Do you take your kids out of school to cruise?

[tennislvr8]

Having 4 kids (16, 15, 12 and 8) this subject is near and dear to my heart. Short answer is YES I would depending on the child. Long answer is that it gets VERY difficult for most kinds once they hit HS to be able to do this and keep up. I would encourage you to do it now before you get to that point because you very well may have a child (like I do) that absolutely does not want to fall behind.

 

As an aside, I live in an area in PA that is loaded with prestigious private schools with tuition around 30-40K per year. My girls skate with many of these girls so we get a window into their educations, policies etc. They ENCOURAGE you to take your child out of school for family vacations/experiences. They value the teaching moments that almost always present themselves. They do not have the 10 day absence rule that requires you to provide a doctors note if you go above that number of days.

 

Last year my 8 year old had pneumonia and was out for 5 days--for just ONE illness. Of course he got the stomach bug 3 times...you see where we are going here. So I got the lovely letter from the state and I called the school. The principal was very nice and said to disregard the letter. The only reason they enforce the policy is because of MONEY. Apparently the schools get money based on number of kids in school and number of days? I don't know...my head exploded at that point. Ridiculous.

 

So I went off on a tangent :) Enjoy your vacation...while you still can lol

Andrew I teach in PA, near all of the private schools that you mention. Schools do not get money for student based on attendance. School attendance is the law and thus must be followed, that's why you received thise letters, very odd that you got one from the state. Private schools are subject to the same laws as public schools. Private schools cater to those who pay their expensive tuition which includes taking your kids out of school whenever you want.

 

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[payitforward]

As an elementary school teacher let me first say that elementary is just as important as middle and high school. Taking your kids out of school makes more work for the teacher. In some districts, not mine, the teacher will have give give all of the missing work (extra work), the teacher will then have to grade all of the work (extra work) and then the teacher might have to remediate the kids on what they are struggle with (extra work that might not have needed to be done if they didn't miss the week). Already over worked teachers having to do more work. Your decision to pull your kids out does not just impact you and your child.

 

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I'm struggling with how giving them the work, and grading their work creates "extra" work for you. If they were in school, you would still have to give them the work, and grade the work. Would you not? I do understand the struggle if the kids don't grasp the subjects, and need remedial help. That's where parents need to take into account what kind of students their children are.

[terrig007]

I'm just curious what other people's thoughts are on this topic. My DS is 10 and DD is 9 (3rd and 5th grade). We've cruised over holiday breaks as a family and have also taken them out of school for a week (usually October or November). Overall, we all enjoy the "off season" cruises better. They're less busy and the kids clubs are not overflowing, not to mention the price is always much less!

With my son starting middle school next year, I'm more hesitant to take him out for a week, knowing it'll be harder for him to catch up. DH doesn't think it's a big deal, but I'm having second thoughts on if we should move our November cruise to Thanksgiving week.

For those of you that take kids out of school, how did it go for your middle/high schoolers? Thanks!

 

 

My husband thought it would be a great idea to go on the Anthem on the Nov 11-18 cruise. I have a special needs 8th grader and her school will excuse the absences. However, my other 8th grader, 5th grader and 3rd grader will not have their absences excused. However, they will be allowed to make up the work.

I'm hoping the cruise won't be super over crowded going this time of the year. HTH terri

[jimbri]

As an elementary school teacher let me first say that elementary is just as important as middle and high school. Taking your kids out of school makes more work for the teacher. In some districts, not mine, the teacher will have give give all of the missing work (extra work), the teacher will then have to grade all of the work (extra work) and then the teacher might have to remediate the kids on what they are struggle with (extra work that might not have needed to be done if they didn't miss the week). Already over worked teachers having to do more work. Your decision to pull your kids out does not just impact you and your child.

 

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I agree with you. I too am an elementary school teacher. I have had up to 28 students in a class. It really is very difficult to provide extra work over an extended period of time.

[Armac]

We cruised with our kids the last week of January from grade school until high school. It was a short week in Canada so they only missed four days. Some teachers gave homework and some did not. One teacher said they will learn more about life in that week than they would in school, in retrospect I believe that to be true. Both are graduated from university and have great jobs so I guess it worked out.

