OT Parenting Question: Do you let your kids skip school. "just because"?

[robinb]

Yes, I have allowed my DD to take a 'mental health day'. I think everyone needs one every once in a while and it makes them more focused when they come back to school. I maybe allow her to do it once or maybe twice per year.

 

[Dis703]

I don't see the harm in it once in a while as long as their attendance and grades are otherwise good. I wouldn't let them do it if they were missing something extremely important either, but on the average school day it wouldn't be a big deal to me to let them have a day off once in a blue moon.

 

[unwritten01]

We will for Disney World but that's not "just because"...

 

[Pesky]

No. I skipped for senior skip day and that was about it. Same with my sister. My brother skipped more often (he was the rebel) but my parents didn't excuse it so he had the consequences. My thought is school is a job. They get their time off (granted on designated days rather than by choice) and otherwise are expected to report for duty. Not saying I would never allow it but it would likely be pretty rare and more due to seeing my kid getting mentally fried and hanging on by a thread. And then part of that "time off" would be working through solutions to avoid getting to the same place again.

 

[smiths02]

At the high school I work at one day a week, kids can exempt final exams based on attendance. Therefore, I would be careful of allowing my kid to not go to school "just because." I would also never lie on the excuse note, so an unexcused absence could be a problem.

 

[smiths02]

My parents let me take a day off if there was something going on (to go away with mom for the weekend starting on Thursday for example) I also had a few others for other reasons. Never when anything major was going on and I was responsible for knowing that.

Honestly I think students are treated awfully by the schools in many cases with these rules. There was a thread talking about bathroom policies that would be absurd for any work environment. This is another example. If I was burnt out and needed a day off all I need is approval from my manager (actually starting this year I need even less. We now have 40 hours per year that can be used for sick or mental health days that our managers cannot deny us for)

Why do students get so many less rights then we would accept for 90% of adults? I can't think of many jobs that won't allow mental health days at all. Even doctors, fire fighters, police, etc get days if they can find someone that can cover.

The thing is, where I am, at least, kids only go to school 180 days out of the year. There is extreme pressure to educate them in those 180 days. And a large amount of funding is based on attendance.

ETA: I don't know a lot of jobs that do allow mental health days. My DH gets sick days and prearranged vacation days. I get 3 personal days a year that must be prearranged and sick days.
Kids in school get prearranged vacation days, only they don't get to arrange them.

 

[DnA2010]

No...we've pulled her out here and there for vacations, but I wouldn't let her skip just because.

 

[MomTo3PrincessesInNJ]

I take no issue with it.

I take "sick" days when I'm not actually sick- knock on wood, I rarely get sick- on those days I make sure all 3 kids are out of the house (at daycare/school) and I usually binge watch the DVR or a Netflix series.

I understand the need for a day to decompress.

 

[MammaMoe48]

To play a video game? No. Never. Not in a million years. But that's me and if someone else was to let their child do it, it's not for me to judge.

 

[Minniesgal]

I actually let them skip school for some reasons but not for a PS4 game no way.

My almost 18 year old is missing 4 days to join us at WDW as his school has different holidays from his brother and this is the only way we can have a family holiday. I'm not worried about it as he has his exams done and has his university place for next year so he really is just enjoying the rest of this year. He has exams but doesn't need the results to get into Uni. He works hard and is fairly serious.

so sometimes yeah I think it is ok but never for PS4. Actually it irritates me the importance my boys place on things like that

 

[Shanti]

I already know my answer to this - But Since DS16 (almost 17) has badgered all night and got an answer he didn't like, I want to check in here with all my mouse friends to see if I am as strict and as he says I am being...

I am interested to know if other parents let your kids skip school "just because"? I say no. It's not how I was brought up, and unless you are sick or dying - you go to school. That is where i am at. DH doesn't agree. And DS really doesn't agree. DS is a very responsible almost 17 year old. He argues that he hasn't missed a day of school since our WDW vacation in November. He makes honor roll, works part time and is a good kid (despite his typical teenage attitude he displays on occasion). That's his beef.

Update: I left out the reason he wanted to skip was to stay up late and play a new PS4 game that was being released at midnight. And all day the next day.

To me, skipping should be saved for something more important. But I'm very interested to know what others opinions and beliefs are in this! TIA!

