Traveling with kids?

[Valarie4211]

I was just wondering when everyone travels that has school aged kids. It is so expensive for us to travel during the summer with five kids, so for their first cruise, we booked one right at the end of the summer and they are actually missing the first day of school. Has anyone tried traveling during the school year and letting the kids miss a week of school? And if so, how has it worked out and is it worth saving the money? We have kids from 8th-1st grade.

[alligirl78]

I was just wondering when everyone travels that has school aged kids. It is so expensive for us to travel during the summer with five kids, so for their first cruise, we booked one right at the end of the summer and they are actually missing the first day of school. Has anyone tried traveling during the school year and letting the kids miss a week of school? And if so, how has it worked out and is it worth saving the money? We have kids from 8th-1st grade.

 

Prepare yourself for the varying opinions on this topic and maybe even some flamers...LOL

 

I take my kids out of school for the week after Thanksgiving. They are both good students and their school district has always been great about it. It saves a TON of money. My sister and her husband paid more for their August cruise for 2 then I did for our Nov cruise for 4. It's absolutely worth it and the memories and adventures that we've had as a family are things we will treasure forever.

[frayedend]

I've never had a problem taking my kids out of school but as they get older it's more difficult. Now my 7th grader has high school choice to think about and he wants in a tech school. Absences are counted from 7th and 8th grade so we can't do it. That being said we noticed a huge price difference from mid-august to late August. In the north we go back later than the south so we have that last week in August we can vacation, but as you say, may miss the first day or 2 of school.

 

If absences and grades aren't a problem I'd definitely take them out of school. Consider it homeschool study abroad. :D

[DobberDog]

We take our kids out of school every year for our family cruise. We cant afford to go during the summer with all 5 of us. Its way cheaper and easier to just pull them out of school. We try to work the vacation around testing dates and i get with all the teachers to get any work that the kids can do beforehand and then push the kids to makeup any work that they cant do early. You have to also keep count of days that they are out. We are pushing it currently with my DD for the rest of the school year as last week she was out for 3 days after getting strep. She only has 1-2 more days that she can miss this school year due to the cruise we took in Feb and her sick days. The schools are typically accommodating as are most teachers as long as the kids don't typically miss school as it is. One of my sons teachers had him write an essay about our cruise and what he learned for extra credit. That helped out a lot. There were a bunch of kids on our cruise in Feb. Way more than I anticipated. We are planning our 2015 cruise out of NOLA on the dream in Jan 2015 and will be pulling them from school that week as well.

 

I did get one snide remark from some old man on our Feb 2014 cruise. We were all in the elevator and he said something like " my grandkids are in school right now, shouldn't your kids be too?" just shrugged it off. You are the parents and you make the decisions.

[hlb76]

Every year my kids have missed a week of school due to a family vacation. We always go in the winter as thats when I can afford vacation and get time off. Plus why would I want to leave the warmth to go some place warm. I live in MN I NEED to get away in the winter :D We do however try to go when there is at least one school closed day so they miss 4 vs 5 days.

 

Is it worth it! I say HECK YES!!! We all need the time away the time as a family and the warm weather. I agree school is important but so is family time and life lessons.

 

Now I know its not some great cultural experience like they go to Mexico and see the ruins and come back knowing all. But I think its a great life lesson to learn a bit about the world and see the people in it. See that not everyone has the things we take for granted every day. I have even found when my kids learn about places we have traveled they tend to take it more seriously or if they have learned about a place we will be traveling they like go and see the places in the history books. It works for our family!

[cruizinisthebest]

Yes be prepared for flamers and the thread to be moved since it's not Carnival specific.

 

As to your question, thus far we have only cruised in the Summer months. Our choice, but I'm not entirely opposed to taking the kids out of school to miss a few days for vacation. Parents know their children best and if they can handle the missing work, etc. Everyone should enjoy vacation the way that is most comfortable for them. If it's financially easier to take 5 kids on a cruise with them missing a little school, then that's what you do. Your children are blessed to have parents willing to sacrifice to take them. I know with just two it's a lot of saving and planning ahead of time. Enjoy your trip!

[CocoaMom]

When our kids were young, taking them out of school wasn't an issue and yes, we did it. Once they reach high school in our district, it's impossible due to the absent policy. During that time we always cruised in June which is crazy expensive.

 

My sister is pulling her kids (elementary) for our May cruise this year.

[guxu]

While I never did, I think taking them out when they are in elementary school or even in middle school should be fine. But when they are in high school, there is no way. I cannot even book an early summer cruise this year because my daughter will have AP exams at that time:(.

Edited March 10, 2014 by guxu

[renza]

We always took them out of school. My oldest is in high school now, and missing school is way to overwhelming for him. His work load will not allow for it. Enjoy it while u can.

