How often do you take your kids out of school for a family vacation?

[Anonymous]

Never?

One or two days?

Often?

I'm curious as to what people do.

[Anonymous]

I'm an ES teacher who is on spring break I work in an upper-middle class school and parents take their kids out of school a lot. Most of them do it to extend a vacation (they might take off one day before and one day after a 4 day weekend for example). But I also have a handful of kids whose parents take them out of the school the entire spring break that the private schools get in March b/c their older siblings are in private schools. I have one students whose family lives in Central America and he takes 1-2 weeks off to go visit them. He is a top student so I don't worry about him. I do worry about the other students missing so much instruction. My kids never stay home unless they are legitimately sick.

[Anonymous]

I take my kids out the Friday before Memorial Day each year.

[Anonymous]

We don't take our kids out of school for vacation.

[Anonymous]

When it works for our family.

[Anonymous]

I have taken them out for a day or two to allow for family events..like getting all the great grand children together to celebrate their great grandmothers b-day birthday etc. Priceless

[Anonymous]

We have taken our kids out for vacation for a week but it came with the cavout that the kids did homework and other educational activities while we were away. Even a week out of school left them struggling to catch up so its not something we will do often.

[Anonymous]

We've had to extend a day here or there over the years for a family wedding or something, but we've never taken them out for a separately planned vacation.

The school calendar already has time built in for that.

[Anonymous]

Never.

And depending on your child's principal and teacher, an absence may not be excused in which case your child will not be permitted to make up any of the work he misses while he's gone.

This becomes more likely, and more problematic, as children get older.

[Anonymous]

Never. I wouldn't anyway because I don't think it's a good practice in general. But my son's school doesn't permit it.

However, if we had the opportunity to do some one-day thing that was a once-in-a-lifetime event, like watching Obama's inauguration, I'd do it. But not for something like Disneyland or Florida.

[Anonymous]

never

It's obnoxious and sends a bad message. Unless there's a death in the family that occurred around break, there's no excuse to extend a vacation when school's in session.

[Anonymous]

Another never here. I picked my older DC up once an hour early so we could make a flight to a family wedding, but that was in Kindergarten. There is more than enough time built into the school calendar for vacations. DH and I both manage our schedules around those dates as soon as the school calendar comes out.

[Anonymous]

For little ones - i.e. elementary - who are more than keeping up with classwork, I don't see how it's "obnoxious" or why there is "no excuse" - for goodness sakes. I don't see anything wrong with taking kids out of school - sparingly - to travel - for whatever reason, as long as it doesn't put them behind in schoolwork. At that age, I can make sure they keep up with whatever is being taught in the classroom. Don't see how my DC's absence will make a bit of difference to the classroom as long as it's done sparingly and DC doesn't need extra attention when she returns.

[Anonymous]

Frankly, I prefer to travel on a non-school holiday week - much cheaper and more enjoyable because much less crowded. If the kids aren't going to fall behind and the teacher agrees that it won't be a disruption, I see no problem with it.

[Anonymous]

But some counties are going to consider a trip to __________ a non-excused absence. So don't be surprised if they count those days against you if your child is sick later in the year. You taking your kid out of school sends a message to them and to the school that you can do what you want whenever you want.