Baltimore Nesties
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Will you pull your kids from school for vacations??
Teachers- looking for your input on this one.
Do you think its an issue for a child in Kindergarden to miss a week of school for a family vacation?
Did your parents take you out of school for vacation when growing up?
Re: Will you pull your kids from school for vacations??
I missed a week in first grade when we went to Disney World. And I missed a week in high school to attend a Spanish immersion program in Mexico.
Both times I had makeup work and I like to think it didn't scar me or permanently hurt me in terms of academic success.
I will add that we (all the kids in my family) always did well in school and in elementary school (for the DW trip) no one had issues yet so making up the work was a non-issue. We learned how to write the letter B and about crickets, I made it up in about 5 minutes. If we had been struggling academically my parents might have had more reservations about doing it (pulling us out.) I had no choice in the timing of my trip to mexico because I had to go when my mom was going for work. The second time I went with her it was over spring break, but the first time that wasn't really an option.
But that was it - it was not a regular thing by any means. I would do likewise for my kids I think if it were a major trip and they were young enough, but I wouldnt do it for a trip to OC or something.
I need to share this quote with DH.
I want to go on the Bermuda cruise but its not offered at a time when kira will be out of school. She'll only be in K, not like missing a few days of school will scar her, at least i hope not.
I think my parents pulled me out for part/all of a week when I was in the 2nd grade and then again in the 4th grade?
Both were for trips for conferences/were sponsored (partially paid for) for my dad, so the timing was totally out of our control.
When would you be going to Bermuda? Bermuda has great weather through Sept. and into October, but I wouldn't go after mid-October w/ expecting great beach weather.
This is something to think about. They offer a cruise in NOvember and one in April. I need to search weather.com for climate trends.
http://bermuda-guide.info/weather/
I would also check and see what the deal would be on the outdoor pool(s) on the ship in November & April. This about what your cruising weather would be like as well.
Bermuda is 600 miles off the coast of North Carolina, so even w/ the jet stream it's still not tropical.
My parents did with me and did with my sister this year...It's not a regular thing, but if the opportunity presented itself and we were doing well in school then they did. We never struggled academically otherwise my parents might have reconsidered. I remember being pulled out for a week in 4th grade to go to Oregon with my grandparents, and Rebecca (just finished 3rd grade) just did the exact same thing. For the most part all of our trips were scheduled during the summer, but not always and I don't think it happened after 4th grade. I'll probably follow the same general guidelines as my parents - if we're young enough or doing well enough in school, the teacher is ok with it and it's a good opportunity...then we're going.
If it was a special trip and my daughter was a good student, yes, I would pull her out. It wouldn't be a regular occurrence, certainly not for an annual family vacation. Regular annual trips would be scheduled around breaks from school.
I think education is invaluable and I realize it's my job to instill the importance of it in my child, but I don't really think pulling her out to take a special trip to Europe (in other words, I wouldn't take her out of school to go to Disney World) is going to express to her that her lessons aren't important as well. Travel and world exposure is immensely important to me (and thus, to instilling in my child) as well, and I won't pass up an opportunity of a lifetime so that she can attend a few extra history lessons that she could make up later. I highly doubt it's going to make or break her educational career.
I don't recall if my mother ever took me out of school for vacations, but it's unlikely. If she did, it wasn't for long. We didn't travel a lot when I was a kid (which may be why I'm more adamant about it for my own child(ren)), and I believe that the little we did occurred over summer vacations and once during winter vacation.
Let me add that I think this goes to the general parenting attitude at well. If school is stressed as important and the child misses some time here and there (even for Disney world like moi, FIA! lol), there shouldn't be an issue. If school is not stressed as important, then never taking a vacation during the school year doesn't send the message that it's important, all other evidence to the contrary (in terms of the parents' attitudes.)