 

 

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[jackparts]

For the last five years, and again this year, we cruise over Thanksgiving. Yes, it is ALOT more $$ but this way the kids only miss two days of school. We work with the school to get homework etc. before we leave and the schools have been ok so far.

[4Tacos]

Mine are both in elementary and this school year we pulled them out for a week in September (land vacation) and a week in February (cruise). We will be doing the same in the 2014-2015 school year.

 

#1 - Crowds are stressful for me. I prefer to vacation during less crowded times.

#2 - I am very busy during the summer months at my job.

#3 - We live in Ohio and going in February makes for a nice break from winter.

#4 - I want well rounded and well traveled children.

#5 - I want my kids to know that there is more to this world then the state of Ohio.

#6 - Vacation resets my husband and i's relationship and helps us get refocused and reconnected. The longer we are together, the more important this becomes.

 

Our school district has worked well with us and we do homework on vacation. Both my kids journal about vacation and we do math and reading. Even though we have to do it, I'd much rather do it on a beach then in our home.

 

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[cruizinisthebest]

Mine are both in elementary and this school year we pulled them out for a week in September (land vacation) and a week in February (cruise). We will be doing the same in the 2014-2015 school year.

 

#1 - Crowds are stressful for me. I prefer to vacation during less crowded times.

#2 - I am very busy during the summer months at my job.

#3 - We live in Ohio and going in February makes for a nice break from winter.

#4 - I want well rounded and well traveled children.

#5 - I want my kids to know that there is more to this world then the state of Ohio.

#6 - Vacation resets my husband and i's relationship and helps us get refocused and reconnected. The longer we are together, the more important this becomes.

 

Our school district has worked well with us and we do homework on vacation. Both my kids journal about vacation and we do math and reading. Even though we have to do it, I'd much rather do it on a beach then in our home.

 

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Totally TOTALLY agree with you on #6. However I don't see what 4-6 have to do with taking vacation specifically when the kids are out of school. All of that can be accomplished regardless of when you vacation.

[cruisecraze96]

This year we are actually going next week on the Dream during Spring Break but normally I take them out of school for one week around the last week of school after exams before prices go whee!

 

Usually I don't do the Summer/Spring Break thing but my mom wanted to do it then and she helped with the extra cost due to the time of year so it should be interesting. Oldest DD is now 11 and she has missed about 2 - 7 days each year without issue.

[jcearth]

Our school district goes on a balanced schedule, so there is a week off in September, November, two weeks in December, a week off in February, and a week of in April. However, the kids go to school all of August. September is the absolute best time for cruising (as long as there are no hurricanes), because the weather is still fantastic, and the ships are way less crowded.

[CheckersMidwest]

We went to Disney in September one year, before the kids (kid then) were old enough for school. It was so much cheaper and a lot less busy, so a great trip. I understand traveling in the off season has its benefits !

 

However, we do not take our kids out of school. But not because I don't think you're suppose to, but because of specific rules.

 

In our district.....you are only allowed to miss 5 days per semester. Period. It doesn't matter if you're sick, having surgery, death in the family, or traveling. 5 days. When you reach the 5th day, you are turned over to the Division of Family Services for truancy. Most of the time, it doesn't evolve into anything, but they can come and investigate and make things ridiculous. The last time I sent my daughter at noon the secretary made some comment about sick kids coming to school and I reminded her that as long as they had the 5 day rule that's exactly what was going to happen. It doesn't even matter if the school nurse sends them home - it counts against them. This is the entire school - elementary & high school.

 

Once in high school, if you have a certain % attendance, you don't have to take finals in certain classes. If you're under attendance then you do.

 

Also, we have an A+ high school. I think it is a state program maybe?! If you register as a freshman with the program and complete the list of criteria, (specific gpa, community service hours, attendance, etc) then you can attend 2 years at a community college free. Yes free. If you choose a 4 year (like my son did) then you get a nominal scholarship instead. One of the requirements is an overall attendance %. Miss a few days throughout each year and it puts that whole program into jeopardy. Quite a few kids here rely on that for further schooling.

 

Even with prior arrangements made, our absences count against the kids. One example, my daughter has an appointment in the city with a pediatric cardiologist on Thursday at 1:00. It's over 2 hours each way. I've notified the office, she'll pick up assignments and turn them in on time on Friday when she returns and it is still counted on her record as one of her 5.

 

So, no, we don't take our kids out of school for vacations.

 

I can recommend however, that you take a cruise immediately when school is out. Each week into the summer, the cruise increases in price. We have taken 2 now the last week of May into June. We are fortunate though that our school is out by May 20. I know some go longer.

 

We rarely get a spring break. They schedule it for the Wed before Easter through the Tuesday after but they are part of our snow make up days. We missed 6 days this year and lost all of that except Good Friday , used some other days, and added one on at the end. No fall break, but we do get 2 full weeks off at Christmas. We're ok with that schedule since they do get out 'early' compared to others. All the schools in the surrounding towns have about the same schedule we do.

