Pulling kids out of school for vacation - thoughts?

[Anonymous]

Our principal was very open that she thought it was fine to take kids out for travel. It was said at K orientation, but she made clear she thought it was ok through 5th. We have a fair # of international families, but it didn't seem limited to trips to see extended family or other milestone events.

[Anonymous]

We know a fair number of families that make travel part of their lifestyle. They usually get schoolwork ahead of time from the teachers and keep up while away. One family travels to Mexico each year for a few months+ at a stretch and their child gets enrolled in a local school mixed with locals and ex-pats. Another family we know home-schools on their sailboat each winter, then back to regular school once they return. I think it is a great opportunity for each of these kids! One I wish we could afford to offer our kids, honestly.

[Anonymous]

My son’s friend will miss three weeks of school, returning just before the SOLs. I am nervous for him but I trust his mom is doing what is best for her family. They are in late elementary.

My son misses the Monday after thanksgiving break every year. That is it.

[Anonymous]

Taking kids out of school for travel isn't ideal, but life happens, and it isn't always according to the school calendar. The DC attendance policy is pretty strict and we wouldn't choose to do a really long trip during the school year anyway, but I'm fine with up to a full week away from school.

Thankfully we understand that we can be both committed to our kids' education AND to the needs of our family.

[Anonymous]

As a teacher, I agree that travel and amazing experiences can be way more important than school, but if you do choose to take your child out, all the work he/she misses is on you. The child needs to return with homework done and the parents should not ask the faculty to spend extra time with their precious child who didn’t need to be at school. Go on the trip but make up work and material is on you not the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ha ha. "Sometimes these vacations are more meaningful than school." No they're not -- kids barely remember vacations taken at that age. You're not taking your young kids on vacation and away from school for them, you're doing it for you and because it works better for you.

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it. But own what you're doing.

Agree.

And you’re setting up the idea that school is less important than fun vacations.

But it is in Elementary.

[Anonymous]

Don’t the kids have to attend a certain amount of weeks?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids learned so much more visiting family in Europe last October than they would have learned sitting in a classroom. We visited 4 medieval castles. They reinforced their language skills. They experienced the cuisine, culture, architecture, etc. of their father's home country. The bonus was that they strengthened their relationship with their grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins.

We took them out for two weeks. I'm already planning next year's trip which will again require me to take them out of school. I don't travel to Scandinavia during school breaks because it's way too expensive. October is the cheapest time to travel there. All three kids are straight-A students and easily feel back into the routine when they returned and they did not backslide at all academically.

Exactly. You can't afford to go during school breaks so you go when you can afford it and tell yourself it's for educational purposes. As I said, own it. It's ok.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t do it because there’s enough days off built into the calendar - what are you going to do for those days? Camp? Too expensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ha ha. "Sometimes these vacations are more meaningful than school." No they're not -- kids barely remember vacations taken at that age. You're not taking your young kids on vacation and away from school for them, you're doing it for you and because it works better for you.

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it. But own what you're doing.

...and you think they are going to remember those few days of school?

In the early Elementary grades I think this is fine. Mine are in 2nd and 5th now and we are pulling them out for a special vacation in May because that’s when DH is visiting from overseas and it’s the only time that works. Not saying I would want to do this regularly, certainly not as my kids are getting older but certainly in K or first grade there is absolutely no reason that missing a few days of school will matter in the big picture.

Again, you're doing it for you and not for them. It's ok. Own it.

[Anonymous]

We always pulled out kids out when in elementary, now out twins are in middle school and one just got.accepted into TJ. There is just wayyy too much school to miss.

I had absolutely no issues pulling them a good 2 weeks and then a few days here and there. Depending on where we were going we pulled them because A. We don't like traveling with crowds, and B it was sometimes a seasonal thing. We did a Safari in Kenya and September was the best time for migration viewing and we went for 3 weeks, a week of that pushed into the first week of school. We also like to ski in Utah and once again didnt want to deal with the hoards over Christmas.

Considering both of my kids have straight As, one headed to TJ next Fall, and both way above average students, it hasn't impacted them negatively. They've had some amazing trips.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are your thoughts and your family policy on this? I have a kindergartner and first grader and have to say I am stunned at the number of families that are pulling their kids out for days at a time (in one recent case, 2 weeks at a time) for family vacations. I am completely against pulling my kids out of school for anything other than sickness or a family emergency. Aren't the scheduled breaks the time that you should do family vacation? I feel like it's disrespectful to the teacher and also sends the wrong message to your child.

DH says I'm being a stick in the mud.

Just wanted to see if I'm alone here.

One thought- possible the kids have older siblings with school breaks at diff times? Our younger and older do and we think school is more important for the older - but we still go on break for spring break. it's just a couple days never more than a week but our younger is in KG and I think it's more important to take fam vacations since we can.

Your kids are not as precious as you think they are (I mean they are loved and all that I am sure but... relax.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ha ha. "Sometimes these vacations are more meaningful than school." No they're not -- kids barely remember vacations taken at that age. You're not taking your young kids on vacation and away from school for them, you're doing it for you and because it works better for you.

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it. But own what you're doing.

Agree.

And you’re setting up the idea that school is less important than fun vacations.

If your values include opening their eyes to the fact that the world is bigger than what right
in front of them, and a vacation allows this, I would say it 10000% starts early. Our country needs more people who get this right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher, I agree that travel and amazing experiences can be way more important than school, but if you do choose to take your child out, all the work he/she misses is on you. The child needs to return with homework done and the parents should not ask the faculty to spend extra time with their precious child who didn’t need to be at school. Go on the trip but make up work and material is on you not the school.

THIS

[Anonymous]

In elementary school we have done it and I have no issue doing it. I prefer to travel off season due to cost.