How many of you take your kids out of school for WDW?

[Lynn4Mel]

We take our girls out of school for vacations.. usually for a few days. This next trip to WDW they will be out for 6 days from school. Mo will be in 3rd grade and B will be in 7th. They will be going with all their school work... good way to make time fly on the train. I would reconsider it if they weren't good students. We also feel, life is too short and sometimes you have to take advantage of all the family time you can get. The reason why were are going this time is to celebrate their birthdays. One will have just turned 9 the day before we go and the other one is turing the big 13 the day after we get home.

 

[01Sweetpea]

Last year we took my kids out of school for 6 days, they were in 3rd & 5th grade at the time. The boys are both good students and had no problem making up the work, although they weren't happy about having to make it up. All teachers knew they'd be out of school.

For us it was a special vacation. My step-daughters were competiting at Nationals (yes the cheerleaders) and we wanted to be able to have a "family" vacation, something we've never been able to do. It was worth every minute of the kids missing school.

Now that my oldest is in MS, there is NO WAY I'd have him miss more than 1 day of school. Although he is a straight A student, honors programs, etc I think the pressure for him to stay at that level it to great when I'm pulling him out for 6 days.

This year we are taking a cruise. We're waiting to go the first week in July. I'd rather deal with the heat in the Carribean, then have my son struggling to keep up at school.

 

[addicted2disney]

Our school district allows 5 missed days of school for a family vacation. Add on the weekend before and after, and we get ourselves a nice January vacation. My kids are given their missed work and have always finished it before they went back to school. My DD's are in 6th (MS) and 4th grade, straight A students, and a missed week of school didnt change that. We have been taking them out of school for a week In Jan/Feb since 1999. This past January trip, all the kids ( 6 of them total) all got together one night in our friends room and they all did their homework!! We have had NO problems in taking them out, and will continue to do so!! Cant beat family time in WDW!!!

 

[lllovell]

Wow - I cannot believe this thread has gone on so long without a negative post!

I have taken mine out before and will continue to do so until it seems harmful to them (as in falling too far behind).

 

[KimR]

I took my DD out for a week when she was in 2nd grade. Her grades were excellent and her teacher did not have a problem with it at all. I don't even remember if she had to make up any work; if she did it wasn't much. I am so glad I did it; we were able to go for her birthday in May which is the best time of year to visit IMO, and we were also able to arrange it so that both sets of Grandparents and her aunt were able to join us. We have since lost my Mother and we will forever cherish the memories of that trip.

Our oldest DD is now in 7th grade and taking her out of school is no longer an option, so we brave the spring break crowds. We are actually taking her out one day this year - the Friday before Spring Break and I'm hoping that since it is right before the break she won't have too much to make up when she returns. Normally, even one day missed results in me having to take her in early to make up tests, tons of homework, etc. It's just not worth it.

 

[iLoveEeyore2]

We have taken DD out of school every year & received nothing but positive responses from the teachers/school. She is a good student and always did the work as required. Last yr she started HS and I didn't want to take her out any more. We left for Disney the last day of school in June and I had such a miserable time. It was hot, HUMID, and crowded! In addition, I was feeling sick the whole time. I'm sure feeling ill did not help, but we were there in July before and it was not near as bad. This yr I decided DD will survive a few days off from school (they get enough days off anyway) so we are going in May and she'll miss 3 days.

 

[maxaroni]

I'm in Jersey as well and sooo many people go in November from NJ. NJ has NJState Teachers conventions and all schools closed on the first(?) thurs & friday of the month, which also coincides with election day. Election day is 1/2 day here. Therfore, kids miss 2.5 days and officially off the other 2.5 days. Sadly, it's not a good time for dh to take off. That would be the only time I'd consider taking my ds out of school for vacation. I don't think there is a right or wrong answer but we just don't believe in taking kids out of school for vacation. Although, that leaves us the summer for WDW...HOT and HUMID

 

[SleepingUgly]

We're taking our older daughter out of school for our trip this May. She is just in kindergarten, so I don't think missing a few days of school would deter her from getting that acceptance letter from Harvard in another 12 years, haha.

Linda

 

[BroganMc]

My parents took me out of school only once for a family vacation. I was in 2nd grade and we went to Florida for two weeks. A week at the beach in Ft. Lauderdale visiting grandparents and another week traveling. We visited the Kennedy Space Center n Cape Canaveral; the old fort in St. Augustine, and a couple days at Disney World (then only Magic Kingdom). Our homework assignments consisted of a few hours work and were done will visiting grandparents. But what I learned on that trip far outweighed what they taught in school. My memories are still filled with the wonders of the drive down south through 5 states, the history immersion while rumbing through the 16th century fort (made from seashells), the new age technology including inch thick tvs that hung on walls in Space Mountain (30 years later we actually have those tvs), and the time with my family.

Today my brother takes his kids out of school (elementary level) for a trip in March at least every other year. This year they toured the lighthouses in Georgia, spent a day at Kennedy, and a week at Disney with the kids' two grandfathers. (Last year those kids lost both their grandmothers so who knows how long they will have their grandfathers too.)