Until I started working (after college), I never took a vacation during the school year. My family never took vacations during school. Only one time was I even taken to the dentist during school hours. That was weird because it felt like a special treat. I should also say though, while I think a large amount of it was that my parents thought it was imporant for us to be in school, learning... my mom also worked in the school system. So, why should we all take time off in the middle of the year, when we'll all be off in the summer anyway.
It depends. When I was in 11th grade, my mom pulled me out of school for a week over Easter to visit my sister in Belgium. She was going to be in Paris in the summer, so we couldn't wait until then. My mom took a few days off of work (she was a teacher, but got more days off than I did). I ended up getting a lower grade in gym and in ceramics, only because I couldn't make up the work in those. (Actually, I did for ceramics.) Also, I had two unexcused absences. I remember sitting on the train to visit friends in Germany and reading the 'Glass Menagerie". At any rate, I don't think it hindered me academically and I was able to do most of my work in advance.
I wouldn't pull my kid out to go to Disneyworld, but would probably do so for Europe.
With that being said, my parents NEVER pulled me out for anything unless I was deathly ill. Even then it was hard...
In general I am against pulling kids out of school for vacation. However, if it was a special circumstance I would consider it.
I was out of school for almost a week to participate in a marching band competition in HS and it was a really good experience. (Except for the 14 hour bus ride, each way. YUCK!)
LOL The winter trip that I *may* have missed school for was a trip to Disney World!
It's just not a big destination for us, and not something I'd feel the need to take Mia out of school for. I'm not raggin' on those who did/would, it just wouldn't rank on the importance and special scale for us.
Ha we only went in September bc it was a "bit" cooler and we stayed in our pop-up camper with no airconditioning. We were pretty hard-core.
My freshman roommate went to a very ritzy school in St. Louis (she was not ritzy so she had this funny perspective on the other students) and they had a two week spring break solely because parents complained that one week wasn't long enough to take a European cruise. lol. I guess at least they weren't missing school?
I think my answer depends on the child and the age. We never took week long vacations during school, we always saved those for the summer. When I was older and had a lot of school work like in middle or high school, I wouldn't have wanted to be away from school for a week any way because it would have been so much work to make up. I did however have many activities that took me away from classes and learning to balance everything was a huge part of doing well at both activities and school and has helped me as I've progressed. But during college when I was going on interviews, I had to have time away from class and I made it work.
I do believe that you can stress the importance of school while still going on trips. I definitely took days off here and there to do different things and it was totally worth it. Just like as an adult, I needed that balance.
For younger kids when the pace of school moves much slower, I think it's ok to take a vacation, but I wouldn't try to make a habit out of it. It also depends on how well the child does with organization and learning. A mature child who is doing well in school can benefit from other activities.
I teach middle and high school and to be honest, it is a huge pain for both me and the student when they miss a week of school to go on vacation during the school year. I would say in elementary school it is probably easier for them to keep up, but when parents ask me for a week of work for the student I tell them in the textbook what we will be covering. Obviously, the student is not going to lug a textbook with them on vacation and I have never had a student come back with the work completed so I don't know why I even bother to give it in advance. Additionally, the student is always frustrated and feels lost when they get back. In middle/high school they have 7 or 8 classes worth of work to catch up on and unless it is as pp said a trip to Europe or something for a wedding or important event, I think vacationing should be used around winter/spring break or in the summer.
My parents never took me out of school for a vacation after elementary school. We went to Disney World once when I was in 1st grade and I was fine coming back, but I can see it being much more challenging the older the child gets.
MyBio
Do you think its an issue for a child in Kindergarden to miss a week of school for a family vacation? Yes - that's what a 2 month summer vacation is for.
Did your parents take you out of school for vacation when growing up? Nope.
I agree with Amber. We went on vacations every year, but they were planned when I was out of school. I don't have kids, but as of now, I wouldn't take them out of school for a vacation. when my parents had to travel when I was in school, I had my Grandparents watch me. I know not everyone has that luxury, but I think school is more important than a vacation.