We are taking Jackson out three extra days next month. He has Mon/Tu off and we are taking the whole week and going to Disney World. He's in 2nd grade. Scarlett will miss one day of preK.
It's not a big deal, IMO, and we will probably do it again. We may take him out early when we travel for TG too, and my brother's wedding in the spring.
School is important but it's not everything, and there are other things I would prioritize over it In certain circumstances. If he was struggling, I might feel differently.
Post by msmerymac on Sept 17, 2014 21:57:08 GMT -5
No. My parents were always super against it and scoffed at the people who went to Disney for a week in February when we had TWO WEEKS solid of spring break in March or April.
I'm fairly certainly I'd try really hard to work around school breaks (because there are technically a lot of them), but if it was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing and we couldn't go at another time or either my husband or I had a job that dictated our vacation for years and years and we really, really wanted to make a trip as a family, I guess there could be exceptions.
So I'm like 90% no, but you never know.
ETA: A friend of mine had a travel agent mom who was the exact opposite. She said, "You'll learn more in a week in Europe than you will in school."
Post by LoveTrains on Sept 17, 2014 22:11:48 GMT -5
I missed a week if high school to go to Italy and it was amazing. That being said I never caught up in my physics class - and the trip was in November. Luckily it was senior year and grades didn't matter since I got into college early.
Post by sugarglider on Sept 18, 2014 0:26:50 GMT -5
I don't have kids yet, but my gut is no, simply because that's how I grew up. Also, kids are only in school 180 days a year, right? Why take them out for a week of that when there are so many other weeks where they're off? I know there are camps and sports, but I'd rather they miss a week of little league than school.
I don't have kids yet, but my gut is no, simply because that's how I grew up. Also, kids are only in school 180 days a year, right? Why take them out for a week of that when there are so many other weeks where they're off? I know there are camps and sports, but I'd rather they miss a week of little league than school.
because thousands of dollars in savings? Because less people? Becsuse weather? Because people don't plan big life events around your kids' school schedule? Because some opportunities only come up during the school year? I get that some parents are against it for any reason but it's not hard to imagine why it happens.
Post by irishbride2 on Sept 18, 2014 4:56:09 GMT -5
10 personal days?!?! On top of all the other days we get. I think in some cases I get the argument that teachers get so much time off.
We get three personal days, but they are actually "exceptional days." They are for special circumstances that fit certain criteria. Then we have sick days. The expectation is that we do not take off unless we HAVE too since we have so many other breaks.
The race example is interesting. I know one of my colleagues tried to take a day for a race and was told no.
I will say though, on a positive note, that my school is really amazing about profession development (they pay for us to travel to conferences of our choice). So most of us miss at least a week a year for PD. So if we missed that week, plus two weeks of personal days, plus a few sick days, the kids would have subs most of the year! So I get it.
I will and do take my kids out. Last year we got out so late for Christmas that if we hadn't take the 2 days off that we did we wouldn't have made it to the in-laws by christmas eve.
I won't take them out once we get to middle school high school though...
Post by Velar Fricative on Sept 18, 2014 6:17:09 GMT -5
I'm baffled by the comments about vacations being more educational than school. If that's the case (and I'm not arguing that it isn't), a vacation isn't more educational in October vs. July, so why not supplement the 180 days of school with vacation instead of replacing those days? And when only half the days of the year are taken up by school, it's silly to clutch pearls and be like "But our ONLY chance to visit the Great Wall is in January!!!!" Maybe that's the case, but...dare I say it...LIFE ISN'T FAIR!!! lol
Look, I hate being a slave to the school schedule but c'est la vie. That's the territory that being married to a teacher comes with. Yes, we could save money by traveling off-peak but oh well. And yes, there is a difference between traveling to Uncle Joe's wedding and going to Disney. If you take your kids out for vacation and have no issue with it, own it. The "it's more educational than school!!!" thing? I can't roll my eyes hard enough.
My IL's live near Orlando so I'll probably just ship them off and have them take them to Disney, but I have no problem with my hypothetical kids missing a couple of days of school for a vacation.
My parents did. Every year fall break was like WRF. My folks took us out MT also for a week's break. Heck, my senior year of high school I only had two classes. On a handful of occasions, my mom would say, "Do you want to go to lunch and go shopping today instead?" She knew I had As in my classes and wanted to spend some quality time together before I left for college. It wasn't common, but it made it that much more of a special memory that we were "playing hooky."
