Missing School - Cancel Trip?

[bookqueen15]

Looking for some advice, not sure what will be best. We have a trip planned next week to visit my Dad and Step-Mom on the west coast for about 5 days. My DD who is in kindergarten was going to miss 3 days of school (with one day being a planned school closed day, so really 4 total week days). And then this week she got the flu starting on Sunday night and has been out the whole week so far. Her fever still isn't gone, so she'll be out tomorrow too. And she missed a day earlier in the month due to a fever, so that will mean she has missed 6 days of school already.

Missing 9 days at minimum in one grading period seems like too much, I am leaning toward cancelling (really just rescheduling to the summer) our trip. Plus there is still a possibility one or more of us will also catch the flu. So far, just DD has it but my DS has a cold that lead to an ear infection and bronchiolitis.

Of course is anyone else gets the flu in the next few days, we are definitely not going to travel but I trying to decide if I should should cancel anyways so she doesn't miss 3 more days of school? And she seems to catch everything, so she could miss even more days due to being sick. We're flying Southwest, so cancelling the flights won't be an issue. The trip has only been planned for about 6 weeks, originally we were going to go in the summer and then decided to go in early February instead, to be there over my Dad's birthday.

[bookqueen15]

Jan 30, 2020 21:17:25 GMT -5 jeaniebueller said:

I would be more concerned about her being ill and traveling then the days off. I am admittedly somewhat breezy about missing school at that age, however—assuming she is at grade level in her studies.

Oh, we definitely wouldn't go if she was still sick or if any of the rest of us got the flu. But tomorrow is day 6 of her having the flu, I don't think she'll still be sick by Monday (we weren't leaving until Wednesday). But who knows, this seems to be a very slow moving flu virus so I guess she could still be sick. And in that case we would definitely cancel. 

I received an auto call from the school district tonight about her missing 5 days in the grading period, so that was what gave me pause about her missing more days. And tomorrow will be day 6. 

[erbear]

I don't know if I would cancel now, but her missing more days would not be part of my consideration. It's kindergarten. She'll be ok.

[imojoebunny]

In kinder, I would have gone in a heart beat. Kinder is not compulsory here, so enjoy your last year of that, for a long while. You have 16 more years to have to answer to the school, this year, you don't have to.

[bookqueen15]

Jan 30, 2020 21:37:36 GMT -5 imojoebunny said:

In kinder, I would have gone in a heart beat. Kinder is not compulsory here, so enjoy your last year of that, for a long while. You have 16 more years to have to answer to the school, this year, you don't have to.

Well here kindergarten is in public school and I received a call tonight about her missing 5 days in the grading period, so I think it might be different in our district. And she missed 5 days in the fall as well, 4 for illness and 1 for a family trip. I was fine with her missing the days before, but now that she has been the whole week prior it's giving me pause. 

[imojoebunny]

Jan 30, 2020 22:11:16 GMT -5 bookqueen15 said:

Jan 30, 2020 21:37:36 GMT -5 imojoebunny said:

In kinder, I would have gone in a heart beat. Kinder is not compulsory here, so enjoy your last year of that, for a long while. You have 16 more years to have to answer to the school, this year, you don't have to.

Well here kindergarten is in public school and I received a call tonight about her missing 5 days in the grading period, so I think it might be different in our district. And she missed 5 days in the fall as well, 4 for illness and 1 for a family trip. I was fine with her missing the days before, but now that she has been the whole week prior it's giving me pause. 

Our kinder is public, too, but not compulsory, which means that they cannot require your child to attend, like other years of school.  They can call, and they do, but they can't take you to court for truancy.  Excused absences, like the flu, cannot be used against a child in any case, assuming you saw a doctor, who could confirm the diagnosis.   Even for an older child, over 6, 5, unexcused absences would be the case for initiating truancy, though usually it is more before serious action is enacted.  In general, for kids who are not having significant issues in school, for the bulk of Kinder kids, visiting family is a far more useful learning experience, even in "academic" kinders.  

[vamoose]

I would cancel. That is a lot of school to miss and one of my kids takes a few days after any long break to really be back in the swing of things. I wouldn’t judge somebody else for not cancelling, but I don’t think cancelling is crazy at all.

[lilac05]

What do you like to do when you’re there? If it’s a lot of on-the-go, I’d postpone. Sometimes it takes a few weeks to really feel better after having the flu. I’d want to schedule a time when she’ll be able to fully enjoy it.

How is she doing in school? If she’s ahead of expectations, I’d be more likely to go than if she’s working really hard to keep up.

