For those who take kids out of school...

[tigger12jb]

We plan on going for free dining but can't decide when to go. We will either go Aug 29 - Sep 6 or Sep 22 - Sep 30 both fall into free dining. With the August trip my son will go to school for 2 days and then we will leave and he will miss a total of 7 days. If we go in September he will go to school for a month and then miss 6 days of school. We go to Disney every year and since he has started school we take him out every year. He goes to PPCD (he's autistic) so he goes during the regular school year. He has the same teacher and she always is very excited that we take him to WDW.
We've never been in August, last year we went Sep 27 - Oct 5, weather was great, MNSSHP, F&W, but the first couple of days we were ther we encountered love bugs. Since we would be going 5 days earlier then last year, I'm afraid the love bugs will he horrific. Any suggesions?.....

 

[Dicecatt]

I take my kids out of school almost every September. I would definitely go for September. If you go on the first date, you will be there over labor day weekend. I would most definitely choose further into September, love bugs be darned. And yes, they are yucky.

 

[Caitlin'sMommy]

Can someone clarify lovebugs? Are these ladybugs? We were planning on going during the Princess Party and were going to go during the 2nd or 3rd week of August, but now with Free Dining we will most likely go 9/1-9/7. She would have school 3 days and then with the Labor Day holiday only miss 4 days. The big problem: She starts Kindergarten. How bad would this be? Have either of you taken your kids out at the kindergarten level? She attends a full day preschool now, so I am hoping it wouldn't be too bad. I can't make it any later in September because I also attend college and any later would most likely conflict with a test. I figure the first 2 weeks of school and I should be safe. Should I just scrap free dining and go in August? HELP!! Very difficult for me to make decisions.

TIA!

 

[Dicecatt]

Can someone clarify lovebugs? Are these ladybugs? We were planning on going during the Princess Party and were going to go during the 2nd or 3rd week of August, but now with Free Dining we will most likely go 9/1-9/7. She would have school 3 days and then with the Labor Day holiday only miss 4 days. The big problem: She starts Kindergarten. How bad would this be? Have either of you taken your kids out at the kindergarten level? She attends a full day preschool now, so I am hoping it wouldn't be too bad. I can't make it any later in September because I also attend college and any later would most likely conflict with a test. I figure the first 2 weeks of school and I should be safe. Should I just scrap free dining and go in August? HELP!! Very difficult for me to make decisions.

TIA!

I heard the Pirates and princess party is a lot of fun...do you have any kind of discount for your August dates? Free dining is pretty tempting. I am going during free dining but I got a better discount elsewhere, that is why I am asking you.

As far as kindergarten, this is strictly my opinion...but there are several reasons I take my kids out of school. Ultimately, it is a personal choice, and you should check with your school district to see what their policy is. My reasons are: my twins go to year round school, my 12 year old goes regular year, and it is the SAME school district. They are rarely off together, and if they are, it is a holiday and my oldest goes to her dads for part of each holiday. I really have very little choice if I want to take a vacation. Having said that, I doubt I would go during a busy time anyway! I just won't. I don't expect the teachers to catch my children up, I work with them at home to make sure they get up to speed. I usually go for September instead of December or January, because it is my opinion that they miss less in the beginning of the year. For example, last year, my middle schooler caught up fine after missing 7 days in September, but if we were going in December? She would have missed choir, and some big tests...and in January, the start of a much harder semester.

With kindergarten, I wouldn't give it a second thought, honestly. I know with high school I can't take mine out, but until then...good luck. I know it is a hard choice, it is something I've struggled with for a long time.

Oh, and about the lovebugs, they are not lady bugs. They are bugs that mate and fly around. They don't bite, they are just irritating, and sometimes cover everything in site. They are icky, but harmless, and they look like 2 headed bugs because they are always joined!

 

[Microcell]

The lovebugs sound.... charming. I didn't see any last year in mid September. I hope my DS gets over his bug fears by then or we might have to go earlier!

I am taking my DS out and he will be in Kindergarten. We can only afford to go that time of year, and he will have a month under his belt to get used to things. I hear some school districts are strict, so you might want to check.

