Back to school and beach trip timing WWYD

[felicity]

We are already looking at booking our beach trip for next summer because the house we like books fast. We try and go in August because it is cheaper and the water is warmer, but the problem is that now that DS is in school we have to decide how close we want to cut it to when school starts. We won't know the official day that school starts next year until sometime during this school year, but the past few years have all started the same week in August. At one point years ago they used to go back after Labor Day, so there is precedent for changing things up if they feel it is necessary. 

Would you risk scheduling a beach trip for that week before school potentially starts? The only reason we are considering this is because it saves $1200. We could probably cancel if the dates conflicted, but then we would miss out on the beach trip all together because everywhere will be booked. My other main concern is missing all the back to school activities, meeting the teacher, seeing the classroom, getting his supplies organized, etc, but is all that worth $1200? DS will be in 2nd grade. 

ETA: Okay so shortly after I posted this DH told me there is a law in our state that school can't go back any earlier than two weeks before Labor Day, so the question now is pretty much are back to school activities worth $1,200? Are there other problems I'm not thinking of with getting back on a Saturday and school starting Monday?

[moonpie]

This happened to us this year. Dd is in first grade and the school started two weeks earlier than typical. So, we had rented a lakehouse through Saturday and she started school back on Monday.

We did miss the meet the teacher and we also missed the time to drop of school supplies in the classroom. It didn’t seem to be an issue for DD. The hardest part for me was that teacher assignments went out Monday while we were gone, and so we didn’t have the school supply list before we left. I did some school shopping before we left, and finished it up on Sunday. But certain items were very low in stock.

I would do it again, even though it wasn’t ideal. Especially if your child isn’t switching schools where those back to school activities are more important.

[felicity]

Aug 30, 2021 14:05:37 GMT -5 moonpie said:

This happened to us this year. Dd is in first grade and the school started two weeks earlier than typical. So, we had rented a lakehouse through Saturday and she started school back on Monday.

We did miss the meet the teacher and we also missed the time to drop of school supplies in the classroom. It didn’t seem to be an issue for DD. The hardest part for me was that teacher assignments went out Monday while we were gone, and so we didn’t have the school supply list before we left. I did some school shopping before we left, and finished it up on Sunday. But certain items were very low in stock.

I would do it again, even though it wasn’t ideal. Especially if your child isn’t switching schools where those back to school activities are more important.

Our school PTA has a school supply fundraiser, so we order them and they are sent directly to the class. DS's teacher did have them organize their supplies when we visited the classroom the week before though. DH thinks we can work something out with the teacher where DS could do this on the first day, but I feel guilty because I can imagine the teacher has other priorities that first day.

[steamboat185]

We’ve missed back to school/meet the teacher every year (well except 2020 and that was virtual). In 2019 we were flying back from Australia, for kindergarten and this year we were across the country. Honestly a lot of people miss back to school night and it really isn’t a huge deal. I always feel bad, but the kids don’t mind that much so many parents were dropping school supplies off when school started. Edit this year the girls and I flew back on Sunday afternoon and school started Monday. It was fine because I spent time before we left making a bunch of sandwiches, muffins, and other lunch stuff and freezing them. We also put all the kids school supplies in tote bags and labeled what needed to be labeled so that we were ready to go Monday.

[steamboat185]

Aug 30, 2021 14:09:19 GMT -5 felicity said:

Aug 30, 2021 14:05:37 GMT -5 moonpie said:

This happened to us this year. Dd is in first grade and the school started two weeks earlier than typical. So, we had rented a lakehouse through Saturday and she started school back on Monday.

We did miss the meet the teacher and we also missed the time to drop of school supplies in the classroom. It didn’t seem to be an issue for DD. The hardest part for me was that teacher assignments went out Monday while we were gone, and so we didn’t have the school supply list before we left. I did some school shopping before we left, and finished it up on Sunday. But certain items were very low in stock.

I would do it again, even though it wasn’t ideal. Especially if your child isn’t switching schools where those back to school activities are more important.

Our school PTA has a school supply fundraiser, so we order them and they are sent directly to the class. DS's teacher did have them organize their supplies when we visited the classroom the week before though. DH thinks we can work something out with the teacher where DS could do this on the first day, but I feel guilty because I can imagine the teacher has other priorities that first day.

It’s really fine. DD’s kindergarten class had at least 10 kids dropping stuff on the morning of. Lots of people can’t make it to back to school events and it is nbd.

