{
  "id": 15408067,
  "title": "My child may never earn a perfect attendance award. I'm fine with that.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/18/my-child-may-never-earn-a-perfect-attendance-award-im-fine-with-that",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-18T12:32:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Insider",
    "slug": "business-insider",
    "url": "https://www.businessinsider.com/parenting-hot-take-perfect-attendance-awards-need-to-go-unfair-2026-10"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A mother in rural North Carolina expressed her disapproval of perfect attendance awards for children. She believes that healthcare appointments and other responsibilities often prevent kids from earning such certificates. The author stated that perfect attendance isn't necessarily a measure of a child's effort, as illnesses, specialist appointments, and other factors can impact attendance. She would prefer schools to reward kids for making progress rather than for never missing a day. The author shared her personal experience of taking her child out of school for healthcare appointments and feeling guilty about it. She emphasized that every family has unique circumstances that affect their child's attendance. The author argued that schools should recognize persistence and improvements in attendance, rather than focusing on perfect attendance. She concluded that she would continue to take her child to appointments and feel guilty when necessary, but would support schools in recognizing the efforts of children who overcome challenges and improve their attendance.",
  "summary": "As a parent, I think perfect-attendance awards send kids the wrong message. I rather the schools reward effort instead of an unbroken streak.",
  "key_points": [
    "Mother in North Carolina opposes perfect attendance awards for children",
    "Healthcare appointments and other responsibilities impact attendance",
    "Schools should reward progress, not perfect attendance"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}