Do parents take off work for field trips?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, you take off work for field trips.

Are you aware that pre-schools close for snow in the winter? Mine used to follow FCPS's closure schedule. You will be staying home with your child if you don't put him/her into a snow day camp.

I'm aware. The Pre-k may be canceled, but daycare may be open. Last year we did have to take 3 days off during the blizzard because the roads weren't plowed.

Now I can see the teacher probably thinks I'm some sort of bitch for looking surprised about missing work for a field trip. It's my first kid. So shoot me. I work in the medical field, which is 24/7, 365. I'm working Christmas this year. You can call me a bad parent or whatever you want. I am just used to work interfering with everything. I didn't know parents took off for reasons other than illness.

The short answer is yes, especially as your DD gets older you'll have to take time off of work for field trips (if you want to chaperone) or certain things that happen during the school day.

The longer answer is that what you're describing isn't a field trip and there's little to no redeeming value for your DD to attend. I have experience with 2 different preschools. One of them did what I'd consider to be a field trip. A few parents volunteered to drive, the kids went together as a group and were able to experience something together, as a class, outside of their normal environment. I did volunteer for a few of those field trips and took time off work.

The other preschool had fieldtrips like what you described, which were basically worthless. There was no group interaction at all. The parents just all took our DCs to the pumpkin patch at the same time and the teachers happened to be there too. After arriving, I barely saw the other classmates or parents. It was a complete waste of everyone's time.

I WOH FT and have a nanny, so both of these were a half day preschools, not full day like OP described.

[Anonymous]

I do one per kid per year.

[Anonymous]

I have or I just work part of the day and longer on other days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, you take off work for field trips.

Are you aware that pre-schools close for snow in the winter? Mine used to follow FCPS's closure schedule. You will be staying home with your child if you don't put him/her into a snow day camp.

I'm aware. The Pre-k may be canceled, but daycare may be open. Last year we did have to take 3 days off during the blizzard because the roads weren't plowed.

Now I can see the teacher probably thinks I'm some sort of bitch for looking surprised about missing work for a field trip. It's my first kid. So shoot me. I work in the medical field, which is 24/7, 365. I'm working Christmas this year. You can call me a bad parent or whatever you want. I am just used to work interfering with everything. I didn't know parents took off for reasons other than illness.

The short answer is yes, especially as your DD gets older you'll have to take time off of work for field trips (if you want to chaperone) or certain things that happen during the school day.

The longer answer is that what you're describing isn't a field trip and there's little to no redeeming value for your DD to attend. I have experience with 2 different preschools. One of them did what I'd consider to be a field trip. A few parents volunteered to drive, the kids went together as a group and were able to experience something together, as a class, outside of their normal environment. I did volunteer for a few of those field trips and took time off work.

The other preschool had fieldtrips like what you described, which were basically worthless. There was no group interaction at all. The parents just all took our DCs to the pumpkin patch at the same time and the teachers happened to be there too. After arriving, I barely saw the other classmates or parents. It was a complete waste of everyone's time.

I WOH FT and have a nanny, so both of these were a half day preschools, not full day like OP described.

This is very true. It was basically a bus ride and no organization once you get there.

[Anonymous]

11:26 - I'd assume that even surgeons and other health care professionals are allowed to take vacation days. When Dr. Jones takes a pre-arranged vacation, Dr. Smith covers for him. Then Dr. Jones can cover Dr. Smith on HIS pre-arranged vacation. It's just a matter of prioritizing how you spend your vacation time. Some people want to keep it for actual vacations only; others want to spend some of it on stuff like this.

[Anonymous]

I have two children, both in middle school now. I have never, never been required to attend a particular field trip in order for my kids to participate. If anything, all of our schools have had too many parents wanting to attend field trips, and have needed to divide up the trips so everyone has a chance. There are plenty of trips a school can arrange that does not require this kind of parental involvement on a mandatory basis.

In terms of time off from work, I generally take about two days off each year for field trips. This may be in half days or full days. Plus, I take approximately four to five days off each year for events at school, whether they be teacher conferences, graduations, school plays, holiday performances, or the like. Plus approximately three-four days per year due to snow or other unexpected closures (sometimes my office is also closed if the weather is very bad, but usually not). In short, for two middle school kids, it winds up being about 10 days off per year, not including sick days. At our children's school, I'd say I am about average in terms of this type of participation/attendance.

