Would you miss 2-3 days of school for vacation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd be very concerned with the message we're sending.
Especially considering we had the whole summer for "family time."

You realize a lot of us work during the summer, right? And it may not be easy to take time off from June through August and/or have special family time

Not the person you're quoting but there is certainly more "family time" in the summer for me even though I still work full time. In the summer my kids will metro to a museum or a fun dinner place and I'll meet them there after work. We watch movies together on weekday evenings, play board games, cook together and just hang out and relax more in general than we ever do during the school year. There is definitely more of a laid back atmosphere in general. During the school year it's that rut of school, aftercare, sports practice, homework, dinner, shower, bed.

Now it can become a little more complicated when your kids start working a summer job, but that just requires planning. We usually plan our summer vacation 9-12 months in advance, that way my kid can always inform his employer upfront about days off when looking for summer work.

Now, I'm sure there are absolutely legitimate reasons a family would need to plan a fun, non-educational trip during the school year, but I think that at least 95% of the time it's not necessary.

I get 18 days of vacation a year. However, I cannot take all 18 days in the summer. I usually take 7-10 days during the summer - like a weeklong family trip and a long weekend family trip. I also take time off at Christmas- but again, work needs some people at work, so I usually only take 3-5 days. That leaves 5-8 more vacation days. I'd rather take my kids out of school, not deal with long lines and big crowds and high airfare and high hotel bills. It is totally worth having this family time.

Did you post for ideas? Cause I clearly said that I do believe there are legitimate reasons some people have to plan trips during the school year. If you're looking for ideas.. maybe add a spring break trip?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My parents took me on vacation a few times during school. I have no recollection of the topics of the homework I had to take with me, nor do I care. What I do recall is the memories we created. I will always remember riding bikes with my brother and me crashing into a tree because I couldn't brake down the hill.

People need to think more long term. In 20 years, no one will care about the missed geometry lessons that you can make up later.

I doubt OP's new middle schooler is doing geometry...OK, I know you meant that just as an example, but frankly, while this is doable for OP now, very soon it will be a problem for her kid to miss days of school.

My kid is in HS. By the time she was in eighth grade we were being told by teachers that many classes moved very quickly and missing days meant not just taking some homework with you or making up a little work, but having to do serious catch-up on things that were covered only once in class and which would not be covered again. So OP, be aware, that in years to come -- years coming up very soon -- if your kid misses one day, the result can be not just homework to make up, but a need to stay after school to see a teacher, or spending time before school or at lunch working on learning things that were taught while your child was out. Especially for kids in honors or other advanced classes, missing a day can make a difference and "making it up" is about more than just doing some extra homework.

Sorry to say that to all those who say "family time is more important," but by the time your kids are in HS, unless a trip is actually once in a lifetime or truly enriching -- taking them out creates stress for them.

So, what happens when they get sick? I guess that's not allowed either.
I missed 3 weeks of 8th grade due to a viral illness that left me bedridden. I made up ALL the work. It took time but it was not impossible.

I'm not the person you quoted, but c'mon - getting sick is not the same as a fun vacation. And it's true about missing days in high school, my kids school even recommends you do not schedule dr appts during school days if possible - anotherwords avoid pulling them on school days if at all possible. Sickness cannot be avoided obviously. But the absences will be excused and the school will support you in making up the missed work. It doesent change the fact that it will be stressful.

[Anonymous]

We have two middle schoolers and are pulling them out for 2 1/2 days for a Jamaican wedding of a family member. We did it once before and were worried about them falling behind, but they are good students and it was much ado about nothing.

[Anonymous]

I would, yes. No one else's business where you are going or what you are doing. Make up the work, get it turned in on time. Unless your kid is taking AP Calc it will be fine.

[Anonymous]

In 6th grade? Yes.

My kids stopped wanting to miss school for vacations once they hit 7th grade and the workload increased. Even just one missed day for being sick puts a lot of extra missed work stress on them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My parents took me on vacation a few times during school. I have no recollection of the topics of the homework I had to take with me, nor do I care. What I do recall is the memories we created. I will always remember riding bikes with my brother and me crashing into a tree because I couldn't brake down the hill.

People need to think more long term. In 20 years, no one will care about the missed geometry lessons that you can make up later.

I doubt OP's new middle schooler is doing geometry...OK, I know you meant that just as an example, but frankly, while this is doable for OP now, very soon it will be a problem for her kid to miss days of school.

My kid is in HS. By the time she was in eighth grade we were being told by teachers that many classes moved very quickly and missing days meant not just taking some homework with you or making up a little work, but having to do serious catch-up on things that were covered only once in class and which would not be covered again. So OP, be aware, that in years to come -- years coming up very soon -- if your kid misses one day, the result can be not just homework to make up, but a need to stay after school to see a teacher, or spending time before school or at lunch working on learning things that were taught while your child was out. Especially for kids in honors or other advanced classes, missing a day can make a difference and "making it up" is about more than just doing some extra homework.

Sorry to say that to all those who say "family time is more important," but by the time your kids are in HS, unless a trip is actually once in a lifetime or truly enriching -- taking them out creates stress for them.

So, what happens when they get sick? I guess that's not allowed either.
I missed 3 weeks of 8th grade due to a viral illness that left me bedridden. I made up ALL the work. It took time but it was not impossible.

