Family of 5:Help me decide when to go...

[Kate-n-sam]

My head is spinning trying to plan a trip for next year, and I just can't decide when to go....here's the deal, I hope you can give me some honest input to help me decide.

Factors:
We are expecting our 3rd baby in late February, and I have one school aged DD....

I have 3 options....

1. Go in August, for 8 or 9 days PROS: DD doesn't have to miss school and we can take longer trip with extended hours. Value season. Baby should still be fairly travelable, read: not mobile and willing to hang out in stroller and front pack. CONS: Hot, rain. (Just HOW hot is it?)

2. Schedule fall trip and pull DD out of school for a couple of days combined with either columbus day or veteran's day long weekend. Our school system REALLY frowns on pulling kids for vacation. I have no problem with it, but don't want to create a problem for my daughter. I'd do it for a couple of days though (She'll be in 1st grade) This would be a 5 night trip. PROS: Low crowds, value or regular season, nice weather, baby still fairly travelable. CONS: Short trip

3. Suck it up and go during February or April vacation for the week, 7 or 8 nights. PROS: Extended trip and no school missed, longer park hours CONS: Very crowded, might be cold (no swimming which is a big part of the trip for us and would be a disappointment if we couldn't), expensive, baby probably walking and not wanting to stay in stroller.

I've been so spoiled the past few years with our fall trips and now that DD is in school, still getting used to not being able to go whenever we want. Anyway, if anyone could lend me their input on these times of year it would be so helpful trying to straighten my head out.

Sorry so long! Thanks!

 

[AspiringCindy]

I have done all 3 options with similar circumstances. I would stay away from option 3. The prices are high and the crowds ridiculous! I have been to WDW in July and August on 3 occasions. The last time was just this summer with 3 DDs. The youngest was 14 months. I have to tell you that the weather was not as bad as you would think. Sure it gets hot at times,but you need to plan to try to use Mid-afternoon as either indoor attractions, naptime or pool time. We also purchased battery operated fans to attach to the stroller. I vote the longer trip!

 

[nkjzmom]

Kate-n-sam,

How long is your Christmas break? We (me, DH, 2DS, 2DD) went the first week of January this year (NOT NYE, we checked in on the 2nd) and thought it was awesome. The weather did turn on us though...not getting above freezing even during the day on a few of the days. But the crowds were small and we were able to do everything we wanted to and some things 2-3 times.

I don't have a problem pulling my kids out of school either. It's worth it to me to avoid crowds and costs! Maybe you could work with your DD's teacher and come up with an extra-credit assignment. She could write in a journal everyday...or do a report about one of the countries in Epcot....etc.

Good luck...on your trip and the new baby!!

 

[TigerLilly's Mom]

I would go for the August trip - maybe the end of August. If you try to pull her out for a few days around a long weekend, a lot of other people probably do the same thing, so it could be just as crowded as a school vacation. Congrats on the baby!

 

[MELSMICE]

We have done 2 of the optiions - my opinions:

1. Can't comment on this one because we never went in the summer. The reason is because our summers in New York seem so short we want to enjoy the weather we have while it's nice & get out of the cold weather to go somewhere warm for vacation.

2. Have pulled the kids out of school - in fact are doing it 2 weeks from today. Our schools frown upon it also. It does get harder as they get older. 1st grade was not a big deal for our DD, she made everything up with no problems. Pulling them out has never been a big issue with their grades & making up work, etc. because they are all good students, so I hope this year isn't either.

3. Have gone the past 3 years over the Easter break in April. We don't get a mid-winter break because we get 2 weeks over Easter. Very, very crowded, but the park hours are longer. Our DD's are 13, 10 & 10 now though so they are easier to manage & reason with. Weather is great for swimming & the nights cool down so it is comfortable to walk around.

Honestly, because your DD is in 1st grade I would pull her out & go in the fall. Does your school have teacher conferences or staff development days that she gets days off for. Last year we had 2 days of conferences so we took advantage & went the 1st week of December & they only missed 3 days of school, plus it was not any kind of holiday so it wasn't too crowded (more crowded than I expected after 9-11 though).

As our kids got older we decided to take a 2 week vacation at Easter time & really relax & enjoy ourselves.

Anyway, those are my opinions. Good luck with the new baby & have fun whenever you do decide to make your trip.

 

[Pam Lau]

I can sympathize with you, we too got spoiled taking off-season trips before the kids were in school. And you know what, we still take them. The kids are now in 4th and 6th grade and I always tell the teachers that anything they choose to give them, will definitely be completed when we return. And it is. We have had some battles along the way, but it does get done. We do however try to plan around school breaks to minimize the days off. I just hate to pay full price and deal with larger crowds.
By the way, I am a teacher (a sub so I can take off for vacations!)

 

[Kate-n-sam]

Well. I think I have definately ruled out Feb vacation, due to cost and weather concernsm and worst of all capacity crowds.

The Christmas break wouldn't be a bad idea but our kids go back on Jan 2nd, so that would be an expensive and crowded trip, not to mention we always host out-of-town relatives for the holidays.

OK, so that leaves August or Nov.

As far as November goes, we have election day (Tues) off and veterans day, so if I pulled DD for 4 days we could actually go from Saturday all the way to Monday a week later. I'm just so chicken to approach the principal about this. I know it sounds dumb, but I just hate making waves and DD is 1st of 3 to go thru this school system. I just don't want to ruffle any proverbial feathers. But the allure of fall just sounds so appealing. After this trip we will probably only go every 2 or 3 years.....