[cruiser123!]

No. Never have. There are typically many options that would allow you to avoid that, and I think it teaches a bad lesson...vacation is more important than education. My kids are both very good student (daughter A honor roll and college prep class in 7th grade, son taking math courses 2 years above his grade level).

 

However, with that said I may make an exception for an Australian cruise. Long answer here, but I told the kids that I plan vacations until they are graduating. That year, they can each pick "anywhere in the world" they want to go and that will be our family vacation. As is stands now, my 14 year old would pick an Australian cruise. Due to their summer being during our winter, we'd probably end up missing a week of school her senior year for that.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

The only time we've taken our kids (now 19, 14, 11) out of school for a vacation is when we planned a June vacation based on the school calendar and we had so many snow days, the school year got extended. They missed the last two days of school. The school excused them, but it turned out that those two days are when oldest DD would have found out she could take a HS class as an 8th grader. There was no follow up from the school, and we didn't even know to ask. That resulted in her having to take two HS math classes as a sophomore.

 

I don't think kids should miss school for vacation. However, I know not everyone agrees with that. I suggest checking with the school and see what they allow. Just because someone (or 20, or 200 someones) say "our school encourages it", doesn't mean your school does. So, check with the school, and be willing to accept whatever consequences are levied against you. There might be none, there might be some homework to do while you're gone, or they might give your child 0's on all assignments during that period.

[geomancer]

I'm struggling with how giving them the work, and grading their work creates "extra" work for you. If they were in school, you would still have to give them the work, and grade the work. Would you not? I do understand the struggle if the kids don't grasp the subjects, and need remedial help. That's where parents need to take into account what kind of students their children are.

 

Teachers have to provide homework for each subject, each day. In class, the students may just have a verbal discussion one day for reading comprehension for example, but the student who missed class has to write it out. Or during math the students may pass their papers to the student next to them and grade each others work. There are numerous cases where things get handled in class that just doesn't work if they aren't there.

 

 

Even if it was just what you were thinking, you're taking all that grading that would be spread out over a week, and are forced to do it all at once, on top of the regular grading you have to do. So while it may be a similar number of hours all said and done, it's deferring it all into a lump sum.

[Jasukkie]

I learned when my eldest daughter was in 9th grade not to even travel on long weekends in high school. I spent a stressful couple of days encouraging a paper on German unification while the rest of the family went out and about. She was a really strong student, but who wants to write a paper when you are on vacation? The workload is non-stop in high school. Elementary school, absolutely.

[edspec]

My parents took my sister and I out of school all the time, never made any difference. I'll agree w/ a previous poster, never understood why high school such a big deal over K-8. In the early years they're learning to read! If I was ever going to follow a school calendar it would be during the first couple of years. FWIW I'm a school administrator.

[Jenjer]

Every year sometimes 2x We took our kids out of school for cruises until my oldest was in High school. So all thru Middle school. Both my kids do very well in school and missing a week does not make a difference to them at all. If they had grades below all A's then the situation might have been different. Family time is very important to us. Having lost both my parents young I know time is never guaranteed and my kids will remember a cruise much more than a another week of school. I remember my family vacations and cherish those memories.

 

Even in HS we would probably still pull them but since we have to travel so much for my daughters water polo(not HS team so no special exception from school) we feel like those days AND vacation days would be to much. So now we cruise when school is out.

 

In the end its what is right for your children and your family. I know what is right for mine and you know what is right for yours. There will be fewer middle and high school aged kids on the ships during the school year but they won't be the only ones for sure.

[ToothDoc78]

Thank you all for the honest replies! I can tell there are obviously many opinions on this subject. Both of my kids are good students and not struggling. This November when we're gone, it's the week prior to Thanksgiving, so they'll come back and have a 2 day school week before Thanksgiving break. I figure this will give them a good amount of time to make up any missed assignments from the week prior. Unfortunately our school's policy is not to give work out ahead of time, but we do have them continue with reading and math practice while on vacation. We have to notify the school at least 5 days in advance and fill out a form, and then the absences are at least "excused."