A few things I have found helpful. First, sign up as early as possible for field trips that work with your schedule and the location of your office. Second, sign up for parent teacher conference is at the earliest possible moment so I has to get the most work friendly times. Third, plan in advance with neighborhood families swapping caretaking on snow days, or at least get a group together who can email the morning of and figure out how everyone can have time to get some of his or her work done during the day. Better yet, arrange for a neighborhood high school student to automatically come to your house to babysit the kids on snow days (even if just for a few hours if that will let you move projects forward and still get time sledding with the kids) if that will allow you to work from home.

Also, speak up at your childrens' school. The administrators may not realize the aggregate number of days you are expected to take off, and they have no way of knowing how parents feel, and what time they realistically have available, if we don't tell them. Often times, a school can decide to do a trip simply because it has been done in the past and was fun. No reason the school can't think of another program that is equally enjoyable and instructive, and that doesn't require parents to use potentially limited days off from work. To me, there is nothing key to your child attending a pumpkin patch with his preschool. That is something you can do as a family, or with a group of friends over a weekend. And I am guessing that the preschool teachers are not particularly excited about a field trip where all of the parents are there. Honestly, what a pain for them.

[Anonymous]

Field Trips are annoying for many reasons.

First, I already went to the pumpkin patch.
Second, the mom's on these trips are clearly not good with kids and cause more problems than necessary.
Third, Kids need to learn to get along, not have their parent hoover all over them.

The preschool teacher would rather just deal with the kids themselves with 1-2 1/2 way not annoying moms. But they really do this for the moms to feel good about themselves.

We go to a few hear and there but we also did not do 1/1 ratio.

Our class had 1 WOH mom that couldn't take off (teacher) and she was divorced so the dad was useless... so I always took her child.

My H goes once a year, I do 1 field trip and a couple of day time volunteering.

Truthfully, you are not missing much. I see my son color at home, I take my kids to pumpkin patches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, you take off work for field trips.

Are you aware that pre-schools close for snow in the winter? Mine used to follow FCPS's closure schedule. You will be staying home with your child if you don't put him/her into a snow day camp.

I'm aware. The Pre-k may be canceled, but daycare may be open. Last year we did have to take 3 days off during the blizzard because the roads weren't plowed.

Now I can see the teacher probably thinks I'm some sort of bitch for looking surprised about missing work for a field trip. It's my first kid. So shoot me. I work in the medical field, which is 24/7, 365. I'm working Christmas this year. You can call me a bad parent or whatever you want. I am just used to work interfering with everything. I didn't know parents took off for reasons other than illness.

The short answer is yes, especially as your DD gets older you'll have to take time off of work for field trips (if you want to chaperone) or certain things that happen during the school day.

The longer answer is that what you're describing isn't a field trip and there's little to no redeeming value for your DD to attend. I have experience with 2 different preschools. One of them did what I'd consider to be a field trip. A few parents volunteered to drive, the kids went together as a group and were able to experience something together, as a class, outside of their normal environment. I did volunteer for a few of those field trips and took time off work.

The other preschool had fieldtrips like what you described, which were basically worthless. There was no group interaction at all. The parents just all took our DCs to the pumpkin patch at the same time and the teachers happened to be there too. After arriving, I barely saw the other classmates or parents. It was a complete waste of everyone's time.

I WOH FT and have a nanny, so both of these were a half day preschools, not full day like OP described.

Another WOH FT mom chiming in that preschool -private, half day, not through the school system - had "field trips" like this as well. The annoying part was that it really was just an organized outing to a pumpkin patch. The teachers were there to say HI to the kids, but didn't interact with them. Fine - just not what I expected from something billed as a field trip. School was cancelled that day - no one went before or after. In three years at that school, we went once. The first year my husband had surgery that day and none of us could go, so I didn't realize what would happen when I took the day off the second year so my kids could go. While I enjoyed taking my own kids to the pumpkin patch on a weekday, we weren't at all upset when we were out of town the week of the third year's "field trip." NO ONE noticed we didn't show up, and we didn't tell the kids what they missed. The year my husband had surgery, I fed them ice cream for breakfast (the only time this has ever happened) and not only did they never once think about the "field trip" they missed, they couldn't stop talking about "ice cream for breakfast" when they got back to school (as school was cancelled that day for the field trip) and their friends wanted to eat ice cream for breakfast too.

Now that they're in public Kindergarten, they have an upcoming field trip to the same place. I've signed up to be a chaperone (not sure if I'm "in" yet). There will be a bus, involved teachers, there's a formal lesson plan (life cycle of apples and pumpkins) and even the kids whose parents can't come will attend. This sounds much better to me.

