difference or my child being settled I'd stay with my holiday booking.

Have a wonderful family trip whenever you decide.

 

[heatherbelle]

I only took my DS out of school when he was in year 3 and that was for 2 weeks. He did miss quite a bit and I wouldn't do it again for so long. Maybe a couple of days.

If you think about it, thats 14 hours of numeracy, quite a bit can be covered then. To this day I still think that's why he can't do division, but saying that he's brilliant at the rest of it.

 

[T16GEM]

I think you need to look at the bigger picture. Like many others here I have taken my kids out for the odd few days here and there when they were younger. I have tagged them onto end of/half terms to lessen the impact and their exam results show that neither has sufferered any lasting damage . In fact I think the quality family time spent together is just as valuable to their development as school. Life can be very short sometimes and those happy memories are precious.

What does always make me smile is that we get given a hard time for taking a few days out for holiday when there are some kids in my DS's class who constantly take days off 'sick' with assorted coughs, colds and stomach upsets (particularly when it's cold/rainy/snowy and/or mums going christmas shopping) and nobody says a word about this

This is what makes me cross, our DD's Head Mistress told all the parents in the start of term meeting that there was a particular family whose child had an attendace record of 37% for last year And then complained when she refused their holiday request!!

Our DD has taken one morning out of Nursery for illness and only because it was conjunctivitus and the whole lass would have had it! If she has a cold or cough she still goes, and the school recommend this as long as they haven't got a temp or sickness they are in.

As I said before DH and I run our own business and literally I can count on one hand the amount of family days we have together - we are like a single parent family the rest of the time with one of us with the kiddies and the other at work in the shop. So our annual Florida holiday is extremely precious time to us, and I for one will not be giving that up as life is definitely too short!

This having kids malarky is hard work!

 

[tttessa]

I must admit, the topic worries me too - we have already booked our trip in October - a week of school + a week half term and need to apply for permission for absence - in the next academic year i.e. AFTER September...... I guess we just go anyway if it is refused...

I "NEVER" take the kids out - but lately school has been a pain - kids watch TV half the time - we had days out of the curriculum for open days, for children in need, for school Xmas fayre prep, and the last 2 weeks were spent making calenders and prep for the school concert..... so I really don't think us going to florida will matter one jot!
Especially as this time we are also visiting Homossassa State wildlife park for the manatees and looking at the Atlantic from the OTHER SIDE and of course TOUCHING THE MOON at Kennedy... as well as a week of theme parks...

Can't wait...
Tessa

 

[suzybear6]

So far we've never taken the children out of school for a holiday as we've always gone in the school holidays, but after looking realistically when we should go to Florida, October turned out to be our best option and I had to get used to the idea of taking them out of school for a week so that we could use the half term week to give us our 2 week holiday. I have really struggled with this decision, but at the end of the day, it's that or we don't go

I console myself by reminding myself that since my children are rarely ill (100% attendance in the last academic year and 100% so far this year) the 6 days or so that they will miss this October is probably a lot less than a lot of the other children miss due to their various illnesses they have throughout the year!

I know the trip will be very educational for my children...all subjects will be covered...geography, history, culture, nature, science and all manner of things as we always do lots of work at home about places we go as well as what they will learn when they are there.

I guess my only doubt is that they will miss some important teaching subject while they are away, but I suppose if I check with their teachers before we go what they will be missing we can cover it ourselves. At 7 & 8 years old, I think we can cover any part of their education they might miss. It would be different if they were in secondary school I feel...but then again, ask me in a few years times and I might feel different then!

I will write and let their headmaster know that we will be taking them out of school for a holiday, and I doubt we will get it authorised as they seem to be clamping down in this area, but hey, what can they do?? Shoot me?

Luv Suzy

 

[joolz1910]

The way I see it, your child could be ill for a week and miss school. I know we have no control over illness but we wouldn't agonise over which lessons were being missed if one of our children had laryngitis - we'd just keep them at home.