Anonymous wrote:Travel shapes children more than sitting in a classroom. What a lucky child to have the opportunity to experience a new culture for 2-3 weeks. Americans have it so backwards sometimes.

Most of the time.

Travel shapes children more than sitting in a classroom. What a lucky child to have the opportunity to experience a new culture for 2-3 weeks. Americans have it so backwards sometimes.

One week- Maybe. I'm stunned as well to see multiple kids in k-2nd grade pulled out for 2-3 weeks lately.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We don’t, but you do you.

I don't know why but this expression reads like nails on a chalkboard to me. So annoying.

Because this is the mantra of the f*ckwits who never, ever think any rules apply to them. The ones who cut in line, always expect exceptions to be made for them and their kids, no respect for anyone else's time,...on and on.

Annoying, indeed.

^^Rules were made to be broken!

Anonymous wrote:Travel and experiencing the world is WAY more important to our family that our elementary age child sitting in a classroom. Our DC has her entire life to study, memorize and do table too work. Traveling as a family, seeing things, and building relationships abroad is as important as school. So glad our DC goes to a school that supports the importance of international travel.

I think most schools support international travel, IME. Some people just can’t fathom taking their kids out of “free” daycare when there are already so many days off as it is. I think most of the “yes we do it” posters have a SAH or super flexible/PT parent.

Travel and experiencing the world is WAY more important to our family that our elementary age child sitting in a classroom. Our DC has her entire life to study, memorize and do table too work. Traveling as a family, seeing things, and building relationships abroad is as important as school. So glad our DC goes to a school that supports the importance of international travel.

I think it may depend on the child's success in school (i.e. is the child above grade level, is the child below grade level, etc.). My 1st grader will miss the last 4 days of the school year to travel. Will also miss a week during 2nd grade for a cruise that we have planned. I didn't think twice about it, but she is excelling in school and likely won't be affected by the missed days.

Such an interesting topic, I can't wait to read the thread to see what the consensus is! We've moved around and been at different elementary schools, and there always seems to be a handful of families that have no issue with taking off during school days, and then they complain about getting angry letters from the school.

I can see both perspectives. I love adventures and love experiential learning, so if there's a great opportunity for our kids for a cool adventure, my gut instinct is to go for it, although we haven't operated that way in practice. But having volunteered in the classroom, I know how hard the teachers have to work to get kids to learn at the level they're expected to, and having to wrangle absent families just makes it all the more complicated.

I guess we haven't taken time off of school days because in the back of my mind, I've felt like the school and staff and teachers are giving it their all to provide our kids with a good education, so I want us to do our part to help them. I tend to see the world with that kind of reciprocity in mind.

Most of our vacations are to see extended family (my siblings and their kids). We managed to find 4 days!!! over the summer we will all overlap this summer. (Job commitments; one family gets out late June, another goes back early August). This year no two families had spring break at the same time. Last year my sister pulled her then 8 year old out to join a week long family vacation. In the future, if that’s the only way to see my family and for my kids to see cousins, I would do the same.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We don’t, but you do you.

I don't know why but this expression reads like nails on a chalkboard to me. So annoying.

Because this is the mantra of the f*ckwits who never, ever think any rules apply to them. The ones who cut in line, always expect exceptions to be made for them and their kids, no respect for anyone else's time,...on and on.

Annoying, indeed.

No, “you do you” means mind your own damn business and keep your nose out of mine. I don’t give a fig when or even if you take vacation!

This is a rich-person issue. So who cares.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We don’t, but you do you.

I don't know why but this expression reads like nails on a chalkboard to me. So annoying.

Because this is the mantra of the f*ckwits who never, ever think any rules apply to them. The ones who cut in line, always expect exceptions to be made for them and their kids, no respect for anyone else's time,...on and on.

Annoying, indeed.