Anonymous wrote:The first week of school? When all the routines and rules are learned? When we make new friends and the kids are excited about being there. For my kids, there was a huge difference between second and third grade.

Yes, don't pull your kid for the first week of school. He will come into school after everyone has the routines down and friendships have been made. My dh is 50 years old, and he still speaks bitterly about his parents starting him a week late to school in middle school. I don't know how many times I have heard that story. I keep saying ask your Mom what was so important that you had to start school late, and the only elective left was chorus, and you were already behind in math, never caught up and couldn't pursue the degree you wanted.

When our daughter was in kindergarten, I had a conference in Orlando and flew my wife and daughter down for a few days after it was over. It was Halloween and she got to trick or treat down Main Street USA. No way were we going to miss that opportunity and if the school had a problem with it, too bad. It's kindergarten for cryin' out loud.

I'd do it but because of the reason of visiting my family oversea. Otherwise, not a whole week but couple days?

It is ok for now. Enjoy it because you won't be able to do this as he gets older. After kindergarten, don't make a habit of this because you will be teaching him that it is ok to miss school and that it is not a priority.

I make my kids go to school even with colds (even since they were very young) The rule in our home has always been.... if you do not have a fever or you are not vomiting you are going to school. They know this now and never ask to stay home for a common cold. It just instills setting priorities and being responsible.

It's a very individual choice. Doing this could be right for some kids/families and wrong for others. OP, you know your kid and your family situation; everyone else's opinion, including mine, is really pretty irrelevant.

FWIW, some thoughts and considerations:
How is your child doing in school - are there specific skills she is struggling with that the school is effectively addressing and which would backslide during an extended absence? Or will you be fine making sure she learns whatever she misses?

Are you emphasizing the value of this trip as being primarily for family bonding and do you feel that moving the trip to a period of school vacation is not an option for whatever reason?

Do you generally show that you value education in your home, family life, and personal life?

Do you see the vacation as an opportunity for "real world learning" or being exposed lessons that the child will never get in a classroom?

Are you ok with whatever consequences the school may issue for you choosing to exercise parental discretion and take the child out of school?

For my own family, I can see circumstances where I would absolutely do this, and circumstances where I would plan the trip for a school break instead. I think travel (of any kind to almost anywhere) teaches amazing lessons, so I'm open to the idea. I also think that in certain cases pulling them out of school would better reflect our personal values -- that the family unit and supporting people we love is usually more important than most other things, including individual plans -- so if it were a family wedding, funeral, graduation, watching a relative get a major award or make a significant professional presentation, something like that, we would definitely be there. If it were Disney with the whole extended family and this were the only time we could all make it, again, we would be there. If it were just our nuclear family going to Disney, I might or might not pull them depending on the reasons I scheduled the vacation when I did in the first place.
YMMV.

Anonymous wrote:When someone travels overseas to visit family, mother country, etc., then I can understand the family>school argument.

When people plan vacations for their convenience and budget and throw out family>school it falls flat, IMO. Just because you are spending time with your kids does not make it "family time" worth missing school for amusement parks.

Disney = keeping up with the Joneses, not some deeper connection.

+1 The family time argument is BS. Unless we are talking about mother country, etc - something you probably don't do every year.

A day or two once every few years is okay. A week--just for vacation? not so much.

When someone travels overseas to visit family, mother country, etc., then I can understand the family>school argument.

When people plan vacations for their convenience and budget and throw out family>school it falls flat, IMO. Just because you are spending time with your kids does not make it "family time" worth missing school for amusement parks.

Disney = keeping up with the Joneses, not some deeper connection.

No it is not OK. People do it, but it is not OK for a vacation. For a family funeral, yes. Mickey Mouse, no.

If you think the important part about K is the academics, you are doing it wrong anyway. Why not just skip the year?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

If DC missed learning LMNOP during the month off, I would't mind. I can teach it myself.

If DC was having trouble learning LMNOP during a one month period of K and the teacher said it's OK, I would be fine with it. I can teach it myself.

Clear now?

Not clear: why are you sending your child to K if you can do it all yourself?

I'd explain it but I doubt you'll get anything anyway.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I ask - what kind of message are you sending to your kid that it is okay to take a vacation during school? I am constantly shocked by how many kids go to Disney, etc., during the school year. Yeah, it's less expensive, but that doesn't justify it. It's not fair to the student, the teacher and the class. Sure, this is only Kindergarten, and no, Larla probably won't miss much but consider the message you are sending, inadvertently, about school.

This is not a solid assumption. My family lived overseas and we would visit them for a long span. I took school very seriously when I was there, despite missing it to visit my family. I don't know anyone who slacked in school because their parents took them out for a week here and there for vacation. You can have high expectations on them the other 170 days of the school year and they'll turn out fine.

This. I probably wouldn't do it past mid-elementary school unless it was a once in a lifetime experience, but in kindergarten it is a no-brainer.