by Danielle P.
Member since:
March 26, 2007

Skipping school?

May 16, 2008 10:29 PM UTC
views: 0 | comments: 30
Do you ever let your children skip school with your permission when your child is not ill?

If so, what reasons are acceptable to you, if any?

When my daughter was younger her and I would take off one mental health day a year.  I would not go to work and she would stay home from school and we just spent the day together...
My son(who is a very good student~age 8)  came home from school the other day and asked if he could go to Kennywood Amusement park next weekwith a girl and her family from school, but they would have to skip school......Since he is a good student and a great listener and he has only missed two days of school this year due to illness, I said yes....

I know parents that take their kids out of school for a week at a time to go on vacations, I never considered this.  My thoughts are that vacations are for the time they are not suppose to be in school.

What are your thoughts on all this?


Comments: 30

Angie G. May 16, 2008, 10:34pm UTC
Usually if we have had a really bad night sleeping, I will let me daughter stay home. This has happened a couple of times. I figure why try to send her when she's gonna be a pill from lack of sleep.

It not too bad though because she's only in kindergarten.
Darrell Y. May 16, 2008, 10:39pm UTC
I would only allow my son to miss school if he is really sick. I don't for one second want him to think it is ok to skip.
Heidi C. May 16, 2008, 10:41pm UTC
I let my kids stay home every once in a while, but I remember when I was in school, my mom let me too, then it got really bad and I wanted to stay home almost every day. It is a hard decision to make and only you know your child well enough to do so. I also would not take a vacation during the school year because isn't that what the summers are for?!?! Well, unless it was a once in a lifetime event that could not be helped but that would be the only time I think I take a vacation in the school year!
Priscilla (wishing I was in Costa Rica) ~. May 16, 2008, 10:47pm UTC
I do not let my daughter (13) stay home, unless she is sick. On the other hand, she freaks out if I even talk about taking a vacation where she will have to miss school. So we only take vacations during the summer, unless there is a family emergency~
Chris E. May 16, 2008, 10:51pm UTC
I don't let my kids stay at home unless they are sick. Although I am letting my son stay at home at the end of the month from a field trip that he has been to many times. His option was to go on the field trip or stay home and do school work. I have asked the teachers for extra work and he will be working on school projects also. He chose to stay home and do the work. I bet he won't make that decision again after I am through with him. lol
Dorothy H. May 16, 2008, 10:55pm UTC
I'm for homeschooling, and anytime, anyone can manage to have more time with their kids, gets a gold star, from God, in my mind.
Vivian P. May 16, 2008, 10:57pm UTC
seeing my youngest is 33 it's been a while LOL
Lee W. May 16, 2008, 11:05pm UTC
My older 2 didn't need parent created skip days, they created their own. My youngest graduates hign school June 12, and only missed 2 days fo school in her entire 13 years of school, and that was to attend a family funeral.
Jennine D. May 16, 2008, 11:31pm UTC
My dad took us kids out of school at different times to go hunting, hiking, prospecting or fishing with him and said there was more to leaning than books. He was right. We did the same for our kids once in awhile a couple times a year. Usually Spring and Fall. We also went on vacation for religious reasons for 10 days to "The Feast of Tabernacles" every fall.
Danielle P. May 17, 2008, 7:14am UTC
Thanks for all your comments and your points of view. I appreciate all the feedback.
Bert Van Essen May 17, 2008, 8:41am UTC
I was allowed to skip school for the first day of Pheasant Season and when we butchered hogs I was needed to help. But my former wife was a stickler for the rules and none of our children just missed class.
Steph-in-NE ..... May 17, 2008, 9:13am UTC
My soon went to elementary school in Omaha before we move here, and he never wanted to miss school. lo and behold before going into jr high, which is the yr we moved here he got an award, one of only 3 kids in his six grad class never missed a day,, he carried that to Plattsmouth and this help help in high school, he will be getting a 1000 scholorship for that acomplishment...
Mary M. May 17, 2008, 9:50am UTC
Rarely we do as a very special treat. If the kids keep up their grades and their behavior, and have not been ill or missed for appointments or other "excused" reasons, my husband tries to give them each one day every semester, sometimes two days, just to go have one on one time together. Since there are 4 of them (soon to be 5) we feel this is vitally important that they know we want to spend time with them as individuals, not just the family group unit. Opportunities for this kind of one on one time are rare, so we have to snag 'em when we can!
David W. May 17, 2008, 9:57am UTC
When my kids were young there was an occaisonal "Skip"day allowed. Going to school is tremdous pressure and they have to break the rules (with permisssion) on occaisions. I can't see as it did any harm. They both graduated college and my daughter went on for her Masters degree.
A N. May 17, 2008, 1:52pm UTC
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Carolyn M. May 17, 2008, 3:09pm UTC
Yeah, actually I have no problem with my kid skipping school, (within reason). I think they push these little buggers way too much.
necee t. May 17, 2008, 8:14pm UTC
i remember allowing my son a day off now and then... he was such a hard working student with tons of extra activities... sometimes he just needed more sleep...

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M M. May 17, 2008, 8:30pm UTC
No, unless it is an emergency, sickness, or something so horrid, they must go to school and that is that.
I don't like to have my kids miss school for anything. But this year I did allow all three to miss school because their grandmother they hadn't seen in 3 years was visiting from Ohio. We all went to teh beach and had a good time together.
Until 8th grade, if my son hadn't been absent due to illness and kept his grades up well, I would award him with a "mental health" day. He was allowed to take a day off and be lazy. Of course it was understood, that any missed work still had to be made up.
Kelly M. May 18, 2008, 5:42pm UTC
We often have mental health days
Margaret G. May 18, 2008, 7:22pm UTC
No, only when they're sick. But my daughter has missed quite a bit of school this year due to illness so she really can't afford to be out. She has a friend who never goes to school when they have early dismissal. Her mother takes her out on those days. I don't agree with that at all.
Janie E. May 19, 2008, 1:19am UTC
No, I don't let my 14 yr old daughter skip school!! The only reason I keep her home is if she is sick with fever, otherwise, off to school we go!!!!!
t b. May 19, 2008, 1:24am UTC
My youngest finished college last year.
But when they were young, a couple of times a year my children would take what I also called "Mental Health Days."

And here is a secret, that may be why they NEVER skipped school, because all they had to do was ask.

My own mother was a tyrant who made us go to school even if we were vomiting.
I find it interesting and a bit sad that at the age of 51, I am still angry at her about it.
j - Frugal Mom - r. May 19, 2008, 4:11pm UTC
My son is only in pre k, and they had 3 days a month they could stay home. I think we used most of these days:)

Next year my son will be in kindergarten, and I know from other parents how much work they have, so I think it has been important for him to not overdue it this year. I think school is important, but I also think that kids needs to be kids sometimes.

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