Honestly, I’m not sure what I’d do in your situation. I wouldn’t judge either way, especially in kindergarten.

[Deleted]

Grading period? In kinder?
Honestly if she’s on track/doing fine I wouldn’t sweat it. I know it seems like a big deal now but in the grand scheme of things, it’s not. She’ll be fine.

[orval]

I think you should check with you school or google your district to see what truancy rules are. Haven't there been some people here that have had the officers visit or have to go through some BS when their kid missed a bunch of school?
I don't think it is a huge deal in kinder to miss but it is alot of days in a month period.

[timorousbeastie]

Jan 31, 2020 6:24:35 GMT -5 orval said:

I think you should check with you school or google your district to see what truancy rules are. Haven't there been some people here that have had the officers visit or have to go through some BS when their kid missed a bunch of school?
I don't think it is a huge deal in kinder to miss but it is alot of days in a month period.

I agree with this - figure out your district’s truancy rules are. In my district, at 10 missed days in a school year you get a call, and at 20 truancy comes into play, even for kindergarten. But if you’re already getting a call at 5 days, I’d worry that your limit of unexcused absences is low enough to get you in trouble if you took this trip and then had another even mild illness later in the school year.

[ECB]

K is public school for us too and we get calls. Missing these days in K wouldn’t phase me. It’s K. She’ll be fine

There may be other reasons to consider cancelling, but missing school wouldn’t concern me.

[hocus2]

Jan 30, 2020 22:11:16 GMT -5 bookqueen15 said:

Jan 30, 2020 21:37:36 GMT -5 imojoebunny said:

In kinder, I would have gone in a heart beat. Kinder is not compulsory here, so enjoy your last year of that, for a long while. You have 16 more years to have to answer to the school, this year, you don't have to.

Well here kindergarten is in public school and I received a call tonight about her missing 5 days in the grading period, so I think it might be different in our district. And she missed 5 days in the fall as well, 4 for illness and 1 for a family trip. I was fine with her missing the days before, but now that she has been the whole week prior it's giving me pause. 

 So she's already been out 10 days for the school year? 

I've become more laid back in my thinking but that seems like a lot even in kinder where it is easier for kids to catch up on missed content. 

[nicolewi]

I wouldn't care at all about missing in kinder. In the long run, it will not matter!

[minzy]

Just something to consider - I would check with the elementary school but here I’m aware of the idea of holding a kid back if they miss 20 days in the year. For the kid I’m thinking of, the family did wind up taking the optional trip at the end of her kindergarten year, which I’m pretty sure put the kid over the limit, but the parents petitioned or something, so the school did not hold her back. You’re at least flirting with that line if your school has a similar policy.

[nicolewi]

In our district, you can be out for 10 unexcused absences. Even then, if the truancy people contact you, you can explain your reasons and generally it's fine. Obviously this is different everywhere, just sharing.

Also in my state, we don't have compulsory days for kindergarten yet (which I love, personally), so even if you get a letter, it's not anything they would or could enforce here.

Bottom line talk to your school and just make sure you aren't breaking any major rules, but I would still take the trip (as long as everyone is healthy).

[minniemouse]

I agree with talking to the school and see what they say. My kids’ classmates often miss a month or more of school to visit family overseas and no one bats an eye.

[bookqueen15]

Jan 30, 2020 22:32:35 GMT -5 imojoebunny said:

Jan 30, 2020 22:11:16 GMT -5 bookqueen15 said:

Well here kindergarten is in public school and I received a call tonight about her missing 5 days in the grading period, so I think it might be different in our district. And she missed 5 days in the fall as well, 4 for illness and 1 for a family trip. I was fine with her missing the days before, but now that she has been the whole week prior it's giving me pause. 

Our kinder is public, too, but not compulsory, which means that they cannot require your child to attend, like other years of school.  They can call, and they do, but they can't take you to court for truancy.  Excused absences, like the flu, cannot be used against a child in any case, assuming you saw a doctor, who could confirm the diagnosis.   Even for an older child, over 6, 5, unexcused absences would be the case for initiating truancy, though usually it is more before serious action is enacted.  In general, for kids who are not having significant issues in school, for the bulk of Kinder kids, visiting family is a far more useful learning experience, even in "academic" kinders.  

Interesting, I am not sure if kindergarten is considered compulsory in our state or district. I know the absences for being sick are excused but I am not sure if an absence for a trip is considered excused or unexcused. She did go to the doctor and tested positive for the flu so the diagnosis can definitely be confirmed. 

