Do you take kids out of School to Travel?

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by I_H8_Crawford

Just did 2 weeks with my kids in the US and will be doing 6 weeks in Asia in the new year with them. They will learn far more on those 6 weeks then they will in school I bet.

No issues pulling them out, my deal is if they are getting good grades and no issues then we can do trips

Yeah I think the bolded is what it boils down to. If you know your kid is struggling, don't do that to them. Also make sure they arrange things with the teacher ahead of time, and/or have access to district sites like D2L or whatever the district is using to post material/PowerPoints/homework while away.

Don't just order the teacher to provide daily emails with links on everything they did that day to your son/daughter (not saying you'd do this). I've heard some rants about that from teachers in my family. The onus should be on the student to keep up while away if needed, not the teacher.

[Dynamic]

My kids are just starting the middle grades and outside of Covid I make sure they aren't out for too long. IMO I can understand maybe a week as long as you give your teacher a heads up so they can give some guidance.

But leaving for multiple weeks at a time? To me that is more or less bad planning and a crappy thing to do to your students teacher. Its much easier for the teacher to keep on top of things if their students are coming in and not having random kids having random weeks off.

[scotty2hotty]

My boys are grades 4 and 5.

We’re taking them out for an additional week during/after this upcoming spring break for a trip to France, Spain, and Portugal.

Not sure that adds anything to the thread. Just joining in.

[puffnstuff]

You guys take your kids on vacation with you?

[Brendone]

Originally Posted by puffnstuff

You guys take your kids on vacation with you?

Sometimes the kennels are full.

[WinnipegFan]

As an educator I fully support parents in pulling their kids for a family vacation anytime they deem fit. I often prefer if they rack it onto a pre-existing holiday but if not it is not a big deal. I work in high school and families do it all the time. We already provide digital materials so kids can do the work. I have recommended families against if their student is at-risk of not doing well. However, it is always with the caveat that the student has to get caught up on their own via extra help times, tutoring, or additional supports.

I think most of the reason educators hate it stems from the fact that we can’t do it but come on, we get summer.

[Spurs]

Originally Posted by Dentoman

Done it twice with 3 kids for 23 days at a time. First time - kids in Grade 6,4,2 and second time Grade 10, Grade 8 and Grade 6. First trip had some school break time included, second time none. Absolutely no regrets. Kids brought some assignments and submitted them online. Some teachers gave them stuff to do and some didn’t. Some were upset, some weren’t. Didn’t care, it was well worth it

It seems crazy to me that a. teachers would be upset and b. that they would let you know about it, whether openly or by being bad at hiding it.

[STAMPEDRED]

Homeschool. Go whenever you want.

What kids “learn” in school is a joke. When we were in public school, I couldn’t figure out how my kid had seen so many movies - like when? Oh, at lunch time the teachers play a movie for us while we eat. Really… so glad my kid goes to school to watch the next film as opposed to eating and going out to play. They’d even get in trouble for talking as their peer was trying to watch the movie.

Then the curriculum has such a low standard it’s truly embarrassing. You can be done school typically around noon, and end in mid May and they are (typically) a year and a half ahead of what the cdn curriculum pace is. My oldest somehow saw the neighbours school work (same age/grade) and was blown away at how ‘easy’ their work was compared to ours. Well behind our pace. Homeschooling has its own hiccups, as anything, but what you gain far outweighs the hiccups. You get your kid back (you don’t even realize you ‘lost’ them) which is the ultimate pinnacle. And yes, you can travel whenever you want - take the school work with you and it can easily be done while you travel.

So homeschool - you’ll love it and you can be a family doing family things and still have them be top students.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by STAMPEDRED

Homeschool. Go whenever you want.

I have to hang out with my kids for the rest of my life. I'd rather them not end up weirdos.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Bill Bumface

I have to hang out with my kids for the rest of my life. I'd rather them not end up weirdos.

I've got bad news for you...

[Maritime Q-Scout]

We haven't pulled ours out of school for a trip. My wife's a teacher so that's not really an option.

However, I have zero issue with it. In fact, I keep checking prices of flights to Calgary so my oldest can experience the Saddledome before it's replaced. It'd be just us and he'd 1,000% be missing school.

But, the experience would be valuable. He'd be learning new things (cultural norms, seeing a new city, the differences between Calgary and home, learn how to tell the story of his trip, etc).

