Do you allow your child to miss school "just because"?

[Anonymous]

Hahah, no. There is no need. They get so many days off anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We do 2 mental health days a year for the kids. All they have to do is come to me and say they need it and I spend the day with them getting them back to center.
I think people need to learn how to take care of themselves and this is part of that. I sometimes need to take a day off and get myself back to center so I am fine with them doing the same as long as I am here to help. Also, I believe it has shown them that they can trust me and I will be there for them.
They are hardly ever sick and they also have never pretended to be sick. FWIW my parents did this for me too...

This is an interesting approach. I don't do it and don't like my kids to miss school (like Pps said, it is an obligation). But, this is a reasonable approach, IMO.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hahah, no. There is no need. They get so many days off anyway.

+1

I just take of one of those and spend the day with him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We do 2 mental health days a year for the kids. All they have to do is come to me and say they need it and I spend the day with them getting them back to center.
I think people need to learn how to take care of themselves and this is part of that. I sometimes need to take a day off and get myself back to center so I am fine with them doing the same as long as I am here to help. Also, I believe it has shown them that they can trust me and I will be there for them.
They are hardly ever sick and they also have never pretended to be sick. FWIW my parents did this for me too...

Huh?

[Anonymous]

I use Sick Leave for morning doctors' appointments I schedule for DD and me.

We then spend the rest of the day doing fun stuff.

[Anonymous]

My husband is rarely home on the weekends so he likes to do things when he can. We let our daughter miss school last week to go to a Nats game with him. Not something we've done before and we certainly won't make a habit out of it, so it didn't bother me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting thread. For those of you who do this with your kids, how do you tell them it's an option while making sure they still appreciate that it's special?

DD knows it's special by virtue of all the days she woke up saying "I don't want to go to school today," and I made her, but this hooky day only happens once a year.

[Anonymous]

We do mental health days as well. My older three are in college. Two on full academic scholarships. The other has 3/4 of her costs covered by an academic and athletic scholarship. One is a National Merit Scholor. We have been doing one mental health day per semester since kindergarten.

Some of you need to relax. You are not teaching your kids anything by being wound up so damn tight.

[Anonymous]

We do mental health days too. Agree with PP -- you people need to relax!

[Anonymous]

If my kids have not missed school (sick days) and have worked hard all year and put in a consistently
Good effort, I'd consider taking them out on one of those useless half days, which in my opinion are a waste anyway.

Usually a half day just before a long weekend or break is pretty much a "clean your desk/watch a movie" day.

It's not going disrupt much and beacause my kids bust their bottoms 99.9% of the time, it's a little treat. Teachers have never minded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, of course. I have one elementary aged kid and about 3 times a year we just take a day off and go do fun stuff.

Sometimes skiing at Whitetail, or visiting museums. Once we went to Philadelphia to go to the Franklin Institute to see a traveling exhibit. One time only, we went sledding and had the entire hill to ourselves.

I pointedly do not tell the school the reason for the absence. I don't counsel my kid to lie, though, if asked directly "Where were you yesterday?"

What do you want him to say if asked by his teacher or friends?

not pp, but I would tell my kid to say "I went sledding and I had the entire hill to myself. you should try it sometime. it's great."

[Anonymous]

Yes, my kids are also merit scholars and now in college. There were days when I could see that they had worked very hard, had many activities, and needed a break. Sometimes they would be a little under the weather. R&R days. Did great things for my kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, of course. I have one elementary aged kid and about 3 times a year we just take a day off and go do fun stuff.

Sometimes skiing at Whitetail, or visiting museums. Once we went to Philadelphia to go to the Franklin Institute to see a traveling exhibit. One time only, we went sledding and had the entire hill to ourselves.

I pointedly do not tell the school the reason for the absence. I don't counsel my kid to lie, though, if asked directly "Where were you yesterday?"

What do you want him to say if asked by his teacher or friends?

not pp, but I would tell my kid to say "I went sledding and I had the entire hill to myself. you should try it sometime. it's great."

Your parenting approach is interesting. Thanks for sharing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We do mental health days as well. My older three are in college. Two on full academic scholarships. The other has 3/4 of her costs covered by an academic and athletic scholarship. One is a National Merit Scholor. We have been doing one mental health day per semester since kindergarten.

Some of you need to relax. You are not teaching your kids anything by being wound up so damn tight.

If academic success is the main goal, it seems that your children have turned out well.

[Anonymous]

never. what even prompts such a question?