Poll for DVC owners with school age kids----How many days do they miss per year?

[crisi]

While my kids have been in elementary school, we'd pull them for three days over conferences - they'd have Thur and Fri off already. This is the last year for that and then we will be summer folk when the kids are out of school.

 

[SleepyatDVC]

My kids are in 2nd and 4th grades right now. I voted less than 5 days.

I usually have no problem tacking on 1-3 days onto a school holiday if necessary due to itinerary (a cruise) or cheaper airfare. Up to 2 vacations a year. I try to limit it to under 4 days total.

Last school year, they missed 1 day for an out of town family wedding (took Friday off when they already had the Thursday off) and 2 days for Disney after Spring break. DH flew down on a Friday evening after work to join us and we all flew back on Tuesday after the break when airfare dropped dramatically.

I try not to take them out too many days because inevitably, they will get sick too and miss some school. I think between the scheduled off days and the actual sick days, they missed just about 5 days last year.

The year before, they missed 2-3 days after Easter/Passover because we were on a 12 night cruise. The same year, they also unexpectantly missed 2 extra days because our Sunday afternoon flight home from Disney during President's Week got CANCELED while we were at the airport and we had to fly back on a Tuesday early morning flight.

This school year, we have another Easter cruise planned for 2009 and they will miss one day of school because the Monday flights home from Miami were so much less money. So far, that is the only day they will miss for vacation. Being sick is another matter...

 

[daisyduck123]

The most my kids ever missed was 11 or 12 days during the 2005-2006 school year. DD (was in 8th grade), DS ( was in 3rd grade). I also pulled myself out...
We still pull them out every year, but not as much, since DD is in high school now.

 

[aprince&princess]

This year my kids will miss 1 and 1/2 days in Oct. and 1 day in Jan.

They are off Thurs, Friday and Monday for Yom Kippur, a teacher day and Colombus Day. Our original plan was to leave Wed after school and not miss any days, but then the airline changed our flight to midday on Tues. So we added an extra night at SSR and figured the day and a half would be ok. Last year they missed Thurs & Friday before Columbus Day and catching up on the work wasn't so bad.

We are going for Christmas and New Years and decided to come home on Jan 5th which we thought would be less crazy and the flights were cheaper. And then we are gone 13 days with only 1 missed school day.

The kids are now a 5th grader and a 9th grader. When my DS was 7th grade they missed 5 days that included early dismissal for teacher conferences and there was so much work to make up that it really stressed out my DS. So we decided that we would only do a day or two here and there.

 

[njmeisje]

We don't believe in taking our girls out of school for a vacation. School is too important.

 

[JVL1018]

Usually 1 week(5 school days).

This year will be 10 school days(1 week inOct., 1 week in June), which I HATE doing, but they changed our April break to the first week of April.
For years it has been the last week of April-so we were going to go to HH then.
First week of April is a no go for my husband for work. So we're going the first week of June and pulling the kids out.
He's an accountant and I swear with clients and reports and deadlines he has about 4 or 5 weeks a year where he can take off, no exaggeration. It's absolutely ridiculous.

We always do 2 trips out of our APs. We're buying them for our upcoming October trip and I wanted to do late August next year, so I don't have to take the kids out.
No can do for DH.
Early August? No.September? No. October anytime before the 18th? No.
AUGH!
I am hoping somehow he can get August so the kids miss no school..or the week when the kids have off for Yom Kippur in September so they miss 4 days instead of 5.

Thankfully both my kids do wonderfully in school and are fine when they get back, but I'd still like 1 week to be my absolute limit.

 

[maciec]

7 here for us. Usually 5 for Disney and 2 for a winter trip to Maine. This year it will be 5 to Mexico and we will use the other 2 for a trip to DC in May.

Our school district only allows 7 missed days for vacation.

 

[drag n' fly]

It is 2. The last 2 days before Christmas break so they do not miss much anyways. We do not want our kids to miss anymore school so we bought DVC and will travel when they have holidays from now on.

 

[bobbiwoz]

We're the DGP's and our oldest DGC will miss 10 days because of the DVC vacations we have planned! I know this won't continue, she's in Kindergarten this year.