Stick to your guns- you're right. Letting a child skip school to play a video game? Now I've heard it all. The people who talk about school being like a job where you get discretionary leave are neglecting the fact that grown-up jobs do not take place only 180 days per year. Kids already get summers off, Thanksgiving, winter & spring breaks, plus government holidays, half-days, etc. Adult workers, from corporate executives to window washers, don't get an amount of leave remotely like that.

When school is in, students should be at school unless genuinely sick. It teaches them responsibility and a good work ethic, which are critical to their futures. It also teaches them that the world doesn't revolve around their whims, a fact that some parents actually seem reluctant to teach their children. Why, I don't know. It's better to learn that lesson gently in childhood than in the unforgiving grown-up world.

 

[quagmire0]

If my kid asked me if they could skip school the next day to play a video game, I would laugh. And laugh. And laugh. And walk away.

 

[scrapquitler]

At the high school I work at one day a week, kids can exempt final exams based on attendance. Therefore, I would be careful of allowing my kid to not go to school "just because." I would also never lie on the excuse note, so an unexcused absence could be a problem.

in our district, exempt from exams is only for seniors who already have an a average in the class. And absences until 10 days need no excuse.

 

[krm222]

When I was in high school I was crazy busy: three sports, honors classes, drama, newspaper, literary magazine, etc... If a day came along that I didn't have a game or a test or something that absolutely required my presence at school (which was maybe once or twice a year), I'd stay home. My mom taught at the school and would bring home any work I missed.

For me it was a mental health day which is basically a sick day. I would be running 6am-10pm before starting my homework all year so a day or two to relax and regroup was a must.

I went on to graduate high school and college with honors and I have a JD so clearly it didn't negatively impact my future at all.

 

[ajwolfe]

My boys are in the 3rd and 6th grade, so not as old as yours and my thoughts may change but right now no I wouldn't allow a day at home to play video games. There have been times in the past when my boys have said they didn't feel good and I think they would have been fine going to school but I've allowed them to stay home and take a mental health/rest day but those have been very few and far between and they don't get to be up running around like crazies.

Now I will say in my family my mom always took us girls on a Christmas shopping trip day out during the week. For just that one day she would call me out of school and allow me to skip. This was quality family time that I look back on fondly and my sisters and I have continued this tradition since her passing as adults and take the day off. So in situations where it is rare and a meaningful event I would be okay with it.

 

[Minnesota!]

I have, but it was a predetermined date that I notified my kids of a few weeks in advance and said they needed to be in good standing in school at that date for me to actually let them stay home.

Everyone needs a mental health day now and then.

My parents did it for me, too..

 

[Minnesota!]

I already know my answer to this - But Since DS16 (almost 17) has badgered all night and got an answer he didn't like, I want to check in here with all my mouse friends to see if I am as strict and as he says I am being...

I am interested to know if other parents let your kids skip school "just because"? I say no. It's not how I was brought up, and unless you are sick or dying - you go to school. That is where i am at. DH doesn't agree. And DS really doesn't agree. DS is a very responsible almost 17 year old. He argues that he hasn't missed a day of school since our WDW vacation in November. He makes honor roll, works part time and is a good kid (despite his typical teenage attitude he displays on occasion). That's his beef.

Update: I left out the reason he wanted to skip was to stay up late and play a new PS4 game that was being released at midnight. And all day the next day.

To me, skipping should be saved for something more important. But I'm very interested to know what others opinions and beliefs are in this! TIA!

I will say, I WOULD let my kid skip in this circumstance. In 10 years, he won't remember what he learned on that day of school. He will remember the fantastic day that his mom let him have, though..

Again, only for a kid without a lot of absences and with good standing grades, etc.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Update: I left out the reason he wanted to skip was to stay up late and play a new PS4 game that was being released at midnight. And all day the next day.

To me, skipping should be saved for something more important. But I'm very interested to know what others opinions and beliefs are in this! TIA!

I would most definitely *not* let a child skip school so that they could be up until all hours playing video games. There are some things I would consider it for, but video gaming is definitely not one of them.

 

[smitch425]

No way! We are a major gaming family, but in our house, games are played after responsibilities are complete. School is a responsibility. I'm sure my kids would love to stay home and play video games all day, but that's what summer break is for. My kids miss school for illness and that's it. When they were younger, they would miss a single day for vacation, but those days ended with middle school.

 

[aaarcher86]

Op - what's the game?