Screwed up.. how to explain this to my parents

momofsongbird
Mon, 12 Apr 2010 19:11:24 +0000

I pretty much agree it’s not good to take your kids out for vacations during the school calendar. I haven’t done it since my daughter was in 3rd or 4th grade. In our private, college-prep HS, there’s no way a top student could do it without sacrificing something (a grade, health, sleep, peace of mind, all of which have value…). And I think it’s unfair to teachers and classmates who benefit from the entire class body being there.

That said, I will confess to allowing/encouraging my junior daughter to take 1-2 mental-health days last year and this year. She plans them in advance…choosing days she knows will be least detrimental to miss…and savoring the comfort of knowing a respite in in sight when things are very demanding and stressful. The funny thing is, on these mental-health days, I notice she puts in at least 3-4 solid hours on school work. She uses the morning to catch up on reading…study ahead for an upcoming test, etc, and then enjoys a leisurely lunch and afternoon to rest and do stuff she finds fun and relaxing.

1-2 days a year for a top-performer seems reasonable to me. A week vacation or two? That wouldn’t work.