Invisapeeps 2.0

Balloon Animal · Guru

Is it disrespectful to go to school on Memorial Day?

Evil Stepmother · Guru

Many people don't do anything to celebrate veterans, so it is just another day off for them. There are a limited number of days that can be used for makeup snow days so that the schools don't have to push the end of school into the summer vacation. I'd rather use Memorial Day than have to make up a day on Saturday. We had to go to school on Saturday twice and lost our Easter break when I was in the 8th grade because the winter had been so snowy.

I think if school is in session, children need to go unless they are sick or there is some other really good reason. If enough families keep their kids home then I think the day doesn't count attendance wise for federal funding, but I may be wrong about that.

Forty-two · Guru

No I don't think it is disrespectful. I couldn't care less

OpheliaDev1 · Guru

With all of the Memorial Day sales, etc, using it as a make-up day doesn't really bug me.

Balloon Animal · Guru

Evil Stepmother wrote:
Many people don't do anything to celebrate veterans, so it is just another day off for them. There are a limited number of days that can be used for makeup snow days so that the schools don't have to push the end of school into the summer vacation. I'd rather use Memorial Day than have to make up a day on Saturday. We had to go to school on Saturday twice and lost our Easter break when I was in the 8th grade because the winter had been so snowy.

I think if school is in session, children need to go unless they are sick or there is some other really good reason. If enough families keep their kids home then I think the day doesn't count attendance wise for federal funding, but I may be wrong about that.

That is me too. I normally make my kids go every day unless they are sick or we happen to be going on vacation. Otherwise they go. Those last days none of the kids were hardly showing up, but I told mine they still had to go. Hip Hop and DD actually got perfect attendance most of the nine weeks this year. Robot was suspended and got sick a lot so he ended up missing a ton which I hated.

So I don't like keeping them out for no reason, but honestly my StepDad deserves to be honored on that day. It is a family tradition for us. But we could also I guess just do the dinner on Sunday. So I don't know. I would have to think about it.

winds55 · Guru

Memorial Day is to honor those who died while serving in the military; if you want to honor your step-father for his service, you should be having a party on Veteran's Day.

If you really thought Memorial Day was so important that going to school would be disrespectful, you'd be doing something other than worrying about your step-father's birthday celebration.

Of course, if you thought school was as important as you claim, you wouldn't be taking them out of school for vacation, either.

Balloon Animal · Guru

As I said before his friends died beside him at war. He watched friends die in combat. We support him on that day for his grief over his lost brothers. It is not just a birthday celebration. We do it patriotic with red white and blue decorations and usually get him some kind of military cake. One year we made him a scrapbook of his time in the service and gave it to him on that day. It is not just about his birthday. It is about his service and his birthday because his birthday happens to fall on or near Memorial day every year.

I guess since Hip Hop and Merida had perfect attendance your argument that school is not important does not really hold water.

winds55 · Guru

Is it that difficult for you to think about what you type before (or even after) your fingers hit the keys? You're the one who said you 'normally' make them go to school unless you're going on vacation. My argument wasn't that school is not important, it was that your claim that school is important is shown false by your other words.

And getting perfect attendance "most of the nine weeks" is not perfect attendance for the school year.

Balloon Animal · Guru

Hip Hop and Merida got perfect attendance for 3 out of the 4 nine weeks. That is better than most kids get I know for a fact because I see how many kids get the perfect attendance awards at the awards days and it is not many.

Forty-two · Guru

BA I don't get thinking school attendance is important yet you would take your kids out for vacation. I would think your kids are getting the message vacation trumps school

Balloon Animal · Guru

Vacation once a year for family time does trump school. This year they missed 2 and a half days for a vacation. That was it. We do not even schedule doctors or dentist appts during school like most parents do. I make them after school. They also never have tardies.

Again that is better than 95% of the other kids at that school. I see tons of parents dragging in tardy every morning as I walk back from dropping mine off every morning.

42, I would think since you love to travel so much you would understand the value of missing school for traveling rarely.

But that is not the point of the thread. We are debating making kids go to school on otherwise treasured holidays. Like 42, would you be okay if they canceled MLK day vacation and made them go on MLK day? or President's Day? I also feel bad for families that plan and book vacations during the off holidays so their kids don't miss school only to have the school make them go that day. That screws them as far as they had already booked and planned a trip they thought would not conflict with school.