[bookqueen15]

Jan 31, 2020 9:20:28 GMT -5 hocus2 said:

Jan 30, 2020 22:11:16 GMT -5 bookqueen15 said:

Well here kindergarten is in public school and I received a call tonight about her missing 5 days in the grading period, so I think it might be different in our district. And she missed 5 days in the fall as well, 4 for illness and 1 for a family trip. I was fine with her missing the days before, but now that she has been the whole week prior it's giving me pause. 

 So she's already been out 10 days for the school year? 

I've become more laid back in my thinking but that seems like a lot even in kinder where it is easier for kids to catch up on missed content. 

Yes, she missed 5 days in the fall (4 for illness and 1 for a trip) and now has missed 6 days this month, so we're at 11 days total. And she could still miss more due to illness between now and the end of the year, she seems to be catching a lot of things this year despite being in preschool for three years prior. I think rescheduling the trip to the summer might be the way to go. 

[bookqueen15]

Jan 30, 2020 23:56:04 GMT -5 vamoose said:

I would cancel. That is a lot of school to miss and one of my kids takes a few days after any long break to really be back in the swing of things. I wouldn’t judge somebody else for not cancelling, but I don’t think cancelling is crazy at all.

That's kind of where I am at and my DD definitely takes a few days to get back on track after a long break.

[bookqueen15]

Jan 31, 2020 1:03:46 GMT -5 lilac05 said:

What do you like to do when you’re there? If it’s a lot of on-the-go, I’d postpone. Sometimes it takes a few weeks to really feel better after having the flu. I’d want to schedule a time when she’ll be able to fully enjoy it.

How is she doing in school? If she’s ahead of expectations, I’d be more likely to go than if she’s working really hard to keep up.

Honestly, I’m not sure what I’d do in your situation. I wouldn’t judge either way, especially in kindergarten.

Well, we were planning to go to Disneyland for one day. The rest of the time would be a bit more laid back, but with at least one outing a day. That is a good point though that it might take her a little longer to feel better. I am honestly surprised she still has a fever now on day 6. At this rate, we may have to cancel anyways if she's still sick.

[InBetweenDays]

I wouldn't at all be concerned about missing that much school. At our school chronic absenteeism is considering missing 10% of the school days. No matter the reason. But even then you'd just get a phone call and once you explained your situation I'm sure they wouldn't go any further.

But regarding her illness - is she coughing a lot? We've had a number of cases of walking pneumonia in our area (including dd) and one main symptom was a fever that looked like it was going away but would then come back. Got antibiotics and within 24 hours started feeling better.

[bookqueen15]

Jan 31, 2020 10:18:52 GMT -5 InBetweenDays said:

I wouldn't at all be concerned about missing that much school. At our school chronic absenteeism is considering missing 10% of the school days. No matter the reason. But even then you'd just get a phone call and once you explained your situation I'm sure they wouldn't go any further.

But regarding her illness - is she coughing a lot? We've had a number of cases of walking pneumonia in our area (including dd) and one main symptom was a fever that looked like it was going away but would then come back. Got antibiotics and within 24 hours started feeling better.

Thanks! She is still coughing some but I am not sure if it's a lot. The doctor (not her regular pediatrician) who we saw on Tuesday said she didn't have pneumonia then but her fever does keep coming back. But I'll keep that in mind and take her in again if the fever continues. 

[waverly]

K is not compulsory in a lot of states. However, once you are enrolled in a school district, by you choosing to enroll then that is you choosing their attendance policy. Yes, you might not have to go to truancy court, and yes the sick days should be excused with a doctors note, but it doesn't mean do whatever you want in K because it is not compulsory which is a vibe I kind of get from some parents sometimes.

If you choose to go, talk to your doctor. We took a trip to Hawaii the week that DD had the flu. She was diagnosed on Monday and we flew on Saturday. The doctor gave all of us Tamiflu as a precaution. Even my mom who was meeting us there talked to her doctor and got it as well. It was an expensive trip, so we could not cancel, and DD only missed 2 days of school the week before and wasn't missing any more. But if she had the flu, and we were going somewhere where it was no problem to cancel, we might have done so. It all worked out. No one else got sick besides the original 2 people that had it, but DH was one of them and he had body aches the entire trip.

[waverly]

Jan 31, 2020 12:42:57 GMT -5 bookqueen15 said:

Jan 31, 2020 10:18:52 GMT -5 InBetweenDays said:

I wouldn't at all be concerned about missing that much school. At our school chronic absenteeism is considering missing 10% of the school days. No matter the reason. But even then you'd just get a phone call and once you explained your situation I'm sure they wouldn't go any further.

