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Should You Plan a Family Vacation While School is in Session?

Oh, the joys of visiting paradise when travel rates are low and crowds, non-existent. For those with kids who are planning vacations around the school calendar, this delicious pipe dream rarely, if ever, pans out. It's understandable that parents would wish to take advantage of traveling when school is in session, so as to save money and avoid long lines and theme park hordes. Not all costs are financial, however, or show up on a spread sheet. What will your vacation really set you back if you pull your kids out of school to go?

School Policy – Before you consider purchasing those off-peak tickets, find out what the school's policy is. Many schools consider vacation days during class time to be unexcused absences, while others may be more amenable to the practice, particularly if your child is in the lower grades. The school's stance may be softened as well if the travel is clearly educational in nature.

Teacher's Workload – Keep in mind that by booking a vacation during the school year, you are making additional work for your child's teacher or teachers. Many are instructed by their principal that they are not required to prepare lesson plans ahead of time or repeat lessons or tests that will be missed by students on vacation. Many teachers also balk at this practice because they plan their lessons on class participation and cannot prepare them effectively in advance, no matter how much time you give them. If you wish to proceed with a vacation, make sure to connect with the teacher and ask how they feel about it, as well as ask how heavy the make-up workload will be when your child returns.

Your Child's Progress – Determining how well your child is doing in school is paramount before you take them out for a week or longer. If they are struggling or lagging behind, time away won't help and will probably create added stress and anxiety. There is a difference however, between the child who is learning the alphabet and one who is mastering algebra. The age of the child and curriculum should be taken into account when you are deciding upon missing class time.

What's Going On In School? – Is your child involved in the school play, track meet or clubs? As fabulous as a vacation away might sound, your child may wish to remain home and stay involved in activities important to him or her. Find out exactly what will be missed while you're gone, including important test dates and school trips.

Does Your Child Want To Go?  Check in with your child to gage how they feel about missing school. If they're too eager to cut out of class, that may be a red flag to explore. Conversely, if they are reluctant to miss out on face time with their teacher or feel guilty about it, taking their feelings into account is also important.

How Is Their Absentee Record? – If your child is a junior or senior, they are probably looking into next steps. Many schools routinely check on the absentee records of potential students, from the middle school level onto college. A vacation will add significantly to that number and can adversely affect their placement, particularly if they already have accrued many sick days or go on to have an unexpected illness when vacation time is over.

Where, When And Why? – A pleasure trip to Disney differs from an educational trip to Washington, D.C. Can you tie any of your activities into your child's school work and use your experiences as make-up lesson plans? The type of trip you take, as well as the duration of your stay, should be taken into account. When you go may also have an impact. School may slow down, for example, right before winter break but the workload may escalate before standardized tests are given. Pulling your child out of school right at the beginning of the year is also better avoided, as it may delay their acclimation to a new routine.

Is This A Teaching Moment? – If your child's school frowns upon the practice and you pull them out anyway, consider what you will be teaching your child and how that may translate into behaviors they take with them into adulthood and the working world. After taking every issue into consideration, you are the best judge of your vacation's pros versus cons and the impact it will have on your child, their performance and feelings about school.

Corey Whelan is a freelance writer in New York. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.

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