Would YOU Do it: Pros & Cons Of Letting Your Kid Play Hooky From School

Anyone who has ever gone to school in any capacity has likely played hooky at least once. And while your self-determined day off might not have been as exciting as Ferris Bueller’s in the iconic ‘80s flick, chances are it was for good reason.

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Ideally, kids who decide to skip school are doing so with their parents’ permission, and for a good reason, like to see the premiere of a hotly-anticipated movie (the latest Star Wars or MCU film, for example), to spend a beautiful day at the park with family visiting from afar, to take a long weekend trip, or to participate in a major sporting tournament.

For parents, though, there’s always a twinge of guilt. Should you let your child take a day off school to go to the theatre or a sleepover trip with their friends? Is that soccer tournament really important enough to warrant a day lost of schooling?

As we gear up for the first day of school, here are the pros and cons of letting kids take a day off (later in the year, of course!)

Pro: YOU GET TO SPEND EXTRA TIME WITH YOUR KID

Assuming the skipped day is for a family event, this means you will get to spend more quality time with your child, which can be few and far between for families with working parents. Typically, the only time you get to spend with your kids is evenings and weekends, plus any vacation time. So if there’s an opportunity to do something fun, even if it consists of a day goofing off with mom and dad, why not?

The lessons will still be there the next day, and one day of schooling isn’t going to negatively impact their education. Check with the teacher to ensure that no new topics or big tests are planned for that day. If not, go for it!

Con: THEY MIGHT MISS OUT ON IMPORTANT LESSONS: 

If you don’t time it correctly, you could let your child skip a critical day of the year when the teacher introduces an entirely new topic or equation that sets the course for the rest of the year. This could set your child back if they miss out on the initial lesson.

For kids who are already having trouble in school and aren’t good at studying on their own, this could be detrimental to their education. But checking in with the teacher first can alleviate any of these worries.

Pro: IT MIGHT BE FOR A WORTHWHILE EXPERIENCE

Sometimes, once in a lifetime opportunities present themselves during school hours. And to opt out of one because your child has to spend the day in a classroom seems ludicrous. You don’t need to make a habit of it. But it’s important for your child to know that while education is critical, there’s more to life than school. And outside-of-school experiences can have a learning effect as well.

Your child could get much more out of a great trip to the museum for a limited time exhibit, or a day with family visiting from another country than they ever could from one routine day in the classroom.

Con: THE TEACHER MIGHT LOOK DOWN ON YOU

Depending on who your child’s teacher is, they might look down on you for allowing your child to skip school for any reason other than a death in the family or illness. Some teachers are super strict and believe that education is everything, and missed days are missed opportunities.While you shouldn’t care so much what the teacher thinks because in the end, you are in charge of your own children, the side eyes you might get could be uncomfortable at the next parent-teacher interview.

Source: https://www.moms.com/pros-cons-kid-hooky-skip-school/