As a travel writer, Im on the road quite a bit.
Last year I took 22 trips and I brought one or both of my kids on 17 of them.
Granted some trips were short long weekends but others, like Costa Rica and Panama, were ten days.
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And for a vast majority of people, traveling only during school breaks is prohibitive cost-wise.
Not to mention the crowds.
So many parents, like me, pull their kids from school to travel.
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And, when families are relaxed, the overall travel experience can be far more positive.
But is it okay to pull kids from school?
School can be stressful
Todays learning environments are intense!
Kids are expected to produce a lot of work very quickly and there is little downtime.
The days of two recesses are long gone.
And she notes that it isnt just the kids that are stressed out, but parents too.
And Im not the only parent that feels that way.
Vacations allow time for exploration and new learning.
My kids constantly talk about these trips and activities they embarked on, often for the first time.
Also, going on trips teaches kids valuable life skills.
Traveling teaches kids to be psychologically flexible, as travel often requires patience and creativity.
Academics are important, but being emotionally intelligent is a better predictor of success in life.
Learning about new places and people helps with empathy.
Also, every child learns differently and thus needs different learning opportunities to shine.
These kids have to work double as hard as kids without the same challenges.
Just like when we work hard, kids crave breaks, says Dr. Capanna-Hodge.
Sitting in a classroom when reading or learning isnt the best way to stimulate our extraordinary learners.
Also, learning-by-doing is one of the best ways for education to sink in.
And, such experiences often have a powerful effect on the child’s level of self-esteem.
Its a field trip only longer
Think back to your own school years.
That’s why we take school field trips with children, explains Dr. Manly.
I was told by one person that she would never pull her child from school because she values education.
