If you are like many parents, the very question makes you queasy. One of the cardinal rules of family life is that all trips revolve around the school schedule and anyone who disagrees is an inherently unfit parent, risking not only the child's educational development, but his respect for authority as well. Then an opportunity like Montreal comes up...or you read about how much less crowded Disney World is in March...or you get a brochure from your favorite resort announcing a price cut of 30 percent in the off-season...
As a writer who frequently travels on assignment, I have to ask myself "Should I take the kids out of school for a trip?" every single school year. My answer is a ringing "Sometimes." No one would deny that summer is often the worst time for a family trip: costs, temperatures and crowds are at their highest. Off-season travel in certain situations can be very practical. But does it make enough sense to merit a school absence? To help decide, ask yourself the following questions.
DOES THE TRIP HAVE AN EDUCATIONAL ANGLE?
It goes without saying that teachers are more apt to be enthused about your child's trip to Colonial Williamsburg than a jaunt to Las Vegas--but any trip can offer learning opportunities. Don't limit your definition of educational to what you yourself studied in school 30 years ago. On a recent trip, my 11-year-old daughter was mightily impressed with the torture devices women once endured in the pursuit of beauty, all displayed in the Max Factor Museum.HOW LONG WILL YOU BE GONE?
An extended absence can be particularly hard on kids in grades two through six, years in which teachers focus on classroom instruction, frequent testing and day-to-day follow-up. If kids miss more than three days, it is a good idea to treat the absence like a home-schooling field trip, with each child following a study plan. One way to accomplish this, I've found, is to have the kids maintain trip diaries, using an age-appropriate format.HOW OFTEN DO YOUR KIDS MISS SCHOOL?
Some principals quite rightly fear that pulling kids out of class might prove habit-forming or contagious. Assure those in charge that this will be a rare occurrence. Also, if your child routinely misses five or more days a year due to illness or has a chronic medical condition, pulling him out for vacations just isn't an option.If all of the above point to a go, the next step is getting your child's teacher and principal on your side. I've found a number of techniques and strategies that help this process along.
TIMING IS EVERYTHING
Don't plan your trip for a time when major events such as standardized testing or semester exams are scheduled. Check with the teacher to see if there are better times than others for an absence.MAKE THE TEACHER YOUR PARTNER
Approach the teacher two to three weeks before you leave. Together, create a plan for how the child can do makeup work to cover the material he'll miss while he's gone. If possible, half of the makeup work should be done in advance. The post-trip blues are bad enough without facing three hours of homework each night of the first week you're back.Next, develop an extra project for the child to do. Think of ways to make the trip educational: Share your plans for a trip diary or another type of report, and ask the teacher if she has ideas on other things that can be included or if she would prefer that you follow a certain format.
If you are visiting a place like a zoo or museum, request brochures in advance so you can show them to the child's teacher. You may both be surprised to learn about the terrific classes and tours offered at some destinations, such as Sea World.
STUDY IN ADVANCE
Although the opportunity for field research is a reason for the trip, your kid will also benefit from reading up on a destination in advance. It's much more exciting to see something you've studied, so check out some books before you leave home. Kids will get more out of the Kennedy Space Center if they've learned a bit about rocketry beforehand, and seeing Monticello is an extra kick if you've just finished a biography of Jefferson.GIVE SOMETHING BACK
Offer to let your child share his or her trip diary with the class upon return. Send a postcard to the class. Consider bringing back small souvenirs for everyone, like a fossil or starfish or Colonial coin. Or, donate a larger gift, such as a book or planetarium map, to the whole class on behalf of your child.The longest I've ever taken my own children out of school was seven days, when we took a spring trip to Southern California and I wouldn't have considered it if the trip hadn't been loaded with educational opportunities. We circled Santa Catalina Island in a semisubmersible boat, followed the whole way by a curious sea lion. My son, Jordan, was riveted, clutching his fish-finder card and looking out the window for every species listed. At the Museum of Tolerance we traced the life of a single child caught up in the Holocaust. We visited the La Brea Tar Pits, the San Diego Zoo and Sea World. Even Hollywood proved to be a cultural bonanza, including a bus tour of the movie stars' homes, a game show taping, and a day at Universal Studios.
Despite all the great stuff to do in Southern California, missing that much school was pretty scary. But having approached the school well in advance and worked out a plan for each child, I felt the absence was manageable and worthwhile.
Granted, travel is not an especially time- or cost-efficient way to learn things. It is far easier to show a child a picture of Stonehenge than to fly him to England. But the purpose of travel is not the mere accumulation of facts. Thanks to our trips my kids know that there are places in the world where stores don't take dollars, people don't speak English and motorists drive on the left. They have checked into airports, gotten lost, eaten goat and lived to tell the tale. Travel makes kids more tolerant, more independent and teaches them the invaluable lesson that everywhere is not here. Approached with the right attitude, travel doesn't just increase what you know--it can also expand how you think.
Kim Wright Wiley is a freelance writer who lives with her family in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated July 2005.