-- Edited by Balloon Animal on Tuesday 27th of May 2014 09:31:45 PM

-- Edited by Balloon Animal on Tuesday 27th of May 2014 09:33:07 PM

Forty-two · Guru

I never take short vacations so MLK Presidents' Day Memorial Day would never be vacation trips for me since I travel internationally with my kids. Also I also take my kids on educational vacations so I wouldn't go to Disney or Six Flags. So I guess there is "vacation" and there is vacation. Not that my kids have done it but missing a day at school to see the Cistine Chapel well worth it skipping school to see Mickey Mouse no way in hell

RichardInTN · I believe in I.D.I.C.

I'd be o.k. with having them go to school on President's Day and MLK Day... because those are birthdays.

Memorial Day is supposed to be to remember those that died for our Country... It's not too much of a stretch to mix in remembering MLK on Memorial Day when thanking (moment of silence, prayer, whatever) those that have given the ultimate price for our freedom.

HOWEVER... That said... if the kids were just going to "goof off" in some fashion they would on any other day... then... I'm o.k. with them having school instead on Memorial day too.

-- Edited by RichardInTN on Tuesday 27th of May 2014 11:41:49 PM

Balloon Animal · Guru

Forty-two wrote:
I never take short vacations so MLK Presidents' Day Memorial Day would never be vacation trips for me since I travel internationally with my kids. Also I also take my kids on educational vacations so I wouldn't go to Disney or Six Flags. So I guess there is "vacation" and there is vacation. Not that my kids have done it but missing a day at school to see the Cistine Chapel well worth it skipping school to see Mickey Mouse no way in hell

that is another topic but Disney World is actually fairly educational. Have you ever been to Epcot? It is nothing but teaching you about foreign countries and then a giant area about science and technology. Animal Kingdom is basically a giant zoo with super cool rides. So it is educational as far as teaching you all about animals and seeing some unique animals your local zoo may not have in close replicas of their natural habitat. They pay attention to detail. Like for the Mount Everest area they put up the little lines with the colored flags that the people put up there in real life. They even hire workers from the actual country to work in the country part in Epcot so you can talk to people from that actual country. Same for Animal Kingdom, they have people really from Africa working in the Africa section. Its pretty neat. Way more educational and better than say Six Flags.

I have missed school as a kid for travel to different countries. I also missed for Disney world or to visit relatives. We have not taken the kids out of the country yet. I don't trust Robot to get through airport security as of now. If they tried to pat him down it would not go well nor could he hold still for the body scanner thing.

Visiting older relatives can be very educational as they can learn about history and what things were like in the past from talking to them. There are plenty of wonderful cultural and interesting things to see in this country too you realize. Seeing the Grand Canyon, seeing Mount Rushmore, visiting all the sights in DC, visiting the National forests and parks, etc.

-- Edited by Balloon Animal on Tuesday 27th of May 2014 11:10:32 PM

Forty-two · Guru

I would never take my kids out of school to see family unless the family was dying
I would never take them out of school to visit DC or Philly because I live too close to them
I would never take them out of school to see Epcot a fake version of other countries
I would never take them out of school to see the Grand Canyon because I see no value in seeing the Grand Canyon even on a true vacation day.

I want to make my kids worldly sophisticated people so most US vacations won't meet that standard

Balloon Animal · Guru

It is sad you have no faith or love for your own country. This country has so much to offer. So many museums and national forests and landmarks. I was taken to foreign countries as a kid and I did enjoy them but I also would have loved to see more of this country too. I never got to go out west. I would have enjoyed that just as much as going to Canada and Mexico.

Not everyone lives near DC or Philly or NYC. For us it would be quite a trip or drive to visit any of those places.

My father is well traveled, he has been to London, Mexico, Canada, Panama, Alaskan cruises, Jamaica.......but he also loves his own country. He has made it a personal goal to visit every national park in the country. He really enjoys going out west. He went to see the painted desert. He saw the Grand Canyon and went to Seattle and those parks around there. He went to Yosemite.

I am getting the sense you are not an outdoorsy person so maybe you would not be into that kind of trip.

