One more choice before I hit "enter"

[Mickey Fliers]

So, I have a dilemma for all of you. We are currently booked to go the WDW the first weekend of January for the marathon weekend. Originally, the plan was to take the kids, DH do the half, I do the full, get a mini-vacation out of it. Sounds good, right? Well, now we are second guessing that plan. DH doesn't necessarily want the boys to miss 5 days of school right after going back after Christmas break. While it isn't ideal, it doesn't really bug me. So, here are our options:

1. Continue with our original plan. We get to run, kids get a trip but they miss some school.

2. Go mid-Dec. after the kids get out of school for break. Then try to find someone to watch the kids so DH and I can go to the race. (may be difficult to find someone to stay with kiddos).

3. Go in Dec. and don't race. (I really don't like this option)

4. Find someone to watch kids while we run, then go with the kids in the fall.
(This is only an option b/c I don't want the kids to get sick of WDW and to be frank, they have been a lot since we moved here).

Ugh. What do i do? I already have the rooms for Jan and I don't even know if there is availability in Dec.
__________________

 

[es45]

My decision to take (or not take) my own kids out of school would be based on their age, how they are doing in school, and what projects or activities that they may miss out on while gone.

At this point, I would vote 1 or 4. Either way, you get to run.

 

[rubato]

I vote for #1, unless they are in high school. I've taken my son out of school for a week for disney since he was 5. I took him out for 3 weeks to go to Europe once, but don't recommend going that long. He had so much homework to do on vacation.

 

[jmasgat]

I vote for 4. I won't dwell on the school issue--that is personal choice. But other pros for 4--you get to have a grown-up Disney holiday doing what you want. It's not like the kids have never been--as you've said--and it's not like they'll never go again. It's just a delay. Also, you don't want to wipe yourself out running all over the place before you race, and it's good to have some recovery time after without feeling like you have to run around and do all the parks/entertain the kids.

I have been to Disney with and without my kids. They're grown now, so it isn't an issue, but if I had been running while they were little, I would have gone to marathon weekend without them.

Maura

 

[JCH]

Can you shorten it a few days or go a few days earlier? If they are 3rd grade or older, a week is a lot of school to miss. I teach 8th grade and see kids do this a lot. Not only are they a week behind, if the teacher is a stickler for the rules, these absences count as unexcused and they do not get the whole time to make it up as they would if they were sick. Maybe just shifting dates would allow them to miss say 2 days instead of five. If they are 2nd grade or below I wouldn't worry too much about missing some school.

 

[Mickey Fliers]

Can you shorten it a few days or go a few days earlier? If they are 3rd grade or older, a week is a lot of school to miss. I teach 8th grade and see kids do this a lot. Not only are they a week behind, if the teacher is a stickler for the rules, these absences count as unexcused and they do not get the whole time to make it up as they would if they were sick. Maybe just shifting dates would allow them to miss say 2 days instead of five. If they are 2nd grade or below I wouldn't worry too much about missing some school.

They are in 8th, 7th, and 3rd grade. All straight A students. We have had no problem taking them out in the past, but b/c it is the week after Christmas break it gave us a moment of pause. If we take them, they will miss a Thursday, Friday, Mon-Wed.

Ugh. I just don't know what to do. I really don't want to miss the race, but I don't know how easy it would be to get someone down here to watch the kids.

 

[FFigawi]

Take the kids. Missing a few days of school won't hurt them any.

 

[stitchfan18]

It takes a few days after winter break to review what was being talked about before break and really get back into the swing of things at school. Depending on when school starts again for them, they may only be missing a 2-3 days of new instruction. I don't see the harm in missing a few days if it's not a regular occurrence.

 

[Bookwood]

Ugh. I just don't know what to do. I really don't want to miss the race, but I don't know how easy it would be to get someone down here to watch the kids.

Can you talk to (or email) the teachers involved? That might be the best way to determine whether to take especially the 7th and 8th grader out. Because I agree once they get to Middle/High School it's alot harder to keep up if you're not there, then it totally depends on the teachers willingness to do the extra work (and the school system policy) to keep them up to date on vacation.

For instance our system starts the new semester after Christmas vacation so there wouldn't be alot of review going on.

 

[JJSWDW]

Hi,
Did you come to a decision on taking the kids? We're going through the same process. Our benefit is that our district adjusted their school year so the semester now ends before Christmas break. So those days are just the start of the new semester/quarter, not the critical days before finals that they used to be.

 

[El&Asmom]

Dh and I are doing marathon weekend without the kids. We are DVC members, and the kids have gone many times. Also, right now dh and I have APs but the kids don't. We can't wait to have the 5 nights to ourselves. Plus it's our anniversary on the 10th so we'll be there for that.

Good luck with whatever you choose. Disney is such a fun place as a couple sans kids.

 

[J3nn78]

Why do you have to stay so long? Especially since you live in FL.

 

[smom1976]

hey there fellow Pensacolian.. we are doing it too.. as a family.

I am only going to take the kids out of school on Thursday and Friday.. we are only running the 1/2 marathon so when it is run on Saturday we stay one last night and then scoot out of there on Sunday.. The kids will be running the 5k and Mickey mile.. and the little one will be running in the 200M dash.

we are not going to be doing any parks this time.. although I do not know how that works.. everyone gets let into the park early.. so but we will be heading down early Thursday morning.. to make the packet pickup by 7:30