Do you pull your kids out of school

18 years ago

for non-sick type days?

Here is the situation and it is stressing me out. My 5 yo is starting kindergarten next month. DH wants to pull him out for a few days around Labor Day weekend to go visit fil. I say ds needs to stay in school and go through the socalization process because school is brand new and there is a lot to learn. I also don't want ds to think he can stay home from school on a whim. DH's dad is turning 70 that weekend. He was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer two years ago and we are lucky to still have him around. DH's family traditionally has a family reunion that weekend, but I say we'll just have to miss it. We could go in August to celebrate the birthday a couple of weeks early, but dh won't do it. My fil's health is rapidly declining. I don't want ds to miss a potentially last chance to see his grandfather, but I think it should be done a little earlier.

Would you pull your child out of school for a few days for this?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

centralcacyclist
18 years ago
Pull your son out of school. Kindergarten is not as important as seeing his grandfather. Kids at this age make freinds very quickly and there is little taught in the first days of kindergarten that he probably hasn't learned from you at home, anyway. A kindergarten day looks like this more or less: reading circle, calendar, counting, colors, recess, snack, nap.

Also, consider that this may cause future resentment in your family if you do not allow the visit. This is not a whim, this is a dying family member.
trekaren
18 years ago
Kindergarten and first grade, yes I would take her out in a heartbeat. Work with the teacher to see if they need to bring a book or class activities with them.

DD is going into 2nd this year, and I feel if I had a serious need to take her out, this time she'd have to take assignments with her. But I would still do it.
Related Discussions
Do you pull your annuals out in the fall?
Q
Comments (22)
I tried something new this year with excellenbt results...I have been cutting off foliage of perennials (and annuals as I get around to it) and running over it with the lawnmower. It is yielding me a lot of nice material for my compost pile. As an aside, if you put your garden remains in the trash, do you know where YOUR trash goes and what happens to it after it leaves your property? You should, so you can do the best and most educated job you can of clearing your garden. In many communities, the garden waste goes to a landfill, which is considered a no no. Not because it's toxic, but because it is wasteful of the landfill space. Some communities recycle waste and sell the compost, usually through a third party. Garden waste which is treated like this should all break down within 12 months, but they have equipment that helps it along. In stil other communities, the waste is burned, then the heat exchanged and sold as power. For these people, wet leaves and garden waste are the no no because it takes a whole lot more fuel to burn wet stuff as opposed to dry stuff. One of the best things you can do is find out what happens to your waste. It will make a difference on how you dispose of unwanted things. Might also help you make more informed choices when purchasing, too. Lime
...See More
Working when school's out - what do your teens do?
Q
Comments (5)
The best answer probably is, "because it's illegal and I could get in trouble". If your state is like mine, kids have to be 13 to be left home alone. Of course, even at 13, it's not a really good idea on a regular basis. Unfortunately, teens without adequate supervision usually find a way to get into some sort of trouble sooner or later. And the homes where kids stay home unsupervised--at least in my neighborhood--seem to turn into the hangouts. I know a couple of mom's who would be very upset and disappointed if they knew exactly what was going on when their children were home alone. And I'm not talking about horrible kids. Even good ones at that age, don't have the sense to always do the right thing. I've actually seen a lot of women giving up their jobs (or rearranging their hours) so they're home during the hours when their teens are home. In some ways, parental supervision is even more vital when they're beginning to flex their wings, and learning to make decisions. Especially considering that teens brains aren't fully mature. Until they reach their mid-20's, they don't usually have the ability to make logical, well-thought out decisions--that's a medical fact. Teens are working on pure emotion--and you know how much trouble that can get one into You're definitely doing the right thing by seeing that she doesn't have too much time on her own, unsupervised. Even though she may complain now, you're the parent, and making sure she stays safe and healthy now will pay off in the longrun.
...See More
Do you still have your High School Yearbook?
Q
Comments (38)
I still have them, but only the senior year is reachable. The others are somewhere in the stacks of stuff in the garage. I have always kept the senior yearbook handy because up until a few years ago, we had a reunion every year. I always wanted to go back and jog my memory about everybody. Then it began to taper off until maybe just those who still lived in the area would get together. My DH and I went to the reunions when we still lived in that area. Years went by; we moved away and later moved back. We went to a reunion then, and when we got to the door where it was being held, I looked in and told my DH we must be in the wrong place . . . there was noone in there except old people! There were more reunions to follow before the numbers dwindled to make it impossible, but we had some great ones, including a group cruise for the 50th "follow up." My senior yearbook is for 1942. Sue
...See More
What do you do to your kids?
Q
Comments (13)
I think this article is tongue-in-cheek and was not meant to be taken seriously or literally. OK, I'll cop to it, but I think a lot of parents did/do this. I had 3 kids in less than 4 years and I was usually more exhausted than they were at the end of the day. Occasionally, when they were too young to catch it, I would skip pages during the bedtime story to hurry things along and get more "me" time in the evenings. Maire-Cate.....would you believe until I was 7 (I was the youngest and had 3 older brothers) my parents didn't even put the tree up until we were all in bed Christmas Eve. They were up all night decorating the tree, putting bikes and toys together, setting up the train set, etc.....I don't know how they did it! Forgot to add....after opening presents, mom making breakfast, we'd all get dressed and go to Mass. Lunch and later on Christmas dinner.....no dishwashers in those days. Mom must have been up for two days straight....bless her heart!
...See More
lisa_fla
18 years ago
For your situation-yes! No question about it. Its not staying home on a whim-he is going to a family reunion to visit his terminally ill Grandfather.
susan_in_nc
18 years ago
Take your son out! A few years ago, my mother passed away and I actually pulled my children out of school (5th grade and 10th) for a few days to visit with their grandmom who was very close to "the end" but had rallied for "a few good days". I am so very happy that they were able to have some time, make a last "good" memory and actually say goodbye.
I know your child is much younger, so the memories will need to be reinforced with pictures, stories from you and others at the reunion and perhaps a video -- but look at this long term, he will have something to think back on when in school they bring up the subject of your family tree. (This is common in grade school, from learning vocabulary words to identifying relationships; middle school when we teach about communities and high school when we teach immigration in Social Studies and foreign languages. I know both my children had "family" used as a teaching tool, and I have used the topic in Psychology, Sociology and History classes).
Also, I have known of many children pulled out of school for reasons much less compelling.
Susan
ponderinstuff
18 years ago
Another vote for taking him out. We didn't have any choice but to take winter vacations. Teachers were always supportive realizing how important family vacations are. When they get into middle school and high school it is much more difficult ont he kids to pull them out, but at his age he'll gain more by the trip IMO.

Do you pull your kids out of school

Comments (5)

centralcacyclist

trekaren

Related Discussions

lisa_fla

susan_in_nc

ponderinstuff

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US