Bobbi

PS. I'm in "education" and never took my own DSs out of school for vacations. If DS/DDiL say it's OK to book a school vacation, I'll do it.

 

[RLRDA]

Our two oldest are in 6th and 4th grade which are both elementary grades in our city. I voted '<5' although we'd take them out for 5 days max (i.e. a school week). For our upcoming trip in just about 3 weeks our schools have 2 days off for religious holidays so they'll only be missing 3 days.

After this year we will start visiting in August. We've gone to Orlando twice in August and haven't found it as unbearable as some might think. In late August the crowds thin out, actually.

 

[vicki_c]

PS. I'm in "education" and never took my own DSs out of school for vacations. If DS/DDiL say it's OK to book a school vacation, I'll do it.

Oh yeah, see how it is when you're the grandma?

 

[patsal]

I voted 0, but there was that one time that we had to leave a day earlier than we wanted because no other flights had 4 seats left!

 

[bobbiwoz]

Oh yeah, see how it is when you're the grandma?

Yes, being the DGM is totally different!!! I am so glad that it's happening!!!

Bobbi

 

[mrsR123]

DH and I are both teachers; we can take only two personal days per year or three if we roll one over from a previous year. The only time we pulled our kids was for two days in December '05.

I, on the other hand have use all my days for three years to participate in the Half Marathon in January.

 

[Moeluv4u7]

"0" days here- This will be our first trip next year but even in the past, we have never taken vacation anywhere while the kids are in school- Between studies that all 5 have and really shouldn't have to deal w/ the stress of "catch up", they are all also in sports and other activities that would be missed - even for a vacation- Our kids get exemplary grades so it isn't a worry of grades "dropping" per se but the idea that it is "okay" to miss school when you feel like it- No judgement on anyone else- I think it is way cool that you are able to with kudos from your school districts - our district is quite strict and the kids can only have 3 unexcused absences- the unexcused includes any time they miss w/o a doctors note- Well, there goes that because I am not taking a sick day at work and dragging my 24 hr virus having, vomiting kid to a doctor to pay copay and be told to give fluids and send to school tomorrow- No thanks! The school board and I already go round and round on this one- Best thing about it again, is the fact that our kids grades are great- otherwise I bet they'd have Social services on us for the no doctor notes days that they miss-
Wishing we could be there!

 

[nickspace]

5

 

[LORNA ANN]

We work in the catering /hospitality industry so for us to take school holidays is almost impossible, so we have to take DS out of school every year & have done so since he was 5, now 16 & he appears to be doing ok cant see any permenant damage infact he has probably benefited from some quality family time which we do not always have time for at home as we are all busy with work,social life & studies..oh yes & DS no. 2 who is just coming up for the terrible 2's & can be pretty demanding of all our time. I'm pretty sure he will be coming out of school for future vacations.!!!!

 

[jpolak]

Less than 5. DW & I are both teachers and and it is almost impossible for us to get away while school is in session.

 

[gracelrm]

Another pair of teachers here so we usually go to WDW during the summer or fall break and have only ever missed school once. In 2004, we really wanted to do the MVMCP and so we took off the last day before Christmas Break in order to make the last party. I'm so glad we did, but all the kids were in elementary school then. With one in high, middle & elem. now - I don't think we'll ever be able to do this again. Our school system has a policy that teachers can't use a personal day prior to or right after a planned break in the school calendar. DD HS also will not allow students to miss for approved trips prior to or following a planned break without taking zeros for their work. So we tend to go during the summer and just deal with the heat and crowds. DH & I are about 8 years from retiring - we'll get to reap the benefits of low crowds and hopefully spoil the grandkids too!

 

[Sheribo]

We go to Disney twice a year. Once in the fall to do the parks so the kids (19, 16,14) miss 5 days and once in the spring over March Break so they don't miss anything. That's why we bought DVC so we'd always have a great place to relax during spring break. There is so much to do at the resorts that we don't go to the parks and our home resort - SSR - never seems crowded. We just wanted a place to get away from the snow that was high quality and relaxing.