I always get a little concerned with if they happen to get a long illness that would mean more time off for the trimester. Thankfully, DS has only missed 1 day and DD none so far this year.

I think after next November, we'll probably try harder to work our trips into school break times. Its tough since my DH can never get spring break week off work, and summers are difficult for me to get off work.

I looked to move our 2018 cruise on Harmony from Nov. 10th 8 night Eastern Caribbean to Nov. 18th 7 night western Caribbean and it was a $2,400 price increase. :( I really wish companies would stop with the outrageous price gouging for holiday/summer travel. I understand how supply/demand works, but they are still sailing at higher capacity these weeks with no significant increase in their own costs. Ugh.

[tigers317]

We are pulling our kids out for a week in May to go on the Oasis. They are in 1st and 7th grades. We based our dates on the testing schedules last year. It will be the week of make up testing for the middle school and last full week of school. Based on last years activities she will miss watching movies, field day and busy work. She has to be on A/B honor or she has to stay home with her Grandma. t's hard to travel during the Summer for us and with the kids sail free it was a couple thousand less to travel during May.

[goncruzn]

There was a time when I did not agree with it, but I think it really will depend on the child and school policy. We (my mother, sister and niece) love to take vacations together. My father and husband are deceased so we cherish the time we can spend together. At 79 my mother is still able and always willing to "get up and go" so we "get up and go" as much as we can with her.

 

All that said, we are traveling on Oasis this coming weekend and my 15 yo niece will be traveling with us. We debated the pros and cons quite a bit before deciding to travel at this time. My sister has spoken to her teachers several times, my niece has already attended a 6 hour Saturday session at school which makes up 1 of the days she will be out. She will attend two more during the school year that will mitigate days lost. None of her teachers seemed to be annoyed at having to give her assignments she will miss. In fact, during her down time in school this week, she will be working on some of those assignments ahead of time. She is an A student and taking AP classes and we have no qualms whatsoever that this will cause her to fall behind.

 

I do think it's a personal decision and I truly understand why some disagree with doing so. As I mentioned before I was never a fan of it, but now, knowing my niece's academic abilities I am ok with her being out.

[rukkian]

Thank you all for the honest replies! I can tell there are obviously many opinions on this subject. Both of my kids are good students and not struggling. This November when we're gone, it's the week prior to Thanksgiving, so they'll come back and have a 2 day school week before Thanksgiving break. I figure this will give them a good amount of time to make up any missed assignments from the week prior. Unfortunately our school's policy is not to give work out ahead of time, but we do have them continue with reading and math practice while on vacation. We have to notify the school at least 5 days in advance and fill out a form, and then the absences are at least "excused."

I always get a little concerned with if they happen to get a long illness that would mean more time off for the trimester. Thankfully, DS has only missed 1 day and DD none so far this year.

I think after next November, we'll probably try harder to work our trips into school break times. Its tough since my DH can never get spring break week off work, and summers are difficult for me to get off work.

I looked to move our 2018 cruise on Harmony from Nov. 10th 8 night Eastern Caribbean to Nov. 18th 7 night western Caribbean and it was a $2,400 price increase. :( I really wish companies would stop with the outrageous price gouging for holiday/summer travel. I understand how supply/demand works, but they are still sailing at higher capacity these weeks with no significant increase in their own costs. Ugh.

 

We never took them out to cruise, but did take them out for a week at disney when they were younger during may in elementary school. We figured may is when they are usually just trying to keep the kids focused, and just finishing things up. Once they reached Jr High (7th and 8th here) we decided it was too much to take them out, and had too many different teachers to work with on missing work.

[Wingman2010]

Put me down as a parent that thought it was OK to take the kids out of school for a vacation (cruise or land). That being said, we never did it without the proper pre-planning with schools and/or teachers. Many times, there were assignments being completed during the vacation. That plus the fact that we were never dealing with any academic deficiencies. I found that most teachers (provided they were given enough notice) were supportive.

