Should You Let Your Child Skip School For Disney?

Many parents pull their kids out of school for a Disney vacation. Is it the best idea though? While ultimately the decision needs to be between you and your child's teacher, if you are still in the early stages of planning here are a few things to check on before you book your dates. 


Check to see what your school district's absentee polity is. 

Most schools limit the number of unexcused absences. You wouldn't want to get in trouble by skipping school and not letting them know. In some districts, truancy officers will try and track you down. 


Consider your child's age and grade level

While most teachers are pretty agreeable with a family trip during the school year, it's important to always ask and should be based upon your child's ability to miss school. For a younger child it might not make a difference, unless say, your child is at a critical stage in learning how to read, but testing, as well as semester projects do happen especially for the older children, and it could be a problem for their grades if your child misses those. 


Look for holidays or extended weekends to go

Most schools put out their calendars pretty early. Look for parent teacher conferences, teacher work days or holidays where your child can just miss a day or two, instead of a whole week. It's easier to make up missed work, or even work ahead. 


Have a plan to incorporate education in your trip

If you do go, let your child's school know how to plan to keep the learning going, outside of the classroom. The study of nature and animals at Animal Kingdom. World History at Epcot, engineering and behind the scenes skills at Hollywood Studios, and the history behind how Magic Kingdom came to be. Each park has amazing stories your child could learn and write about. 

While going during the school year can be a little tricky, if you plan it right and communicate with your child's school there's no reason that your trip can't be filled with fun and magic with a dash of education thrown in, after all, the knowledge you get outside of the classroom is just as important as what you learn inside of it, and memories and time with family are so important! 

Tell us, have you ever ever pulled your children out of school for a Disney trip? 


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