Would you take your child out 2 extra days to save $150?

[Disfan1968]

you are right. My mind is completely made up. The work she gets takes her about 5 minutes to do (two or three worksheets). I understand 2nd grade is a big change but that is why I think September is the BEST time of year to take her out if we do so. It's all review in our town.
It's not only my decision but my husbands as well so I wanted to see other people's points of view and it's good to see a teacher's point of view.
Last year she got all of her homework a couple days before we left and we planned on her doing it on the plane but she finished it before we left.
I feel this is the time more than ever to save money and go on vacation during the school year because we won't want to in a couple years once she starts getting an overload of homework.

Well in that case, do what you think is best. It does not sound to me like there will be any real issue with extending your trip, so go for it. I probably would if I was in your position. As a teacher, I am doomed to take vacations only during the worst times of the year. A small price to pay for having a job I like to do.

 

[joannjoe]

Yes, I would take them out. We have every year for years and sometimes twice a year. Everyone's situation is different. At one time there were 7 of us. Everyone knows things are cheaper in the off season. We were saving thousands by going then. Were going again this Sept 3rd through the 13th. WDW for 4 days and a Disney cruise for 4 days and 2 days on the beach. My kids know that if there grades isn't good enough they don't go.

 

[JVig]

No, I wouldn't do it. In fact, I wouldn't pull kids out of school for Disney period. I think it sends the wrong message to the kids about priorities. I know others do it all the time, this is just my opinion.

 

[HollyP]

I took my daughter out for 2 weeks when she was in second grade and sixth. Like your daughter she was above grade level academically. It was 5 weeks after school started so she had time to learn to routine. My school district allows a parent to put their children into independent study if they will be missing more than 5 days of school. So we had homework packets and very clear expectations of homework responsibilities. She actually finished a significant portion of her homework on the flight there. She ended up with straight A's.

 

[JVig]

For me, its not about whether the kid is getting As.

I think of school as their "job." Would I call in sick from work so I could go on a trip? Absolutely not. How would my employer feel about me just skipping days to go on a trip, rather than using scheduled vacation time? Probably not too happy. So I don't want to teach my kid that this is an acceptable way to run their lives.

 

[Disfan1968]

No, I wouldn't do it. In fact, I wouldn't pull kids out of school for Disney period. I think it sends the wrong message to the kids about priorities. I know others do it all the time, this is just my opinion.

Might depend on frequency. If this is a regular occurrence, yes, I agree 100% you would be sending a bad message. But if this is a rare event, or even better, a once in a lifetime type trip for your family, i think it might be different. For some people, the savings of going to Disney during off peak is the only way they will even be able to afford Disney. I would certainly not deny my kids the chance to go over a few days of school. Family memories, as someone else here aptly wrote, are absolutely precious and people underestimate this all too often I think. Take it from someone who lost a stepson to cancer at age four, you need to seize every chance to make magic, make memories, while your kids are still young. Whether they missed a few days of school here and there while young will not affect what college your kids attend, or what job they land when they grow up. You can take kids out of school for vacations and still make education a priority. I see MANY, MANY kids in my classroom that do so.

 

[JVig]

I totally understand what you're saying. And I'm so sorry about your step-son, how awful.

 

[Disfan1968]

I totally understand what you're saying. And I'm so sorry about your step-son, how awful.

Yeah. As they say... s**t happens.

 

[Cuppie]

My kids will be in 5th and 6th, and will be missing 5 days of school. This is the first time i have ever done this. My kids usually get perfect attendance.. LOL And my son isn't all that academically proficient either. But it is what it is. He wont fail a grade because he missed a week of school. Heck he hasn't missed a single day of school this year, and is failing math WITH A TUTOR. So that is moot point to me. What will be great is going the last week of September, for what might be our last time to the world for a while. Not to mention meeting Grumpy...

 

[supersnoop]

We pulled our daughter out for 5 days to go to Rome and see her grandpa sing at the Vatican. She's at the top of her class, and even though we got everything approved ahead of time and assignments to work on during the trip, it still took her three weeks to get caught up. I won't pull her out at all for a Disney trip.

In our state, if a child misses too many days of school even with excused absences, then they automatically fail and have to repeat the grade, regardless of their performance. I'd hate for her to get sick later in the year and be held back because she took some days off early in the year for no good reason.

 

[Dis703]

I'd be hesitant the very first month of school but otherwise Id have no issue with it. My first grader is missing 8 days in May because it was cheaper to fly Monday to Wednesday instead of leaving on a Friday or Saturday. He's ahead academically so I'm not too concerned about the missed days.

 

[ArwenMarie]

In our state, if a child misses too many days of school even with excused absences, then they automatically fail and have to repeat the grade, regardless of their performance. I'd hate for her to get sick later in the year and be held back because she took some days off early in the year for no good reason.

