The teachers are NOT all for it. That's what they tell you, but they realize you don't prioritize education.

Anonymous wrote: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.

This. I'm sorry, I work a lot, and so does my spouse. Sometimes, our schedules don't line up with the school calendar. And at those times, we have no compunction with the kids missing some time for family vacations.

I'm also pulling my child out of school for a day for take your child to work day. [Commence vapors, PPs.]

We pulled them when they were younger, up to third grade for DD. The teachers were all for it.

We don't do it now because we go in summer camp season, so we don't have to pay for three weeks of summer camp for two kids. But we get out of town on the original last day, if there was an extension because of snow, kids miss those days.

They should shorten summer and add more week long breaks in the middle of the year. I like traveling during off season to certain places.

Nope, life is for living and the best way for your kids to learn is by experiencing the world and traveling with you. They aren't missing much in kindergarten and 1st grade.

I pull my kids for a week in January. I got over feeling guilty about it the first year when there ended up being one actual day of school missed because of snow days that were called that week.

If DCs missed school frequently for being sick, I wouldn't do this. I will also plan to stop when DC1 is in middle school because I think the missed work will make it stressful.

Anonymous wrote:As long as you aren't expecting the teacher/school to accommodate, go ahead. Just keep it to the lower grades.

If it’s an excused absence, they’ll be allowed to make up the work. That’s the only accommodation I expect.

Anonymous wrote:I'm wondering what all of you who would take their kids out for vacation without a second thought would think if the teacher decided to take a week off for vacation with her family in the middle of the school year and there was a sub instead.

Doesn't matter right? It's just elementary school and missing a week won't affect anything.

I bet teachers would like lower-cost, uncrowded vacations too!

They’re allowed some paid time off right? It’s not up to me to dictate how they use it.

As long as you aren't expecting the teacher/school to accommodate, go ahead. Just keep it to the lower grades.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm wondering what all of you who would take their kids out for vacation without a second thought would think if the teacher decided to take a week off for vacation with her family in the middle of the school year and there was a sub instead.

Doesn't matter right? It's just elementary school and missing a week won't affect anything.

I bet teachers would like lower-cost, uncrowded vacations too!

That would be fine with me. If the sub couldn't control the class, I might pull my kid out until the teacher was back, though.

I am one of the PPs who takes my kids out of school regularly to visit family abroad. I am old enough and have enough life experience to know that if a teacher is missing for one or two weeks during third grade, it will have absolutely no effect on the child's life trajectory.

Anonymous wrote:I'm wondering what all of you who would take their kids out for vacation without a second thought would think if the teacher decided to take a week off for vacation with her family in the middle of the school year and there was a sub instead.

Doesn't matter right? It's just elementary school and missing a week won't affect anything.

I bet teachers would like lower-cost, uncrowded vacations too!

That would be fine with me. If the sub couldn't control the class, I might pull my kid out until the teacher was back, though.

Fine, as long it is rare, and for something special! Your 50th trip to Disney is not special. A friend had to be told by her kid's principal that if they missed another day of school she would have to fail them. They had missed so much school that the principal legally could not advance them to the next grade if they missed one more day. All on random sh!t they had done before.

Daughter is in first grade and this year she missed 5 days total (1 in the fall and 4 in January). We gave the school prior notice and they even entered it as excused before we left. DD completed all missed homework and didn't get behind in anything.

While she's in elementary school we are totally fine with her missing up to 10 days of school. Going to new places, exploring, new cultures, etc is important to us as well.

I'm not a fan - school is the priority, etc - unless an emergency or once in a lifetime thing. Other parents I respect feel differently, which is fine.

Nothing to do with the schoolwork at that age.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Never. Ask any high performing Asian families.

??? Do you actually know any high performing Asian families? They most certainly pull their kids out of school.

OMG yes -- the South Asian families at our school definitely take kids out to go to India for weeks at at time.