[shauni27]

back to school events are not a thing here, so I would absolutely not worry about it. Go enjoy vacation!

[waverly]

My kids enjoy back to school night, seeing their classrooms and their teachers. As a parent, however, I HATED it! The lines, the hoards of people, the traffic, too many supplies to carry, too detailed instructions on how to put away supplies by the teachers (some had a list of 20 instructions). Handling the kids all by myself, racing through the hallways to get everything done in time. It was awful.

In 2019, I made DH join me and we went super early, lined up, and avoided the parking/ traffic situation. 2020 was virtual- yay!. We went to a water park and skipped 2021. DD still feels like she can't get around the school- new school for her, but otherwise it worked out fine.

When DS started K, they had presentations and did a lot more to introduce you to the school/ curriculum/ leadership etc. A year or two later, they got rid of all of that, and it just became a supply drop off cattle drive.

[expectantsteelerfan]

I think my kids would be fine missing the back to school events in order to be on vacation, but they aren't kids with above normal school anxiety or anything. I would do it.

[mccallister84]

For me, it wouldn’t be missing out on the back to school stuff. It’s that my kids crash hard a day after we return. So if we get back on a Saturday evening, they seem totally normal Sunday but then Monday they are a bit of a disaster - sleep in very late, overly irritable, etc and I wouldn’t want that for their first day of school.

[af1212]

Personally this would be too stressful for me - our last w before school starts is usually very chill, getting organized, relaxing, getting any last minute items, etc.

I feel like my kids would be way overstimulated if we were on vacation the week before.

But maybe your kids are different.

[felicity]

mccallister84, af1212, Yeah good points about kids getting overstimulated or overtired after trips. We went to the beach in the summer of 2020 and haven't been since, and I don't really remember what DS was like after. We will basically wake up and drive for 7ish hours on Saturday, and he'll probably just play video games or listen to stuff the whole way home. Sunday we can relax at home. He does get really overstimulated and acts very hyper at least a day after eventful things, though, like sleepovers at my parents, so that's definitely something we need to consider. I'm sure my husband will argue that's still not worth $1200 lol.

[felicity]

Aug 30, 2021 14:37:55 GMT -5 expectantsteelerfan said:

I think my kids would be fine missing the back to school events in order to be on vacation, but they aren't kids with above normal school anxiety or anything. I would do it.

DS definitely has some anxiety about certain things that might go over and above what is typical, but I think he'll be okay next year. Like, this year, he was SO worried about using the bathroom there because he's never really used anything but a home bathroom or a public bathroom with us in there with him, so at one of the back to school events we checked out the bathrooms and let him practice using everything. Even after that he still needed a lot of reassurance that he would be fine using the bathroom there, and he was. He was a little worried about getting lost, but I walked him in the first day. But, I think next year he'll be a lot more confident since he'll have a year under his belt, plus he'll be a year more mature. 

[nicolewi]

For $1200, I would do it! I HATE back to school night and it's a crowded, rushed, stressful thing here anyway. i don't know what other events you have, but personally I would do it.

[joy]

We are at the beach until Saturday and school starts tomorrow. Wheeeee. We’re driving back for tomorrow and Wednesday then skipping Thursday and Friday.

We’re trying to avoid that next year but 🤷🏼‍♀️. They changed the date this year last minute and I’m kinda like “well… It is what it is.”

[kershnic]

Do you actually have back to school events? We don’t, unless you’re starting a new school (K, 6, and 9).

[felicity]

Aug 30, 2021 16:25:11 GMT -5 kershnic said:

Do you actually have back to school events? We don’t, unless you’re starting a new school (K, 6, and 9).

This year they had a couple of things for familiarizing yourself with the school for new kids, but the main thing was a time where everyone could come in and see the classroom, meet the teacher, and drop off supplies.

[sdlaura]

We often travel the week before elementary starts, because our preschool is closed that week and our preschool kids have always been too young for a camp - so DH and I often have to take that week off work anyway. It can make for a little bit of craziness in terms of like ordering school supplies online while on vacation - or this year DD's new backpack didn't arrive till the 3rd day of school because I forgot to order it in time. But it hasn't been a big deal to miss the back to school pool party or whatever if we're off doing other fun things. At our school, the only grade that gets to meet their teacher the week before is kindgergarten.