My 5 yr old nephew is getting homework in Kindergarten. What's that all about? In my day, they just taught us to tie our shoes and how to share. IMHO schools are just getting way too powerhungry and possessive, and parents too obsessive over grades. It doesn't take an A average to have a successful life. Heck, the president of the US had a C+ average. Life experience combined with book smarts and a heap of personal drive (fueled by doing what you love) goes much farther than a GPA.

J

 

[weluvpluto]

We're going to take our 4th and 5th grader out this year in December. They are both excellent students so I'm not too worried about making up the work.

 

[cpayne1997]

I am totally guilty of this...I am taking my DD out of school for a whole week just so we can go in September. But before we leave I call and talk to her teacher so that we can get her assignments for that week that she will be gone.

 

[magsmom]

DD's a 2nd grade student. Her grades are excellent. I have taken her out every year. The school knows ahead of time. Principal's policy is that they prefer that you do not take the kids out for a vacation, but if you do any work will be made up after return.

This October we are going over Columbus day, then she will have a half day the following Thursday. In December (DH's birthday) she will miss at most 2-3 days based on how I will book the flight.

They are only little once, and DH and I have stressful jobs. Our vacations are the one way to enjoy being together as a family without all of the things that life throws at you. DD is really, really starting to get into Epcot, and seems to enjoy that park more and more each year. She has returned to school and has been able to talk about her experiences in a very positive way. IMO, that is much better than sitting in a classroom (at least for her age).

 

[cyndibelle]

yup we take our children out without a second thought....what they get from the disney experience and from family time together is much more important to me than what is missed in a weeks worth of school....

 

[gshanny]

The first trip we took, in 2002, to DW my kids were kdg and 5th grade. The teachers were great! They knew at the beginning of the year we would do this in January. They had their homework all ready for them to take with them. We drove so that was a great time for them to work on it and we had a tv/vcr combo for them to watch once the sun went down. they worked for about 20 minutes a few evenings also. They were going to miss 5 days, but Kansas had a massive ice storm and school was out for 3 of those days so they came home ahead of their class.
We just got back this January and they are now 3rd and 8th. Once again the teachers knew at the beginning of the year. All the teacher were great. 8th grader had to wear those thingys that count steps and record that daily for gym class. 3rd grade teacher is a DW fan too and she is jealous she can't take off during the school year. If she wasn't a teacher she said she would be going that time of year too with her kids. We just had to call her at home while at DW just to tease her. Payback comes this May when she is there though.lol
We plan on going again in 2 years. DH's job will not allow vacation after Aug 1st usually and sooner if they hit busy season before that, which has come in June before. I do not tolerate heat well at all so this has been the best solution for us. The kids kept up with their classes and grades remained the same for each.

 

[HappyLawyer]

I generally go down the week before chrisstmas break and that friday is my dtr last day of school so i taker her out, but it is every other year.

 

[pewing]

Our first trip DS1 was in 1st grade and DS2 was preschool. We took DS1 out for a week and went the first week in December. We received minimal flack and the work was easy to make up.

Second trip (same week...AWESOME time to go ) DS1 was in 3rd and DS1 was in 1st. DS1 did a special journal (he loved the special part about Christmas traditions learned in Epcot). DS2's teacher loves WDW and was jealous he was going

Last trip was the week before President's weekend. They were off the Thurs/Fri before...so they missed three days. DS1 was in 4th and DS2 was in 2nd. We were afraid to miss a whole week again PLUS we were celebrating DS2's birthday.

I LOVE the first week in December. No crowds...nice weather (although we got a lot of rain one trip)...no crowds...everthing decorated for Christmas...no crowds

I don't know that we will be able to swing another week out of school now. It gets harder to make up the work. We fly...so there is no car time to work and we just can't seem to bring ourselves to do too much homework while we are there.

Bottom line...to pay that much...it's worth going when it's not super hot...and/or super crowded.

IMHO

 

[disneyfanforever]

My DS is in 2nd grade and he will miss the last week of school this year for Disney. I don't figure he will miss too much because all the kids are thinking about that last week is when school will finally be over. We are also taking him out for a week in September when he will be in 3rd grade for a Disney Cruise. We will definitely not be taking him out any more his 3rd grade year. I feel bad about him missing so much but I figure it is 2 different grades and you only live once. His principal has been wonderful about everything so I am extremely lucky. Like someone said, they are only little once and these memories will last forever.

 

[mowsluver]

This will be a first for me, taking the kids out of school. They will miss a total of 4--maybe 5--days. My stepson is going with us and his mother is NOT happy about it! She does not want him to miss school. He is in 6th grade.

My daughter will be in kindergarten and my other daughter will be in her last few months of high school...she is graduating early (in Dec) and carries a pretty heavy load. She is going to make sure that she brings work with her. It is a long drive and she can use some of that time to get the work done, so that she doesn't have to play 'catch up' when we get back.

We are going the first week in Oct. and will be doing the MNSSHP!

 

[matthewsmom1]

Took DS (kindergarten) out for 5 days in January & 3 more in April. He has not missed another day of school. We are also going in October during his 1 week fall break. I might extend it, though....

 

[DisDarling]

My daughter will be missing 5 days of school, and they are fine with it. I made sure testing isnt during that time period and teacher is ok with it.
I think if you can have a vacation that is a little less hecitc and crowded, it is worth taking them out. Again, I also think the smaller grades this works out much better than the higher ones.