I'm really afraid of the August heat....it's hot here too in August, but when unbearable we stay in the AC as much as possible....

Thanks again! I'm still waffling here

 

[Jordan's MOM]

Here's another vote for taking your child out of school and going during a low crowd /value time. We have always taken our 10 year old son out with no problems. She is in first grade, what can they do about it? Just follow the parent rule. Don't ask, just tell the teacher( I would not involve the principal at all) that your daughter will be absent from this date to this date. If she ask why ,tell her. Tell her that you will be sure that your daughter gets any and all make up work done. Be polite but firm, she is your child.

BTW- We love Januray. It can be cold but there are no crowds. This past year we never needed a coat and DS swam several days.


Jordan's mom

 

[tinaluis]

Another vote for pulling her from school. We, too, are spoiled by off-season trips -- so much so that we would never consider going at a peak time. My oldest DD is in 1st Grade too and we're going for almost 2 weeks near the end of January. She'll miss a total of 8 school days because she has off for MLK day and a Teacher Institute Day. We took her out for almost 3 weeks in Kindergarten (one week in November and two in May) with no problems. I just let the teacher know that she will be out and when she returns I send a note with her. She does very well in school so I'm not worried about it.

 

[MELSMICE]

I agree with Jordan's MOM & would not involve the principal. She will know that your daughter is not there.

My sister is a 3rd grade teacher and has told me that it is really not a big deal to take your children out of school, especially if they are younger because they can make the work up. The reason the teachers will frown upon giving the work in advance is because they don't have it prepared yet. Plus, it is more work for them when you return trying to get the student to make up the work.

I know for a fact that my sister does not do her weekly lesson plan until the Sunday before because our family does Sunday dinners each week & she does her weekly plan every Sunday.

Does your daughter's school have a "homework hotline"? Our school system does & we will be calling it daily while we are gone to get that day's homework.

IMHO I would pull her from school in Nov. or Dec., avoid the larger crowds & if you are there at the right time you may get to see the beautiful Xmas decorations.

Again, don't worry about the teacher's or principals. Have fun & enjoy your kids & family vacations while you can. All too soon they are grown & won't want to go on a family vacation with mom & dad!!!

 

[Kermit]

Can you go over Thanksgiving? That would give you a few more days off of school so that you could either avoid taking her out of school or not take her out as many days.

I'd definitely stick to the fall. August is just so hot, especially with a little baby.

 

[undertheradar]

We have been in Sept., Nov., Dec., Jan., and June. I would avoid August due to the heat. Your little one will be better suited for this trip later in the fall. The best time of year to our family is during December when all of the parks and resorts are decked out for the holidays. The crowds are lighter around the first two weeks and the baby would be stimulated by all of the decorations. We have taken our DS-11 and DD-6 out of school and the teachers have helped with assignments for the vacation time. The fall season can still be very hot and to go around a holiday means larger crowds. We try to attend during value season and stay in the deluxe resorts with the savings. With the ages of your kids, you will probably spend the majority of your time atMK and would benefit from staying near the MK.

 

[mkandk]

If you're feeling this awkward about taking one child out of school, wait until all three are in school!

Do it this fall, because it may be your last chance. I don't have anything against it, and my school is very reasonable (although it is still an unexcused absence, I don't think they punish us in any way). But as each year goes by, I feel more guilty about making them miss any school.

 

[CRCrazy]

Another vote for taking them out of school - we do it. Our school definitely doesn't encourage you to do so, but my husband's schedule is crazy, so we go when Daddy can go. Last March, we went the week following their February vacation, to be sure that it was between sports seasons, my oldest is a 4 season athlete. I wrote a letter to the principal, copying to ALL of the kid's teachers. I told them the dates they would miss, and requested as much of their make up work in advance as possible. Some teachers were more cooperative than others, but none gave me any hassle. My oldest two are excellent students, NJHS, high honors, etc. They had no problem making up the work.

I would definitely check your school schedule to ensure that you aren't missing the end of a marking period (no time to make up work), or special group projects, or assemblies.

This year I am a little more nervous. We are going in December to see all the holiday festivities, but we have to wait until Dec. 13th, since the districtwide Christmas concert is Dec. 12th. The band leader would shoot me if I took his first chair clarinet and first chair flute! Amanda will miss one week of basketball, but it is still early in the season. My youngest is in first grade this year, and struggling a bit with reading. I am most worried about her schoolwork, but Mom is a trained guided reading substitute, so hopefully, they will let me take copies of the books they are working on along, and we can keep going while we are away.

Family time is the most important thing, and a happy husband makes a happy family. He would never handle the crowds of vacation weeks or the heat of summer - so if we want to do Disney, and we do , the kids will have to miss some school!

 

[MELSMICE]

CRCrazy - I see you have a surprise trip planned also. We leave for ours next Friday, Nov. 8. I can't wait to see my kids faces. They think we are going to Toronto for a long weekend. They will be so excited to be spending 8 days in WDW!!!

 

[D L and K's Mom]

I teach 1st grade (best job in the whole world) and I vote....take her on VACATION with her family. She can't get the family togetherness in the classroom. She can make up her class work. Go , relax and enjoy...they grow so fast....time steals them away day by day......you will have the best memories.......(there is a long thread about this subject somewhere and the majority of people were on the side of "pulling your child out" I agree.)