-- Edited by Balloon Animal on Wednesday 28th of May 2014 07:05:06 AM

winds55 · Guru

Balloon Animal wrote:
It is sad you have no faith or love for your own country. This country has so much to offer. So many museums and national forests and landmarks. I was taken to foreign countries as a kid and I did enjoy them but I also would have loved to see more of this country too. I never got to go out west. I would have enjoyed that just as much as going to Canada and Mexico.

Not everyone lives near DC or Philly or NYC. For us it would be quite a trip or drive to visit any of those places.
My father is well traveled, he has been to London, Mexico, Canada, Panama, Alaskan cruises, Jamaica.......but he also loves his own country. He has made it a personal goal to visit every national park in the country. He really enjoys going out west. He went to see the painted desert. He saw the Grand Canyon and went to Seattle and those parks around there. He went to Yosemite.
I am getting the sense you are not an outdoorsy person so maybe you would not be into that kind of trip.

-- Edited by Balloon Animal on Wednesday 28th of May 2014 07:05:06 AM

Alaska IS part of the US - you do know this, right, BA?

I don't see how not wanting to see the Grand Canyon translates to not having faith in or love for this country. "Ooh, a big hole in the ground! THIS is why the US is a great country!"

OpheliaDev1 · Guru

42, I think it's really distasteful the way you deride people who make different choices and lead different lives than you do. Many people (I'd say most people) do not have the resources to take long European vacations on a regular basis. To say there is no value in any other kind of vacation is pretty ugly.

And I'm sorry you think the US is such a cultural wasteland that there's nothing of value here.

Balloon Animal · Guru

42- I do apologize. I did not mean for it to sound like you don't love the US. I just meant that there is many wonderful sights to see in this country too. I just get the vibe you are more of a city girl which is probably why Europe appeals to you. People like my Dad love the outdoors. So to him renting a convertible and traveling through the painted desert or camping in Yosemite is truly an amazing and even cultural experience. He also has spent like multiple weeks in Panama living with a friend's relative so totally experiencing their culture. He sees value in tourist things like staying in a resort and camping in the great outdoors and visiting things in the US and visiting things in foreign countries. He loved London. But he also loves the Grand Canyon. There is value in both. I feel about the same way he does about it. I really want to go to London and Australia but there are just as many places in the US I want to see.

-- Edited by Balloon Animal on Wednesday 28th of May 2014 10:25:21 AM

Forty-two · Guru

Balloon Animal wrote:
It is sad you have no faith or love for your own country. This country has so much to offer. So many museums and national forests and landmarks. I was taken to foreign countries as a kid and I did enjoy them but I also would have loved to see more of this country too. I never got to go out west. I would have enjoyed that just as much as going to Canada and Mexico.

Not everyone lives near DC or Philly or NYC. For us it would be quite a trip or drive to visit any of those places.
My father is well traveled, he has been to London, Mexico, Canada, Panama, Alaskan cruises, Jamaica.......but he also loves his own country. He has made it a personal goal to visit every national park in the country. He really enjoys going out west. He went to see the painted desert. He saw the Grand Canyon and went to Seattle and those parks around there. He went to Yosemite.
I am getting the sense you are not an outdoorsy person so maybe you would not be into that kind of trip.

-- Edited by Balloon Animal on Wednesday 28th of May 2014 07:05:06 AM

BA different strokes for different folks if parents want to take there kids out of school for going to Disney and seeing family and they believe that is educational good for them. I would never do so.

I have no idea what hope and faith in the US has to do with me visiting national parks or dragging my kids to them. Or all the other stuff you mentioned

Balloon Animal · Guru

Here are my vacation destinations and only like 2 are international

1-Hawaii
2-London
3-Australia
4-Vegas
5-NYC
6-Disney Land in Anaheim

Forty-two · Guru

OpheliaDev1 wrote:
42, I think it's really distasteful the way you deride people who make different choices and lead different lives than you do. Many people (I'd say most people) do not have the resources to take long European vacations on a regular basis. To say there is no value in any other kind of vacation is pretty ugly.

And I'm sorry you think the US is such a cultural wasteland that there's nothing of value here.

I think it is really distasteful for you to deride me because I choose to do things differently. I would love for you to point out where I dirided anyone. Most people don't have money to travel outside the country. No really!? If I want to expose my kids to different coultures other than American what would be the point of taking them out of school to spend time in more American coulture? Too bad my opinion differs from yours and you find it so ugly. This thread is about send your kid to school on Memorial Day and if people want to take their kids on vacation instead of sending them to school have at it. If I don't deem what others see as educational so be it but to personally attack me for having a different opinion is what is really distasteful here.