I do believe he'd learn more even on that trip than he would in school. However, that's a short term thing. School in the long run over going to the airport and a hockey game.

It's a balancing act.

Travel is a great learning experience regardless where you go, of how old you are. But it doesn't replace school.

[CliffFletcher]

Depends on the age and how strong the kids are at learning. We took the kids out for a week in grade 6 to go to Disneyworld and it wasn’t a problem. Also wasn’t a big deal to take them out in grade 8 for a couple days to go to Kimberly. They were already strong students and caught up easily.

High school is different. Especially grades 11 and 12. The difficulty and expectations in the higher streamed math and science classes ramp up steeply. Missing a week would be a real problem. My son just went on a band trip and missed two days of classes, and even that is causing some stress as he has three exams this week.

[Locke]

You guys are missing the point.

"We'd love for you to come with us, but...you know, school...thats too bad...maybe next time when you're not a burden? Yes, yes...we're all sad. Anyways, see ya!"

Go! Go!

[STAMPEDRED]

Originally Posted by Locke

You guys are missing the point.

"We'd love for you to come with us, but...you know, school...thats too bad...maybe next time when you're not a burden? Yes, yes...we're all sad. Anyways, see ya!"

Go! Go!

I know it’s a joke^. I’ll comment anyway though…

This has to be one of the worst things kids here all the time - either in passing (tv commercials etc) or actually from parents directed to them. We have a large family, and we go everywhere as a family. I love my wife, but any trip we take is a family trip always which includes all the kids. We never consider ‘just us’ as that time will come again when the kids are moved out. It’s amazing his short a time you get with them - 20 years seems like forever growing up, but once you have kids it goes too fast. I remember our oldest child turned 5 and couldn’t believe it came and went so quick.

Enjoy your kids; don’t miss out on the years you get with them!

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by STAMPEDRED

I know it’s a joke^. I’ll comment anyway though…

This has to be one of the worst things kids here all the time - either in passing (tv commercials etc) or actually from parents directed to them. We have a large family, and we go everywhere as a family. I love my wife, but any trip we take is a family trip always which includes all the kids. We never consider ‘just us’ as that time will come again when the kids are moved out. It’s amazing his short a time you get with them - 20 years seems like forever growing up, but once you have kids it goes too fast. I remember our oldest child turned 5 and couldn’t believe it came and went so quick.

Enjoy your kids; don’t miss out on the years you get with them!

I remember when my parents went to Hawaii without me and it sucked big time. Although I realize as a parent that they do need to get away whether it is a weekend somewhere close or a week somewhere nice. I go away on our own three or four times a week but usually it is 4 days max.

[Traditional_Ale]

Unless you're paying out the ass for tuition trying to finish something spectacular, there is no reason to ever put off travel school. The educational opportunities and experiences of travel are lightyears better than those at school, which I think until University could be literally anything other than school.

Never let school get in the way of your education. Travel.

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

I remember when my parents went to Hawaii without me and it sucked big time.

When I was in my early teens, my parents went on a 2 week cruise during the school year. They shipped my younger brother off to my grandparents and left me 'in charge' of the house for that 2 weeks.

It was glorious, and I loved it.

[Dentoman]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Depends on the age and how strong the kids are at learning. We took the kids out for a week in grade 6 to go to Disneyworld and it wasn’t a problem. Also wasn’t a big deal to take them out in grade 8 for a couple days to go to Kimberly. They were already strong students and caught up easily.

High school is different. Especially grades 11 and 12. The difficulty and expectations in the higher streamed math and science classes ramp up steeply. Missing a week would be a real problem. My son just went on a band trip and missed two days of classes, and even that is causing some stress as he has three exams this week.

The kids are all very good students so that made the decision easier. However, even if the weren’t, the experiences and cultural exposure far outweighed any academic disadvantage they had. Seeing how girls their age lived in northern Vietnam and the daily things they had to worry about, really changed the way they looked at their lives. They still talk about it 5 years later.
We actually had a trip in preliminary planning that COVID wiped out. Would have been Grade 12, 10 and 8 but would have coincided with an extended school break, so probably only 5-7 days of actual school.

[CroCop]

Usually for about a week every year they would miss. For us it was more of a concern to miss sports than the week of school.

[kootenayguy9]

I am a High School teacher at a school where families leave for sometimes a few months during the school year. I feel bad for the kids as you tell them to check “D2L” but so few though. I am glad that there is summer school available for them.