Anonymous wrote:My kid is a cancer survivor. Life is too freaking short, we pulled until he got to 7th grade.

Agree. Most of the responses seem to be from wired type A people. It's a thread in American so I expect it to be an American way of thinking. Not necessarily the right one. When we all claim to want to make our children global citizens and widen their horizons and broaden their perspectives then why do we enroll them in schools with a pressure cooker environment. While American children have started preschool at age 2 and learning the alphabet and reading at crazy young ages, Finnish children are 'illiterate' and having fun.

How can one aspect of parenting determine how good or bad parent you are? People who pass judgements to that effect are not thinking. So it's OK for me to allow my kids a lot of TV time and not allow them to miss a single day of school. But it's not OK to go to Inda or Africa or Disney and be strict about screen time. How do you all know how involved the parents are. I liked the several comments that said they wouldn't don't it but don't judge those who do.

My child's teacher took most of a week off to take the family to Disney this year! If your child is doing well in school I really don't think a day here or there matters. Such absences are commonplace at our school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have no problem missing school in preschool but would limit it more in K-2nd grade. Once in 3rd grade and beyond we've missed the occasional 1-2 days of school to extend a long weekend but I'd only take them out for a week+ for a really important family event like a wedding, funeral, etc. and only that long if it's a really great distance to travel. I know families that have taken their 5th graders out for a week for a trip to Disney (for no other reason than they just want to go when it's less crowded) and I think that shows a lot of disrespect for their kids' education.

+1 It's selfish, shows kids that your priorities are wrong and probably creates a lot of extra work for your kid's teacher.

Agree. Taking vacations during school time is bad parenting.

Anonymous wrote:My kid is a cancer survivor. Life is too freaking short, we pulled until he got to 7th grade.

+1000000 what is wrong with you people?

School is important but when I think back on my childhood I don't remember what I learned in February of 6th grade but I remember going on a cruise with my family. Vacations and travel teach your kids about the world and they bond your family together. Missing a week of school here and there is nothing.

This thread is so quintessentially AMERICAN. Drive drive drive your kids to get straight A's so they work work work and never take a vacation day when they grow up. Life is far far far too short for this mentality. Let your kid see the ocean or their favorite character in person. Let them ski and climb a mountain and hear people speak another language. It won't hurt anyone I promise.

Anonymous wrote:

We took our older daughter (2nd grade at the time) to China, in March, for two weeks when we adopted our younger daughter.

The school's response?

"Have a great time and tell us all about your experience."

In no world is this comparable to taking your child out to go to Disney because it is less crowded then.

In 2nd grade? Much different reasons for the absence but no real difference in what the kid has to make up. Take them to Disney. We did and what a wonderful trip it was.

Just ask the teacher for make up work.

We took our older daughter (2nd grade at the time) to China, in March, for two weeks when we adopted our younger daughter.

The school's response?

"Have a great time and tell us all about your experience."

In no world is this comparable to taking your child out to go to Disney because it is less crowded then.

We took our older daughter (2nd grade at the time) to China, in March, for two weeks when we adopted our younger daughter.

The school's response?

"Have a great time and tell us all about your experience."

My kid is a cancer survivor. Life is too freaking short, we pulled until he got to 7th grade.

I'm a pain in the ass mother. I don't mind if they miss school for trips that actually add some knowledge value. Would not take them out for a Disney trip, but would for a chance to go to an expedition to say the North Pole or an African Safari. They probably will hate me someday and need therapy but they are in 3rd and 5th grade and never went to Disney... It does feel like as this year was harder to take the 5th grader out and we just had to follow the school calendar despite it not matching our working calendar

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS calls child services after 10 day of unexcused absence. You will have to appear in Court to defend your vacations.

And they also no the difference between kids going on vacation who have semi decent grades and failing kids who just don't show up.