Forty-two · Guru

Balloon Animal wrote:
Here are my vacation destinations and only like 2 are international

1-Hawaii
2-London
3-Australia
4-Vegas
5-NYC
6-Disney Land in Anaheim

What is your point Here?

Riding in the WY Wind · ~Ride Free~ ~ Live Free~ (M)

I believe BA perhaps was just sharing where she would want to go on her vacations.

Balloon Animal · Guru

Riding in the WY Wind wrote:
I believe BA perhaps was just sharing where she would want to go on her vacations.

this. I don't think international places to vacation are the end all be all. Everyone has different wants when it comes to traveling. So while you may think Europe is the bee's knees, I may not. So there is no reason to act like other vacations are trashy or noneducational or uncultured because that may not actually be the case. They may just not be your taste.

Forty-two · Guru

Yes but why? What does that have to do with educating kids?

Forty-two · Guru

Balloon Animal wrote:
Riding in the WY Wind wrote:
I believe BA perhaps was just sharing where she would want to go on her vacations.
this. I don't think international places to vacation are the end all be all. Everyone has different wants when it comes to traveling. So while you may think Europe is the bee's knees, I may not. So there is no reason to act like other vacations are trashy or noneducational or uncultured because that may not actually be the case. They may just not be your taste.

Who the hell said they were trashy?

you seem to be out out because I don't agree with you on what is an educational vacation.

Balloon Animal · Guru

Forty-two wrote:
Yes but why? What does that have to do with educating kids

What does Europe have to do with educating kids? Because whatever you say the same can be applied to the places I just listed or probably many vacation destinations.

Forty-two · Guru

I want to educate my kids on different cultures in an authentic manor so the best way to learn about Italian culture is to spend time in Italy the best way to learn about Indian culture is to spend time in India. It is clear that we have different values

-- Edited by Forty-two on Wednesday 28th of May 2014 11:43:13 AM

Balloon Animal · Guru

And Hawaii is a different culture. In the US we actually still have different cultures. People in Hawaii often are quite different from say people in Seattle. The lifestyles can be quite different.

So do you actually leave the resort tourist areas when you travel to say India or Italy? Because to really experience the culture you would have to leave the resort area. Otherwise you just get a glimpse of it and a watered down version of it. I could see that even as a small child the huge difference between the Cancun resort in Mexico and when we left the resort to go explore and saw the way the people really lived. HUGE difference.

OpheliaDev1 · Guru

When going to National Parks, you can educate your kids about nature, history, geology, wildlife, etc. Kids can learn to read a map, to start a fire, to cook outdoors.

You may prefer your kids to learn different lessons. That's your choice.

You may not have called BA's choices "trashy" but you did say that it was okay for you to take your kids out of school for things you consider educational, yet BA doesn't value education if she takes her kids out of school for things she considers educational.

Forty-two · Guru

BA Of course I leave the resorts. BA culture is my thing it is obviously not everyone else's no big deal.

-- Edited by Forty-two on Wednesday 28th of May 2014 12:13:16 PM

winds55 · Guru

BA has already claimed she considers Disney World educational, because it has Epcot Center. That's like saying going to Taco Bell is educational because it's Mexican food so it's learning about a different culture.

Forty-two · Guru

Winds one the one hand that is sooo terrible but on the other I just wasted a mouthful of wine.

Hey if BA wants to go to Vegas in the context of this discussion about educational vacations who am I to say gambling is not worthy a pursuit to educate her children

-- Edited by Forty-two on Wednesday 28th of May 2014 02:34:01 PM

OpheliaDev1 · Guru

Winds, it's SO CUTE how you show up on every one of BA's threads to be nasty. Really. Makes you look so classy.

winds55 · Guru

You're doing a lousy job of stalking me, Ophelia, if you think I've been on every one of her threads. And considering the constant insults you like to throw at me, hello Pot.

Balloon Animal · Guru

Forty-two wrote:
BA Of course I leave the resorts. BA culture is my thing it is obviously not everyone else's no big deal.