I will also have a fourth grader and I agree completely agree with Dice.

 

[Rhonda]

Just a note about lovebugs -- if they get on the front of your car while driving, be sure to wash them off thoroughly immediately after parking. They have an acid in them that etches right through the clearcoat of your paint if left on there. We own a bodyshop in Southeast Florida, and we paint many fronts of cars because of lovebug damage!

Now...back to your regular scheduled thread about taking kids out of school and going in September....

 

[MariaEllerºoº]

Just a note about lovebugs -- if they get on the front of your car while driving, be sure to wash them off thoroughly immediately after parking. They have an acid in them that etches right through the clearcoat of your paint if left on there. We own a bodyshop in Southeast Florida, and we paint many fronts of cars because of lovebug damage!

Now...back to your regular scheduled thread about taking kids out of school and going in September....

So, it's the darn Lovebugs fault that all the paint started chipping off our old van!

 

[MariaEllerºoº]

Ok...back to the debate of whether to go during free dining, taking kids out of school or going earlier. Do you have AAA? They have a great discount during Value Season. I was quoted $62 a night at Value Resorts and $116 a night at Moderates.

 

[abaldacci]

I take my kids out of school every year togo to WDW and I have one graduating this year she has lived so far and the teachers too. My kids do well in school and are not out much maybe one or two days besides our trip for sickness. I think a week at WDW is more than they can learn in school for a week no matter what the teacher would like you to think. Most of the teachers have been fine with it though. My sons teacher last year was not so hot about it but oh well it's my choice. I don't like going to WDW when everyone and there brother is there and I am cheap and like the discount also. It is all a personal thing some people just don't like to pull their children out of the school routine. I don't mind it. We think DH and I it's the best time to go.

 

[NADINENURSE]

It's all very funny, isn't it, if there is a need for a "teaching day", no school, need for a day off for a school trip to NYC , no school, 1/2 day for conferences, no school, too much snow for the buses, no school, but, take the kids out for 2 weeks to go on a once yearly family vacation, and I am the DEVIL !! I write letters to the teachers, take their books on vacation, yes they do their homework on vacation, , but still get the grief, and some teacher's even pass thier judgements onto my kids, funny, the teacher's come and they go, life moves forward, last year's teacher is now gone, and will soon be forgotten, so will the time spent out of school, but the time with my family together will not be, Don't get me wrong, I am the child of a teacher and all of my aunts and uncles are teachers, bet you can't guess what I am by my name, I value teachers and most certainley education, but the time I spend out of school with my kids, is also vaulable, Last year in Sept. we saw the shuttle go up, my husband has wanted to do that his whole life !!! Sorry if I am going on and sound like a real BI_ _H, but I hate it when "THE SCHOOL" tells me what to do , very Big Brother.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

we take teh kids out of school for a week n dec and go the last 2 years. THis year we may do a trip at the end of Sept. We have to go for work so plus mnsshp will hopefully be there.
DS7 has always kept up and we have never had an issue

 

[neonurse]

I agree with NadineNurse. I have taken my DS's out of school to WDW 2 times and luckily have not had any problems...but if I did I would let them know what I think!!! Family is more important!!!

ps. Nadine what area do you work in? I work in NICU.

 

[daisyduck123]

1st grade teacher here

I vote for the trip in later September.

**BTW, I pull my own kids out (and myself) for WDW every year.
Next month, we're each missing 6 school days for our May trip.
Last year, we each missed 11.
My kids are in 8th grade & 3rd.