I think this is important, what your school requires. My kids go to a private school and the attendance requirement is that they can't miss more than 25% of the instructional time. We have a lot of kids who do other things outside of school that take up a lot of time (auditions, acting) as well as kids who travel with their parents for whatever reason, work-related, etc. At our public school, same town, they just lowered the days allowed from 15 to 10, so you would have to be really careful there, like you said, in case other things happened later in the year.

 

[IrishNYC]

It would be too many for me and my child. As someone else said, you'd save $150 in airfare, but what about additional hotel/park/food expenses. In many schools, students aren't allowed to miss more than 10 days of school without answering to a truancy officer or just failing. Missing 7 days for vacation would be too much for my comfort to cushion from any illness for the rest of the year.

 

[GovieMom]

If she's already missing a full week and this is on top of that, then no, I would not.

I agree with this, especially since it would only save $150.

 

[LJSquishy]

I'm not a parent but if she will already be missing 5 days of school, I would definitely not keep her out for an additional 2 days of school. Seven school days is a lot, even in 2nd grade, especially when you account for the rest of the year where she may be ill or injured and need to miss a day or two. Sure, $150 can pay for a dinner show, but it's really not worth the savings...I'd potentially feel different if you would be saving $150 per person.

 

[Kaimo]

How many times will your daughter by 7 and really able to enjoy the "magic"? She might not remember everything when she is older but will bet that she will remember some of it. If this is a once every few years event i say do it.

In 2011 we took our then 2nd and 3rd grade daughters out the week after thanksgiving. Had a GREAT time and they still talk about it. Doing it again this year with our soon to be 6th and 7th grader.

Both are socially and academically doing fantastic.

 

[THREEBOYSPLUSONE]

I have always believed in not taking kids out of school for vacation. This year we are taking our 12 and 17 year old sons to Disneyworld. Haven't been there in 11 years and our 12 year old has never been. Our 17 year old is in 11th grade and has the opportunity this summer to spend time on a college campus and learn what it is like and get help preparing for scholarships and applications for college. This is an amazing opportunity that will have him gone most of the summer and it costs nothing. We needed to plan around this so we planned to leave when he is done school and before he leaves for this. Unfortunately our 12 year old has a different school schedule because he goes to a school for special needs. He will be missing 8 days of school. While I don't like this it is at the end of school year and he doesn't get grades he gets progress reports on his goals. I haven't talked to the school yet because there currently isn't a principal but I don't see it as a problem. For our 12 year old it may be a once in a lifetime trip. Of course with the amount of snow days we have had our 17 year old may end up missing the last couple of days of school. I think everyone has to do what is best for their family. Our 12 year old will probably get more out of our vacation then he would in school because he remembers what is fun.

 

[Monykalyn]

2nd grade? yep I'd do it-have done it in fact - when they are in younger grades things are much more flexible. Another thing most have seemed to sail right over-she is missing parts of 2 separate weeks-so it may be easier to get caught up! The first week she needs work for wed-fri, the second week she still has a day to get back into swing of things and get any work she missed to finish over weekend!

Heck I pulled my 6th grader out a day to go see an American Idol (who was eventually a winner( when he came back to hometown to do his taping lol!

It gets much much harder to miss days once they hit middle school! Go, enjoy and NO stress

 

[Kristina4109]

No. My daughter's school is very strict about attendance and funding is directly related to butts in seats on a daily basis. Plus she's in the school for advanced studies and I wouldn't want her to fall behind. Having said that, just because I wouldn't doesn't mean that you shouldn't. You should do whatever works best for you and your family.

 

[disneybliss2]

Another teacher chiming in. I wouldn't pull my child out two additional days when they're already missing a week's time. Where I teach, we have little review at the beginning of school. It's also incredibly difficult to send a homework packet for what the child would miss for that length of time. So much of what we do is done in groups, discussions, literacy groups, etc. Yes, a lot could be sent, but a lot could not. While I might send a writing assignment, the child would miss the lessons I would teach along the way to strengthen his/her writing. For me, it's not about the assignments but the learning the child is missing. I am not against parents pulling students out; I've had it happen many times. I get that sometimes it's easier to take a vacation on other times than set school vacation times. I think there needs to be a balance though. Missing four days is one thing (or five in your first scenario), but seven is quite another. I think five is already a lot.

 

[Wendy5055]

I have taken my daughter out for a couple of days here and there when she was younger. Now that she is 13 I would NOT...but younger ages I wouldn't bat an eye at it. Needless to say, my dd13 goes to a Catholic school so many of the kids miss weeks here and there for vacations and cruises...so it's not unusual.