-- Edited by Forty-two on Wednesday 28th of May 2014 12:13:16 PM

Oh no problem. I am with you the learning about a new culture is awesome. It is not my only reason I travel or my main thing I want my kids to learn, but it is definitely a good thing.

Are you guys outdoorsy at all? I am not super outdoorsy but I do like going out and seeing different nature places.

Balloon Animal · Guru

Forty-two wrote:
Winds one the one hand that is sooo terrible but on the other I just wasted a mouthful of wine.

Hey if BA wants to go to Vegas in the context of this discussion about educational vacations who am I to say gambling is not worthy a pursuit to educate her children

-- Edited by Forty-two on Wednesday 28th of May 2014 02:34:01 PM

ha! Vegas is for DH and I! No way in heck I am taking the kids on that one!!! LOL! There will be lots of drinking and maybe some gambling and shows and just walking around.

I forgot to add New Orleans is also somewhere DH and I want to go and that would probably be another trip just for us. I went to New Orleans as a kid and enjoyed it and it is definitely educational because there is a whole different culture down there and rich history and sights. But we wanna get drunk on Bourbon street so probably no kids on that one!

Forty-two · Guru

Balloon Animal wrote:
Forty-two wrote:
BA Of course I leave the resorts. BA culture is my thing it is obviously not everyone else's no big deal.

-- Edited by Forty-two on Wednesday 28th of May 2014 12:13:16 PM
Oh no problem. I am with you the learning about a new culture is awesome. It is not my only reason I travel or my main thing I want my kids to learn, but it is definitely a good thing.
Are you guys outdoorsy at all? I am not super outdoorsy but I do like going out and seeing different nature places.

Outdoorsy enough to spend a week in Yosemite camping in a tent and being on safari in a tent

SwissMiss · Veteran Member

I don't mean to speak for 42, but I had a different read on this conversation. I did not read it as she wouldn't take her kids on US vacations, full stop. Just that she would not take her kids out of school to do it. If they were being removed from an educational environment, it would have to be for an extraordinary experience.

Maybe I am the one who misunderstood. confuse

Forty-two · Guru

You didn't Swiss Miss probably because you read what I actually wrote!

Balloon Animal · Guru

Forty-two wrote:
Balloon Animal wrote:
Forty-two wrote:
BA Of course I leave the resorts. BA culture is my thing it is obviously not everyone else's no big deal.

-- Edited by Forty-two on Wednesday 28th of May 2014 12:13:16 PM
Oh no problem. I am with you the learning about a new culture is awesome. It is not my only reason I travel or my main thing I want my kids to learn, but it is definitely a good thing.
Are you guys outdoorsy at all? I am not super outdoorsy but I do like going out and seeing different nature places.
Outdoorsy enough to spend a week in Yosemite camping in a tent and being on safari in a tent

Cool! I wanna go on like a semi outback safari in Australia. Not like super go out there in the dangerous outback and stuff but like go in a jeep and explore a bit and then maybe go somewhere safe to camp. I don't wanna get ate by a crocodile! I really wanna see Sydney and go to the Australian zoo where Steve Irwin's family works.

Forty-two · Guru

I have been to Australia three times I would say it is a complete waste of the 20+ hours you will sit on a plane to end up talking to people who behave and talk pretty much like you do. But that speaks to my cultural bias I have been there for work an would never ever spend my money to go. NEVER. ETA and I say that as a person who's husband's family is there, at leaf 30-40 of them and he says he would fly me there first class. No Efing way.

-- Edited by Forty-two on Wednesday 28th of May 2014 11:24:30 PM

Balloon Animal · Guru

Forty-two wrote:
I have been to Australia three times I would say it is a complete waste of the 20+ hours you will sit on a plane to end up talking to people who behave and talk pretty much like you do. But that speaks to my cultural bias I have been there for work an would never ever spend my money to go. NEVER

really? I am not going for culture so much as seeing the sights. I like all the cool animals there you cannot find anywhere else in the world and I like the people.

Forty-two · Guru

Australia is very xenophobic. It does nothing for me. I used to think like you and when I got there it was like I flew all this way for kangaroo? It is like when you go to Kenya or Tanzania and their zebras. I start to look at those animals like I look at NJ deer. They are freakin everywhere. In TZ the Zebra, in Aus the roos, in NJ the deer. I understand your perspective but I am so much older and so much more traveled that I look for very different things.