[ach79]

My parents took my sister and I out of school an extra week of spring break every year. They always let the school know and we had to get all assignments for the week we were gone. Had to spend an hour or two every morning doing homework before we could do anything that day. When we got back we were always ahead of everyone because they never seemed to cover everything at school that was planned for that week.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Put me down as a parent that thought it was OK to take the kids out of school for a vacation (cruise or land). That being said, we never did it without the proper pre-planning with schools and/or teachers. Many times, there were assignments being completed during the vacation. That plus the fact that we were never dealing with any academic deficiencies. I found that most teachers (provided they were given enough notice) were supportive.

 

I am a retired teacher and administrator. I feel the above is the best answer to your question.

 

Travel is a huge learning experience for children.

 

Consider:

1. How are the kids doing in school? Not just the grades, but are they struggling to keep up? . . . or do they get anxious when they miss work?

 

2. When is the trip during the school year? I found that students that missed days during the beginning of a marking period missed less work and had an easier time making up what they missed.

 

3.October/November is not a bad time to miss. Usually around election day in our state is the start of the new nine weeks. They usually have 1-2 days teacher workdays. Add in that schools are closed on election day and for Veterans Day and it is possible to minimize the missed time. It might not work every year, but, if you look at the academic calender in advance you can miss less time.

 

4. With advance notice most teachers will work with you.

[payitforward]

I am a retired teacher and administrator. I feel the above is the best answer to your question.

 

Travel is a huge learning experience for children.

 

Consider:

1. How are the kids doing in school? Not just the grades, but are they struggling to keep up? . . . or do they get anxious when they miss work?

 

2. When is the trip during the school year? I found that students that missed days during the beginning of a marking period missed less work and had an easier time making up what they missed.

 

3.October/November is not a bad time to miss. Usually around election day in our state is the start of the new nine weeks. They usually have 1-2 days teacher workdays. Add in that schools are closed on election day and for Veterans Day and it is possible to minimize the missed time. It might not work every year, but, if you look at the academic calender in advance you can miss less time.

 

4. With advance notice most teachers will work with you.

 

Thank you SO much for your response. I was a bit disappointed that the responses from teachers in this thread did not address how it impacts the children, but just how it was an inconvenience for them. I was a child that traveled a lot, and believe I learned as much about life and the world on my trips as I did in any classrooms.

[holden0301]

Last year our kids missed 4 days due to snow make up days. The school district took away spring break to make up snow days. We planned our trip so that they would only miss one day, but it didn't work out that way.

 

DD14 was completely overwhelmed with the amount of work she had to make up. She is in very challenging classes and expectations from teachers are high.

 

We will take them out for 2 days over winter break, but that is my maximum from now on. I hated to see her so stressed after we returned from a fun vacation.

[Merion_Mom]

Travel is educational?

 

They learn as much outside of the classroom as inside?

 

Then travel is just as educational during school vacations. They don't have to miss school to have that travel experience or have that family time.

 

 

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[DCLCrazy]

We homeschool partly bc we like to travel so much. Life is too short to follow the government's schedule.

 

 

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[Desert Cruizers]

When my sister and I were little, our parents planned trips in the summer, so we never took a trip during our school times. We were't cruising then either. In fact I think our first time on a ship was from Bermuda, I was 12 & my sister 16.

[ladybugpug]

Travel is educational?

 

They learn as much outside of the classroom as inside?

 

Then travel is just as educational during school vacations. They don't have to miss school to have that travel experience or have that family time.

 

 

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Then don't take your kids out of school for family vacations. If I take my kids out of school for a family vacation then that is my right and decision as a parent and it effects you not in the least.

[2016USAHoliday]

We took our 2 (years 2&5) out of school for 4 months last year and spent it travelling around the US. Our school was ok with it. We had a meeting with the teachers beforehand and given a run down on what they would like them to do. Spelling, maths and writing were the main ones. One had to do 2 writing pieces on how things have changed. She did Atlanta from Gone with the Wind times to now (her fav movie) and how bison are treated now. They kept detailed daily diaries which, once home, were passed amongst the staff and then this year we read it again to see what we did on this day.

 

Now a year later I still question was it right to take them out for so long? But then I see their work and how they incorporated what they learnt last year makes me realise it was all worth it. We don't even get close to having snow here but they can tell you all about glaciers!

 

And this trip included 4 cruises!