Taking Your Kids Out of School For Vacation - Marvelous Mouse Travels (2024)

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By:Haley Sosnick, a Marvelous Mouse Travels agent

Taking your kids out of school for vacation has become quite a hot topic lately. And, in all honesty, a topic where my personal opinion has changed over the years. No matter where you stand on the issue, I imagine you are in the middle of making a decision. Let’s break it down into pros, cons and tips for how to make the best decision for your family. I’ll give you all of my personal opinions while also doing my best to be unbiased. As a mom and a veteran teacher with over 17 years of teaching experience, I think I have a unique perspective on the topic.

Why SHOULD You Take Your Kids Out of School for Vacation?

• COST:
  It should be no surprise that most destinations are more affordable in the months right before and right after summer. This is because fewer people take vacations in the weeks after school starts or in the weeks just before summer break starts. For this reason, most theme parks, resorts and hotels will offer great discounts on weekday travel at this time. Cost can be a big factor when planning vacations. If saving money is important to you, then missing a few days of school might be a great option for your family.
• CROWDS:
  For reasons similar to those listed above, you are going to face less crowds when you travel while everyone else is still in school. The vast majority of our country will take their big vacations in the summer or during holiday breaks. Therefore, when there isn’t a school break you will see fewer travelers out and about. Now, is it possible to completely avoid crowds? Not necessarily. But the crowds will be cut down significantly when you avoid major holidays and school breaks.

  

• TIME:
  When you really put it into perspective, your child will miss five days of instruction if you went on a week long vacation. Compare that to the total number of days in a school year (say 170-180 days depending on your state). When you think in percentages that’s less than 3% of the school year. As parents, we all realize that we have just 18 summers to spend with our children. When thinking about how few vacation opportunities that provides it really allows us to understand just how precious these moments are with our children. Missing a few days of school can, in no way, compare to priceless memories made with your family. A little extra time working on classwork missed or a few extra hoops to jump through really don’t outweigh the importance of spending time with my children.

  
  

Why is Missing School for Vacation a BAD Idea?

• LAWS/RULES:
  Many school districts or schools have strict attendance policies that they enforce. It is important that you know and understand your school’s policy. Some schools have truancy rules for unexcused absences and if your child misses school without an approved absence, you could be fined or ticketed! Many school districts just ask that you give them notice prior to leaving and others may even have you fill out forms that require documentation of the educational value in your trip.
• TIMING:
  Maybe you want to travel with extended family or friends. Not everyone is willing or able to miss school for travel, so this may limit your travel party if you decide to go on vacation during the school year.
• JUDGMENT:
  Yes, I went there. There will be other parents, teachers, neighbors, friends that will judge you for missing a few days of school for a silly vacation. They may cause you to feel extreme guilt.

  
  

  See Also

  Madrid Toledo Seville Vacation Package

Tips / Tricks for Missing School to go on Vacation:

• RESEARCH:
  Do your research. Both with your school’s policies and for the busy seasons at your desired vacation destination. Keep in mind that just because your child goes back to school in early August it does not mean that all other schools are back in session at that same time. As a matter of fact, many schools still do not resume until Labor Day. The same thing works with holidays like Spring Break. Schools are out for spring break anywhere from early March to late April. Want to know more about the best travel times? Reach out to your Marvelous Mouse Travels travel agent. This is something we spend lots of time researching and have experienced first hand.
• PREPARE:
  If you know your child will be missing school for vacation you will, most likely, know well in advance. Always let your child’s teacher know well in advance. This serves several purposes. If your child’s teacher knows that there will be an extended absence he/she can prepare work for your child to do ahead of time or while in transit so that your child doesn’t return to a mountain of assignments that they will have to make up. Also, there is a chance your child may end up missing some unique school event and you can be prepared as best as you can. For example, one year my family went to Walt Disney World to celebrate her golden birthday (she turned 5 on the 5th). While we were gone her class was taking special pictures for a class memory book and since her teacher knew of her absence ahead of time she was able to get her picture taken early to ensure she was a part of the project.

  

• RESPONSIBILITY:
  If your child's school does require some sort of documentation, extra work or project, make sure you fully understand what is expected of you and you do as much as possible before your trip. You will want to fully experience your vacation while there and will probably be pretty exhausted afterward.

My Personal Experience and Opinions

As I previously stated, I have 17 years of teaching experience and for the first 6 of those years I was not a parent. I can vividly remember having students miss school for multiple days to go on vacations and I was absolutely appalled. I didn’t understand it at all. I just couldn’t understand why parents didn’t value their child’s education enough to send them to school every single day. Now, as a mom of two, I laugh at my old self. Those parents who took their kids out for a few days each year really did have it all figured out. As an educator, I value education very much. But as a mom, I know that family and time with family will always outweigh anything else. When I look back at these pictures from our time together when we should’ve been in school I can honestly say I have zero regrets and would do it 1,000 times over!

Maybe you disagree and have sided with the idea that children should not miss school. That is great, I have no doubt you are doing what is best for your child. This is where it is important for all of us to remember that each family is different. Each school is unique. What works for some may not work for you. Just do your research and weigh your options and you will make the right choice.

I wish you all the best in your future vacation planning and would love to help you with all of your travel planning needs. As a mom, teacher and travel advisor I definitely have a unique perspective to bring to the table. Please reach out to Marvelous Mouse Travels to plan your next vacation.

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