 

[NADINENURSE]

I would love to do what you do, but I'm not trained , I work at the other end, Geriatrics, tons of co-morbities and unrealistic families, I was a SW who became a nurse, so this is really a good place for me to be, but I am really jealous of you and the great skills you must have, my role is Case Management, Reimbursement and I supervise weekends at another local SubAcute facility so I can afford to go the THE WORLD, for these glorious weeks. Do you find that people with medical things somehow find you at Disney ? Somehow they find me, each time I have gone I have been involved in a medical thing, last time it was a hypoglyemic adult (no, not the Sweet in Low, the sugar, or do you have Glucagon on you ?)
, year beffore it was a post seziure in a child (please turn her over on her side so she does not aspirate on her vomit) Sorry if this is too graphic for you non-nursing people, it can be funny at times, mu kids, 13 DS, 14 DD, have gotten used to it, but never never want to be a Nurse !! I can't imagine why, long hours, bad smells, cranky MD's, agitated depressed families, no holiday's, etc

 

[katieloubear]

I would love to do what you do, but I'm not trained , I work at the other end, Geriatrics, tons of co-morbities and unrealistic families, I was a SW who became a nurse, so this is really a good place for me to be, but I am really jealous of you and the great skills you must have, my role is Case Management, Reimbursement and I supervise weekends at another local SubAcute facility so I can afford to go the THE WORLD, for these glorious weeks. Do you find that people with medical things somehow find you at Disney ? Somehow they find me, each time I have gone I have been involved in a medical thing, last time it was a hypoglyemic adult (no, not the Sweet in Low, the sugar, or do you have Glucagon on you ?)
, year beffore it was a post seziure in a child (please turn her over on her side so she does not aspirate on her vomit) Sorry if this is too graphic for you non-nursing people, it can be funny at times, mu kids, 13 DS, 14 DD, have gotten used to it, but never never want to be a Nurse !! I can't imagine why, long hours, bad smells, cranky MD's, agitated depressed families, no holiday's, etc

"nurse" right here..I hear what your sayin, you can never get away from work being a nurse. It's like they can just "tell"...I have yet to figure out how they know I have any medical knowledge...

 

[Tissa]

As long as your ds teacher is ok then you should be fine. My autistic son couldn't handle starting school for two days then missing 6 right in the beginning. It would throw off his routine too much, but that is my son. You know your child best.

 

[neonurse]

NadineNurse--I think that geriatric nursing is one of the hardest jobs. I worked on a geriatric floor when I first graduated. It takes special kind of person to do that job.
Have a great trip. We don't go until Nov.

 

[G&J's Mom]

We are checking in on 9/27 to coincide with my kids fall break. DD will be in 2nd grade and DS will be in Kindergarten. I am considering possibly moving the trip a week earlier because to take advantage of free dining, but I am leery. I have never taken DD out of school for vacation. When she was in K, she got sick 3 times for a total time out of 9 days. In each instance I followed the school policy by supplying doctors notes, which would make the absences excused, so I thought. They still called me in and bascially threatened me, even though they said I was doing everything right with the notes. They mentioned the words, neglect, court, truancy officer, yada yada yada. They even suggested it would have probably been ok to send DD to school with 101 degree temp. I was HORRIFIED, and blasted them, and I wrote a letter to the school district. I was told that the state of Georgia's attendance policy is just a guideline and schools can interpret them how they want. Sorry this was so long, BUT they would only miss 4 days and I am still considering it.

Denise

 

[triplefigs]

We went last Sept 23-30, and the love bugs were everywhere! YUCK. But we still had a FABULOUS time, low crowds, and MNSSHP. Guess what?! We're going back Sept 22-29 this year, love bugs and all. One of my boys is on the ASD, and the low crowds are a necessity. Although he has developed a huge phobia about bugs over the last 2 months, so it may be more of an issue this trip. Have fun!

 

[since71]

We plan on going for free dining but can't decide when to go. We will either go Aug 29 - Sep 6 or Sep 22 - Sep 30 both fall into free dining. With the August trip my son will go to school for 2 days and then we will leave and he will miss a total of 7 days. If we go in September he will go to school for a month and then miss 6 days of school. We go to Disney every year and since he has started school we take him out every year. He goes to PPCD (he's autistic) so he goes during the regular school year. He has the same teacher and she always is very excited that we take him to WDW.
We've never been in August, last year we went Sep 27 - Oct 5, weather was great, MNSSHP, F&W, but the first couple of days we were ther we encountered love bugs. Since we would be going 5 days earlier then last year, I'm afraid the love bugs will he horrific. Any suggesions?.....

What is MNSSHP? I see it everywhere and I have no clue about all of these abbreviations. Thanks.