Edited March 10, 2014 by CheckersMidwest

[Phlybice]

I was just wondering when everyone travels that has school aged kids. It is so expensive for us to travel during the summer with five kids, so for their first cruise, we booked one right at the end of the summer and they are actually missing the first day of school. Has anyone tried traveling during the school year and letting the kids miss a week of school? And if so, how has it worked out and is it worth saving the money? We have kids from 8th-1st grade.

 

That's a question you should be asking your school and your kids teachers.

 

I never even thought about it until one year on a transfer bus, a lady who WAS a teacher told me her kids do it, and she was doing it that year, that week.

 

When my kids were small, we asked, we were told it was fine, and they even helped us with lesson plans, although we didn't even ask for that. As they got older, it was WE that decided it may not be a good idea.

 

Until high school sports came along, and these kids were granted leave to perform all over the country. Rebounding seems to be a bit more hard when they are older, and it may even affect my youngest this period possibly missing her first Honor Society quarterly standing.

 

So it REALLY is up to you, providing your school district allows it.

[Freckle53]

We are going on our first cruise in September and our oldest will miss a week then. We've never taken him out of school for a vacation yet and I'm not crazy about it, but we haven't traveled as a family in a very long time. He's in 4th grade this year and just missed 2 weeks of school from having his tonsils out. We picked up his work a few times and his transition back was smoother than I thought. He had to take a couple spelling tests and that was it. Everything else he was caught up on. I'm not too worried now about the week we will be gone next school year.

[gtouch]

I have found the cheapest way to travel with my kids is to wait until they turned 18 and then tell them to pay their own way..........just kidding didn't work for me either.

[Dreacrusingaway]

In the past I have let my kids miss a day when we are traveling, especially before a holiday/busy travel days when leaving one day early can save a ton on airfare.

 

I personally would not pull my kids out for a week from school. It would freak my oldest out because she is basically psychotic about her grades. Last night she was lamenting about having a 96 in math...:eek:. Honestly it would stress her out to miss school for a week, now that she is in middle school.

 

The other reason is you never know when you will "need" those days. My 2nd grader has missed SEVENTEEN days of school this year. She had pneumonia in November and basically missed the entire month. If she had missed a week in Sept for a vacation or if I had booked and paid for something later and suddenly could not afford to miss any more days, it would not have been a good thing.

 

I WISH my school system would go on a balanced calendar. As it is, we will be going on the Sunshine in May leaving 3 days after school ends.

[CruisingSoon88]

My son's school allows 20 days missed per year. Luckily, they also will credit him for some of the days that he misses for traveling using their globalization program. He just does a short(he's in 2nd grade)report on his trip and they will count him present for some of the days that we are gone. We usually go on 3 big vacations a year with 1 being a land vacation during the summer. If we had to pay summer prices for our cruises, then we could only afford to go on 1 trip a year.

[CrystalBelle]

Id take them out of school if they are not missing too many days already or if they have good grades. We are military so most of our trips have been home to visit family only recently I've started doing actual vacation and saying if family wanted to visit they could come see us! haha

 

I got lucky and found a cruise out of a port within driving distance for the exact dates as our spring break.

[MichelleChell]

We have done it twice. I will take the un-excused to save some $. We just make sure to watch the days missed. So no random home days when we do it.

Last you we did it the week of Easter that way they only missed 4 days instead of 5 with Good Fri.

[askimdog]

Every case is different, like every school. My daughters school only has 34 students and her class is 4,5 and 6th grade combined, about 12 kids (she is one of three 4th graders). Taking her out is easy, they simply put together her work for the week and she does it on board. With our jobs we can only cruise Dec-Feb and not over holidays, so we have little choice but to take her out.

 

Plus every cruise we do we add educational stops, every museum, nature hikes looking for specimens etc. and avoid shopping, swimming with creatures, ziplines etc.

[LCTXcruiser]

We travel during the school year as long as the following is being met:

 

1. We never try to have him out of school for more than 3 days at a time.

 

2. Grades have to be an 87 or higher. All classes.

 

3. No more than twice a year

 

4. Only with the PRINCIPAL'S permission! Can't stress this enough. You need to let the school know. Don't lie and don't ask your kids to lie - I'm not a saint and saying that I've never lied, but you don't want to get busted because your kid starts talking to one of his friends about how much fun he had swimming with the stingrays :).

 

 

Vacations are very important for the family, but so is your child's education. If you think that thier grades won't suffer, then I say go for it. I make sure that I always have his teachers on board.

 

And, it never hurts to bring back a little souvenier for them:D

[jenanderic]

Coming from a teacher's point of view, it's hard for students to catch up. Although it's easier for my students who are elementary kids. High school is the hardest and often will just be counted as an F. Please remember absences hurt not only the student but the district. Schools get money and rating based on attendance.