I used to let my kids miss school for family travel. It's harder to pull off now that they're older.

The author (not pictured) would regularly take her kids out of school to travel.

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• I started pulling my kids out of school for travel when they were little.
• Traveling out of regular vacation meant I spent less money on tickets and hotels.
• Now that they are in high school, academics and sports are more important.

Growing up, I did not miss school. Maladies like Chickenpox and raging stomach bugs that didn't respond to ginger ale...