But regarding her illness - is she coughing a lot? We've had a number of cases of walking pneumonia in our area (including dd) and one main symptom was a fever that looked like it was going away but would then come back. Got antibiotics and within 24 hours started feeling better.

Thanks! She is still coughing some but I am not sure if it's a lot. The doctor (not her regular pediatrician) who we saw on Tuesday said she didn't have pneumonia then but her fever does keep coming back. But I'll keep that in mind and take her in again if the fever continues. 

When are you leaving?  Based on the fever coming back I might cancel more because of that.  I would definitely do one more trip to the doctor before you go, if you still decide to go because the last thing you want is to have to go to urgent care while on the trip. 

[bookqueen15]

Jan 31, 2020 12:55:55 GMT -5 waverly said:

Jan 31, 2020 12:42:57 GMT -5 bookqueen15 said:

Thanks! She is still coughing some but I am not sure if it's a lot. The doctor (not her regular pediatrician) who we saw on Tuesday said she didn't have pneumonia then but her fever does keep coming back. But I'll keep that in mind and take her in again if the fever continues. 

When are you leaving?  Based on the fever coming back I might cancel more because of that.  I would definitely do one more trip to the doctor before you go, if you still decide to go because the last thing you want is to have to go to urgent care while on the trip. 

We were going to leave on Wednesday next week. But I think I have decided to just cancel and plan a trip over the summer instead. We'll able to go for longer then anyways and hopefully feeling much better than if we were to go next week (and no additional school days missed). 

[joy]

Jan 31, 2020 12:42:57 GMT -5 bookqueen15 said:

Jan 31, 2020 10:18:52 GMT -5 InBetweenDays said:

I wouldn't at all be concerned about missing that much school. At our school chronic absenteeism is considering missing 10% of the school days. No matter the reason. But even then you'd just get a phone call and once you explained your situation I'm sure they wouldn't go any further.

But regarding her illness - is she coughing a lot? We've had a number of cases of walking pneumonia in our area (including dd) and one main symptom was a fever that looked like it was going away but would then come back. Got antibiotics and within 24 hours started feeling better.

Thanks! She is still coughing some but I am not sure if it's a lot. The doctor (not her regular pediatrician) who we saw on Tuesday said she didn't have pneumonia then but her fever does keep coming back. But I'll keep that in mind and take her in again if the fever continues. 

Fevers with viruses can last for 5-7 days. It’s common to be all day the first three days and then only at night for the subsequent days. So, some of the coming and going could be absolutely normal. We were also told three weeks of coughing following the flu. Yay.

I will be the outlier and say that I would not let my kid miss that much school - even in kindergarten - for trips. So, yeah. I personally would cancel. But, that is me.

[icedcoffee]

I'd cancel. There's little or no monetary impact to doing so and I'd want everyone feeling 100%.

I'm also not big on missing school. I know it's only kindergarten, but it's still a huge disruption to routine and probably a bit of a pain for the teacher.

[bookqueen15]

Jan 31, 2020 13:28:13 GMT -5 joy said:

Jan 31, 2020 12:42:57 GMT -5 bookqueen15 said:

Thanks! She is still coughing some but I am not sure if it's a lot. The doctor (not her regular pediatrician) who we saw on Tuesday said she didn't have pneumonia then but her fever does keep coming back. But I'll keep that in mind and take her in again if the fever continues. 

Fevers with viruses can last for 5-7 days. It’s common to be all day the first three days and then only at night for the subsequent days. So, some of the coming and going could be absolutely normal. We were also told three weeks of coughing following the flu. Yay.

I will be the outlier and say that I would not let my kid miss that much school - even in kindergarten - for trips. So, yeah. I personally would cancel. But, that is me.

Well her fever is still all day (only goes away with Motrin or Tylenol and then comes back after 5-6 hours) but it's not getting as high as it was. It's been 101.5 most of the day today, when earlier in the week was getting up to 103-104. My DD always tends to get high fevers when she is sick. 

I do feel like it it is too much school to miss, I would not have planned a trip missing this many days of school. I was okay with 3 days, but now that she has already missed 6 days this month (with of 5 of them being a whole week) right before missing 3 additional days, it's too much. But I think that aside, she probably shouldn't travel so soon after getting the flu and someone else could still get the flu between now and then, so we're going to cancel.

[nellgirl]

There’s no way I’d cancel that.
I teach 6/7, and I’ve had kids gone way longer. We have no truancy rules (other than if you’re gone for, I think, 6 weeks and someone else wants your spot at the school, you forfeit it), and often have kids going home for the lunar new year for a few weeks. It’s disruptive, but we’re used to it and the kids catch up.