BUT - OP - if you can't make this happen, likely no one will notice you weren't there and your kid won't know what they missed. You will need to find alternate child care for the day, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We do take time off in order to do field trips, sure. Yes, you take leave or perhaps work a flex schedule to make up the leave time. This is pretty common at the schools we've attended.

But it's not normal to make attendance conditional on whether or not a parent can come. Usually they request a certain number of chaperones and have a bus. Can another family transport your child?

This. I do take time off to chaperone field trips if I can but I've never been required to for my child to go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Field Trips are annoying for many reasons.

First, I already went to the pumpkin patch.
Second, the mom's on these trips are clearly not good with kids and cause more problems than necessary.
Third, Kids need to learn to get along, not have their parent hoover all over them.

The preschool teacher would rather just deal with the kids themselves with 1-2 1/2 way not annoying moms. But they really do this for the moms to feel good about themselves.

We go to a few hear and there but we also did not do 1/1 ratio.

Our class had 1 WOH mom that couldn't take off (teacher) and she was divorced so the dad was useless... so I always took her child.

My H goes once a year, I do 1 field trip and a couple of day time volunteering.

Truthfully, you are not missing much. I see my son color at home, I take my kids to pumpkin patches.

A 2-3-4 year old needs support and supervision. You realize how easy it is for them to get lost and they often need help. I always go because I don't want my kid to b with someone like you who basically ignores them. I don't do it because I enjoy it or to feel good about my self. I do it to make sure my child's needs are met.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:11:26 - I'd assume that even surgeons and other health care professionals are allowed to take vacation days. When Dr. Jones takes a pre-arranged vacation, Dr. Smith covers for him. Then Dr. Jones can cover Dr. Smith on HIS pre-arranged vacation. It's just a matter of prioritizing how you spend your vacation time. Some people want to keep it for actual vacations only; others want to spend some of it on stuff like this.

The issue is advanced planning and often you are not told about the field trips till a week or two or maybe three before so its hard to reschedule all your appointments when they are booked months in advanced.

[Anonymous]

"I just think it's unreasonable to expect parents to take a day off work for something other than an illness or a vacation."

Don't keep thinking this way or your negative thoughts would take over. Think of it as a way to spend time with your child and other preschoolers. You can see how your child acts with other kids and adults. Plus, it's optional.
Your choose the time you want to spend with your child. Also, if it is a bigger preschool, sometimes buses are used to transport kids.
There will be more of this in regular county school. You will have to choose if you want to take a day off every time school is out and there are more than I would like. And don't forget those half days. Combine that with winter break, spring break and summer, that's a lot of weeks you need to take off. UNLESS you hire someone to watch your kid or drop off at a daycamp or something similar.

[Anonymous]

Op--you have a doctor's appointment.

The only way you can get through all this in coming years and still have some time left for an actual vacation.

We have flex time. I flex around.

[Anonymous]

My children were in a preschool that did field trips in a similar manner- the school didn't have a bus or any transportation means so they relied on parents to transport and chaperone their kids. They didn't say that your kid couldn't go if you as the parent couldn't go, but you need to be comfortable dropping off your car seat and having another parent install, transport, and supervise your kid for you. If you can, I strongly urge you to go the pumpkin patch- it's a bit of a zoo and if a parent is supervising two or more kids, especially when said kids want to run in opposite directions from each other, it's a bit of a nightmare. Something like a play is a lot more manageable as the kids are basically just sitting in the same spot.

And yes, parents do take off time from work to attend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, I don't. I have one school age child and one in daycare for whom I recently returned from a maternity leave that had to be covered using my saved PTO. I have just a couple days in the bank that I have to save for teacher development days and days the kids are sick. So field trips are a no-go for me at this point. But our school doesn't require a 1:1 ratio either.

Do you have a husband?

Yes. His job is very restrictive about taking PTO. If he needs to have a day off when Congress is in session it has to be planned and approved months in advance, and even then is subject to cancelation. He has missed many family weddings, reunions, friends' weddings, kindergarten promotions, school concerts, holidays, etc. as a result. So if we know about a field trip in advance and it is when Congress is recessed, then he could go. But I've found that field trips are announced with only a little notice (in our case, an email came yesterday letting us know that next Thursday is the pumpkin patch trip this year) so that's not a possibility. When/if I'm ever able to build some leave up again I'll go on a field trip, but right now it's just not a possibility