I'm pretty sure it didn't affect my academic performance or make me value education any less. So, yes, if my (hypothetical) kids are like I was as a student, I'd do this.
School is important but it's not always the most imoortant thing. I'm pulling myself and my son out of school to attend my bff's wedding and to see my sister and her new baby. And teachers do get personal days- it stands to reason that kids would need some from time to time too.
And let's not forget that travel can be very educational. I saw a lot of cool shit as a kid when I was pulled from school. Stuff a classroom education could never match.
I don't know the backstory behind it, just know that was the case when I was growing up there. I remember a few kids here and there being out for out of town weddings and things like that that couldn't be rescheduled, but there was a letter sent home at the beginning of every school year that parents had to sign and return outlining that policy.
While I do think they were extreme, they set DH and my mindset on it (we grew up in the same town), so in our minds those 180 days are non negotiable. Neither of us has ever taken an unscheduled day off of work either unless it was for illness.
You never use your vacation days that are part of your benefits package? This is weird. You should go sign up for a few today.
The teachers here who get multiple personal days - are those paid days or days you can take unpaid? We get one personal day. Not rolled over. Until last year we had to give a reason for it and it had to fit a list of acceptable reasons (actually, as an admin I still have to give a reason, only the teachers negotiated for it to be 'open').
You can ask for unpaid time and it is generally granted though.
I think there is a difference between taking a kid out for a day or two around a weekend or a holiday and taking a week or more off for vacation. My parents took me out for 3 weeks to go to Asia in fourth grade because my dad had to be there at that time and my teachers were very supportive, gave us our work, and considered it educational. I would do the same for my kids, but I would not do it for Disney. It is tough for us because we travel to England often to see my ILs and it is obviously cheaper to not go at Christmas/spring break/summer but we don't have a choice (as in we suck it up and pay more to go over holidays/spring break/summer because going to see my ILs is not educational. At all.)
Im with @mrsbecky and others. Id do it for something special. Not for an annual trip to new jersey or anything, but a few times in 12 years? Sure.
It just doesn't seem like that big of a deal for a kid that isn't struggling.
And the message it sends as far as I can tell is that sometimes you need a day off that doesn't line up with a holiday. What message does it send my coworkers when I take a vacation? I dont see that it's different.
I can't see the poll, but I'm sure everyone can guess where I stand on pulling a child out of school for a trip. And LOL @ "more educational than school."
I'm baffled by the comments about vacations being more educational than school. If that's the case (and I'm not arguing that it isn't), a vacation isn't more educational in October vs. July, so why not supplement the 180 days of school with vacation instead of replacing those days? And when only half the days of the year are taken up by school, it's silly to clutch pearls and be like "But our ONLY chance to visit the Great Wall is in January!!!!" Maybe that's the case, but...dare I say it...LIFE ISN'T FAIR!!! lol
Look, I hate being a slave to the school schedule but c'est la vie. That's the territory that being married to a teacher comes with. Yes, we could save money by traveling off-peak but oh well. And yes, there is a difference between traveling to Uncle Joe's wedding and going to Disney. If you take your kids out for vacation and have no issue with it, own it. The "it's more educational than school!!!" thing? I can't roll my eyes hard enough.
I used to think this but then became a speshul snowflake and am carpe dieming the shit out of the rest of the year because my summers and Christmas breaks are now ruined by traveling to/from the US.
Post by jeaniebueller on Sept 18, 2014 7:05:33 GMT -5
I said yes over there and am saying yes here. That said, we don't take yearly vacations, so it would be a once every few years kind of thing. E.g., last winter, we took a week off and went to Disney with MIL, BIL, SIL, niece and nephew. That was a once in a lifetime kind of vacation and I felt it was much more beneficial for him to go and miss a week of school. I do take my kid's education seriously, but I am not always able to vacation during their school breaks, so it is what it is. Otherwise, he has very regular school attendance.
Also...I missed a week twice in high school for school sponsored trips. Once was a trip to Europe that was actually educational and the other was a cruise with the honor society that absolutely was not.
And people in band missed a week every year for a big competition trip. I missed half days here and there for art field trips, for quiz bowl events. The swim team missed an assload of time the year they made states. So yeah, tell me again how school is sacrosanct.
