Do you take kids out of School to Travel?

[bizaro86]

The NY Times had a piece on that question I thought was interesting.

https://archive.ph/y5GYy

My kids are in public elementary school and we've never gotten any pushback on missing some time, although we've also never scheduled to miss more than a week.

There are some advantages, it's often way cheaper and less crowded where you're going, but obviously you're missing class. Adding a week to spring break also gives the opportunity to take a 2 week trip which opens up destinations considerably. For instance I'd really like to do Egypt/Israel (maybe not right now, precisely) but summer isn't reasonable, Christmas is $$$$, and 1 week is too short for a trip that far, so an extra week at spring break seems like the option.

I sort of also feel like that becomes less of an option as kids get older and have more serious classes, more extra-curricular activities/sports, etc.

[Doctorfever]

I think it depends on how the kids are doing in school. If they are doing well, I would say go for it. If they are below average, and missing school might ‘stress them out’ then maybe it’s not a good idea.

Overall it can be a great experience for them, so go for it if you are able!

[SportsJunky]

We are taking the kids to the U.S. for a couple of weeks next month. In the past, we've rarely taken them out of school to travel but the pandemic changed the way I look at things. School work can be caught up on. Exposing them to life through travel and experiencing new things is also very important. I want my kids to see all that they can. Even if it's just a silly trip to Disney World. Maybe if they were bad students I would have a different view on it but I trust they'll catch up on their school work quickly.

[calgarygeologist]

We've done it before but it was mostly in elementary school and try to avoid it a bit more now. What I try to do is book something to overlap with a teacher's convention week where they are off two days and my kids only miss three days instead of a full week. Like next for example, we are going on vacation because the kids have the 10th, 13th and 14th off so we are also filling them out for 15-17 and getting a nice break while only missing three days.

[Mr.Coffee]

They’ll likely learn more travelling than they would sitting in school.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

We've done it before but it was mostly in elementary school and try to avoid it a bit more now. What I try to do is book something to overlap with a teacher's convention week where they are off two days and my kids only miss three days instead of a full week. Like next for example, we are going on vacation because the kids have the 10th, 13th and 14th off so we are also filling them out for 15-17 and getting a nice break while only missing three days.

I was really disappointed the CBE announced that so late - we already had a very non-refundable trip booked for last week, and absolutely would have done that week instead. They had an approved calendar for this school year already and changed it.

The lesson they seem to have learned is to not tell anyone anything in advance, because now they don't have a provisional calendar for next year. I'd like to know if they're going to do a fall break again.

[surferguy]

We are going this week for 21 days. My kids are young but I’m grateful to be able to do this for them.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

I was really disappointed the CBE announced that so late - we already had a very non-refundable trip booked for last week, and absolutely would have done that week instead. They had an approved calendar for this school year already and changed it.

The lesson they seem to have learned is to not tell anyone anything in advance, because now they don't have a provisional calendar for next year. I'd like to know if they're going to do a fall break again.

When did the change the calendar to include the fall break? It was posted in March when I booked our trip and I think the schedule was up earlier than that because I was planning for a least a month trying to figure out what we should do and where we should go.

[activeStick]

Starting from about Grade 3 through to Grade 8, my parents would pull me out of school about a month early if I remember correctly and we'd spend the summer in China and HK. The schools never had an issue with it and I loved it obviously!

[Ped]

It's not a bad thing for the kids, really, but my brother, who is a teacher, hates it because the parents always expect him to pull together the work they're going to miss and give it to them, and then when they come back, they want him to help them catch up if they fell behind.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

They’ll likely learn more travelling than they would sitting in school.

Yes, nothing teaches you about life, society and the broader world than a week in Disneyland or an all inclusive in Cancun.

[pseudoreality]

In a week I'm taking my kids on a two-week trip across France. I feel a little guilty, but I'll get over it. My kids are in Grade 1 and 4, French immersion. So my excuse is it is a chance to practice french. We are spending some time with locals, including a weekend in a remote area with a family that doesn't speak English.

My mom was a teacher. So I was never taken out of school.

[Wormius]

I don’t worry too much about tacking on a week to school holiday, but we don’t usually pull them out of school for vacations if there wasn’t already spring or winter break.

[Mr.Coffee]

Originally Posted by Bill Bumface

Yes, nothing teaches you about life, society and the broader world than a week in Disneyland or an all inclusive in Cancun.

Haha yea, I knew this was coming but honestly, maybe not. You get to see different places, different people, different cultural things at play, there’s quite a lot when you actually get to think about it. For example, a small example, even if the trip is a diluted cultural different experience like Disneyland, you still get exposed and maybe talk about, or hear your parents talk about, currency differential, tendencies of the local population or discussion about general observations of American culture, etc.

Further, and possibly more importantly, lifelong memories of happy family moments obviously are very helpful to growth and development of young people as well, and I’m going to assume are quite powerful in reinforcing positive future behaviour.

[SportsJunky]

Originally Posted by Bill Bumface

Yes, nothing teaches you about life, society and the broader world than a week in Disneyland or an all inclusive in Cancun.

Hey, we are going to Epcot, too. That's like travelling the globe.

[Whynotnow]

We would often tack on a week to school holidays when they were in elementary. Those trips were way more important to us. It changes in junior high and now in high school no way.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by Bill Bumface

Yes, nothing teaches you about life, society and the broader world than a week in Disneyland or an all inclusive in Cancun.

People watching Americans at their finest in those places is highly educational

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

People watching Americans at their finest in those places is highly educational

LOL at Canadians vacationing in Disney, Vegas, Hawaii, Cancun etc. and crapping on Americans.

[Knut]

Yes. We think they need the break just like we do. We try and work around Easter break if we can.

Last year we did a 32 Day trip to the Middle East and Mediterranean. We asked the teachers to provide a list of the subjects that were being covered and we had a tutor help them with it before and after.

Interestingly enough. MY oldest was doing stuff on Ancient Greece in Social class around the time we were in Athens.

The Boys were able to see Petra, the Pyramids, Cairo Museum, Hagia Sofia and many other Mosques and churches. The Acropolis, the site of the Colossus of Rhodes etc. Also, got to experience the modern wonder of Dubai.

[Spurs]

Taking your kids out for a planned vacation assuming they are attending regularly the other parts of the year should cause no problems at all, even if they are struggling. I would probably give the teacher as much of a heads up as possible so you can work together for plan if need be but there is no way missing a week-ish of school at any level should be a problem.