I'm not the person you quoted, but c'mon - getting sick is not the same as a fun vacation. And it's true about missing days in high school, my kids school even recommends you do not schedule dr appts during school days if possible - anotherwords avoid pulling them on school days if at all possible. Sickness cannot be avoided obviously. But the absences will be excused and the school will support you in making up the missed work. It doesent change the fact that it will be stressful.

I"m the person quoted above about not pulling HS students out. Thanks, PP in bold, for the backup!

That earlier PP (I guess that's not allowed either") is being classic DCUM snarky. Of course illness keeps some kids out of school. But whatever happened to that PP in eighth grade back in the day, it doesn't change the fact that NOW, students have a lot more to make up if they miss school, no matter the reason.

A friend's DC missed several weeks of an HS year due to hospitalizations and the result was the school worked with the family to ramp back the courseload, basically. There was no way to make up all that was missed -- some specific assignments could be made up but the student just could not replace all the classroom instruction he missed. To avert having him repeat the grade or do vast amounts of summer school (a huge stress for a chronically sick kid), the teachers ended up creating some alternative assignments, basically. The school and teachers apparently were terrific about it and treated the student with great sensitivity and understanding, but still, getting through the year required much more effort, from many people (teachers, parents, the student) than "I made up all the work."

[Anonymous]

Absolutely, assuming you child is not frequently absent from the school.

We took our 8th, 6th, and 5th graders to a two (holy guacamole) weeks vacation to Florida in January this year. We had fun visiting Disney and Universals parks, swam with dolphins, strolled through underwater reef, watched rocket launch at Kennedy Center and collected seashells at the beaches there. Prices were a bit cheaper, crowds were lighter and weather in FL was just perfect. Best trip we have ever made as a family so far and watching videos/photos from the trip puts smile on our faces.

They missed a total of 9 days of school. The younger two are straight A students and the oldest one is a mostly As/ few Bs student. We reached out to their teachers 10 days in advance to let them know about the kids school absence due to our just-for-fun vacation and see if they can give them assignments ahead of time. Most of the teachers were very supportive, some even went out of their way and spent one on one time with the kids to go over the material they missed. Others said that they don't make their lesson plans two weeks in advance, so whatever.

In the end it worked out okay. We had our kids keep checking their class websites eod everyday and kept them current with whatever assignments can be turned in online. There was no impact on their grades in the end.

Frankly speaking, I would not have my kids worry about school if we were taking them out of school just for 2 to 3 days instead of 9 days. But if you are concerned, I would suggest plan ahead, reach out to teachers and set aside an hour or two each night to have them work on their schoolwork while on vacation. It can totally be done, especially if your kid has above average grades.

[Anonymous]

8:24 again. FWIW, my oldest one still made it to honors and pre-AP classes and is in third year of French this year. Younger two are all honors and advanced Math.

My kids are average and not super intelligent types and they did just fine with 9 straight days of absence from school. No impact on grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:bit of a technical question for OP: when you call the school to say the kids will be out what will you say?
Do they have excused absences and unexcused absences?
I assume you will be telling the truth?

Most school systems allow so many unexcused absences before it becomes an issue in their eyes.

I have zero issues with lying about why my kids miss school.

When they were younger, I always called them in sick if they were sick or if they were missing a week for a vacation, I told the school why. ES and even most MS teachers didn't really care. 8th grade MS teachers and HS teachers definitely DO care and are NOT lenient with missed work due to non-illness related absences.

If one of my kids tells me they need a personal/mental health day, I just call them in sick.

[Anonymous]

Has anyone ever posted one of these questions and decided not to go?

[Anonymous]

When my oldest hit 6th grade, she missed 3 days in a row due to sickness and it was WEEKS before she was caught up (and she is a very conscientious student) so I really try to avoid absences in middle and high school, particularly days in a row.

That said, there are often a few days in the calendar that there are so many absences that teachers count on it and don't assign much. Now that they have changed the calendar in MOCO I don't know what they are, but the day before TGiving break and the day or two before winter break are probably still some of them.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't hesitate. There is so much more to life than work and school. I grew up in a family where we took all kinds of time off school. My siblings and myself all did well in life, 3/4 have graduate degrees and we are all successfully employed. There were no negative effects of missing days of school. We knew we were responsible for the work or consequence of not catching up or doing what needed to be done.

[Anonymous]

5th and 6th would have been NBD for my kid. Now in 7th homework and class pace has gone to a whole new level. I still might take him out but it would require much more careful coordination with the teachers-which they would do because we are in private. In one of our public schools I would not attempt, though of course other schools may be different.

[Anonymous]

No. School is their job now and they don't miss for fun. You're setting a bad precedent. It might seem like no big deal but it's the overarching life lesson that it's okay to skip school, a job, etc. for fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. School is their job now and they don't miss for fun. You're setting a bad precedent. It might seem like no big deal but it's the overarching life lesson that it's okay to skip school, a job, etc. for fun.

Huh. Pretty much everyone I know occasionally misses work for fun. I don't see the big deal. Actually, I see a much bigger deal in raising a child who turns into the kind of adult who is always tied to their desk, never takes a vacation day, puts work ahead of family, etc. THAT is a bad precedent. (I'm not saying that not taking your kids out of school for vacation will set such a precedent, but I digress.)