Mother charged with criminal neglect for taking child out of school to travel:

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/447926.page#6431758

Parents called on the carpet for truancy for taking prodigy to international music performances:

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/410421.page

Anonymous wrote:There are certain things we learn in life. Sometimes, it is that we have to make choices. If you choose to take your kid out of school because you are fortunate enough to have lots of vacation time, then do it. That is your choice. Please don't come crying, though, when your kid grows up and loses his job because is boss expects him to show up to work every day.

This is hilarious!!! All through elementary school, my parents would pull us out of school for ski trips and other trips through middle school. She would get the homework in advance, know what chapters were being covered in the book (so not asking the teacher to prep anything, just let us know what she was covering) and we would do school work every day on vacation. It was no more than 1 hr each day. I never had trouble sliding back into class. In high school, it would only be a day here or there because (as PP mentioned re: Biology), those type of classes were harder to do self study. I will say that you have to know your child - this worked well for my brother and I but might not work for other kids.

You know what that taught me? Work before play and how to get stuff done. Both my brother and I went on to get a good education, have good careers, and be responsible employees.

My only concern is now schools don't excuse absences due to vacation and I don't want them getting in trouble for my choices.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I've never worked for a company where employees are not allowed to take vacation days. Have you?

Many new employees are quite surprised to learn that they have to work before they get their vacation days. Or, that the first year they may only get two weeks--or they do not get to choose vacation days.

Some new employees may be surprised how many vacation days can be carried over. Some employers have small limits, others large limits.

Not once have I burned up every single vacation day.

I also think that it depends on how the child learns. Some children learn better in person, despite the technology that is out there now.

Then you are fortunate and probably have childcare to cover every day off school when you aren't traveling.

I have 4 weeks of vacation and our traveling happens during school breaks because 1) I don't want my kids missing school but ALSO 2) if I didn't travel then I'd have to pay for other coverage while my kids are not in school or take vacation time anyway.

With 4 weeks, that allows for 1 week Spring Break, 1 week to visit family out of state in Summer, 1 week at Xmas, 1 week spread out over various long weekends. It goes very quickly. I've never carried over vacation since I had kids.

Anonymous wrote:So, what do you do when both you and DS's families are out of state? Cut way back on visits?

My family is out of state -- we visit my parents/sister (same town) for a week in summer (was 2 weeks when I was a SAHM) and sometimes a week at Xmas. My brother (another state) we usually visit over the long Columbus Day weekend. My parents come see us 1-2x a year (was more frequently when the kids were really little). This is all during school vacations and, really, unless it was for some major event like a wedding, my parent would disapprove of us taking their grandchildren out of school for an unnecessary trip. They sure never let us out of school!

I grew up with all our extended family living far away and this is more visiting that we did with them and I still feel as an adult that I have good relationships with my cousins. Even if we could take a lot more time, flights to CA are expensive! Twice a year is the most we want to do it on top of the flight to see my brother and we try to take a 1-week family vacation in either Spring break or summer that is not a family visit.

DH's family is a 3-hr drive away and before his parent died we'd see them 3-4x a year, including Thanksgiving. Since they died, we go 1-2x a year to see BIL but he and DH have never been close and they aren't interested in exerting themselves to come see us so we don't make that a big priority.

Missing school in K-5 doesn't matter at all.

Missing in MS only matters if your kid is in mcps and taking a HS level class that will end up on the official transcript and impact HS GPA. If your kid doesn't start foreign language until 7 or 8 and doesn't start algebra until 8, then it's not an issue until then. Even so, one B won't ruin their lives.

Get some perspective, people.

Anonymous wrote:

I've never worked for a company where employees are not allowed to take vacation days. Have you?

Many new employees are quite surprised to learn that they have to work before they get their vacation days. Or, that the first year they may only get two weeks--or they do not get to choose vacation days.

Some new employees may be surprised how many vacation days can be carried over. Some employers have small limits, others large limits.

Not once have I burned up every single vacation day.

I also think that it depends on how the child learns. Some children learn better in person, despite the technology that is out there now.