We pulled Abby out of school for a few days for some family trips--a family wedding and my grandmother's 80th surprise birthday party. I did let the teacher know she'd be gone and if she had any work, we'd have her do it, but it wasn't a big deal. We knew she was missing work.
I probably wouldn't do it just for vacation unless we absolutely couldn't do it any other time.
This is an "it depends" thing, but in all honesty- probably not. Maybe a day here or there. But a full week? Doubtful. I grew up w/ 2 teachers so we obviously never EVER went on vacation during the school year. It's really not on my radar to do this.
Now- preschool, we did. But now that he's in K and up? Probably not.
I don't know the backstory behind it, just know that was the case when I was growing up there. I remember a few kids here and there being out for out of town weddings and things like that that couldn't be rescheduled, but there was a letter sent home at the beginning of every school year that parents had to sign and return outlining that policy.
While I do think they were extreme, they set DH and my mindset on it (we grew up in the same town), so in our minds those 180 days are non negotiable. Neither of us has ever taken an unscheduled day off of work either unless it was for illness.
You never use your vacation days that are part of your benefits package? This is weird. You should go sign up for a few today.
No, we use vacation. I said unscheduled meaning we woke up in the morning and decided to call out "sick" and have fun instead. Although that said, it occurs to me now that H never looked at what his vacation package is with his new job or if he even has PTO, although I assume he does.
Post by underwaterrhymes on Sept 18, 2014 7:23:49 GMT -5
One of my dreams is to one day be able to pull our kid(s) out of school for a year and travel around the world, using some sort of a home-school program. We aren't religious and neither of us are teachers. Plus we have no interest in long-term home schooling, so I have no idea what sort of programs are out there for people like us. But I read a book called "A Year Off" in which parents did just that, so I know it's possible.
Our son is just 18-months, though, so we have some time to think about it, as well as to save up.
In a hypothetical scenario where my kids were enrolled in a school, I would totally let them miss for important family things, like vacations. Time together as a family is just as important to their development as their academics are.
But we also don't enjoy vacations like Disney or resorts. Every trip we take is to learn about something or see something we're learning about in books. As a homeschooler, I actually count those vacations as part of their "school", so I guess that's where I'm coming from.
But then again, we skipped "school" yesterday because I was bored with the books and we drove two hours to an aquarium and spent the day there. I'm fairly certain they learned more on that trip than they would have sitting at the table in front of their books.
One of my dreams is to one day be able to pull our kid(s) out of school for a year and travel around the world, using some sort of a home-school program. We aren't religious and neither of us are teachers. Plus we have no interest in long-term home schooling, so I have no idea what sort of programs are out there for people like us. But I read a book called "A Year Off" in which parents did just that, so I know it's possible.
Our son is just 18-months, though, so we have some time to think about it, as well as to save up.
What state are you in? Your ability to do this will depend on your state's homeschool regulations.
My only concern with missing school - because again, so far, my kid isn't struggling at all - would be somehow showing my kids that school/education isn't a priority. But I think we absolutely impress on our kids that school and education is something that we prioritize quite highly and value.
And yeah, I think there are times you learn more out of school. Maybe not a random week out of the year, but there are times that I am pretty convinced my kid is doing nothing of actual value in school (see: the whole month of May, thanks to standardized testing...).
We won't make it a habit, and I doubt we'd ever take a full week off where the kids miss school but 2-3 days added onto a holiday weekend or regular break? Yeah, I'll do that. ALL DAY ERRY DAY.
I think my attitude comes from the fact that these are MY kids. I have plenty of faith in my husband and myself that we can make decisions about their schooling without impacting their learning and education. Their education will always be a priority and a value of ours. Our district has some fairly strict rules, and I think they are bullshit, honestly. They are rules geared towards the lowest common denominator and it probably makes me elitist to say this, but I'm not the lowest common denominator. My kids won't suffer from missing a few days of school here and there when we deem it worthy.
One of my dreams is to one day be able to pull our kid(s) out of school for a year and travel around the world, using some sort of a home-school program. We aren't religious and neither of us are teachers. Plus we have no interest in long-term home schooling, so I have no idea what sort of programs are out there for people like us. But I read a book called "A Year Off" in which parents did just that, so I know it's possible.
Our son is just 18-months, though, so we have some time to think about it, as well as to save up.
What state are you in? Your ability to do this will depend on your state's homeschool regulations.
Why would it matter what the state regulations are if they are traveling out of the country?