My child may never earn a perfect attendance award. I'm fine with that.

The author said her child (not shown) probably won't ever get a certificate for perfect attendance, and she doesn't think anyone should.

FatCamera/Getty Images Sometimes I have to take my child out of school for healthcare appointments.

Perfect attendance can depend on health, access to care, and whether a parent can leave work.

I'd rather schools reward kids for showing up after hard times than for perfect attendance.

Whenever I schedule an appointment during the school day, I feel guilty.

I ask for their latest available appointment.

If that doesn't work, I pull up the school calendar .

Then I start doing the ridiculous parent math: How long is the drive? What class will my child miss? Can I get them back before the final bell? Is there some magical way to make a 10:30 appointment happen without blowing up half the school day? Usually, there isn't.

So I take the appointment.

I'm a mother in rural North Carolina .

Healthcare providers aren't always five minutes down the road, and appointments that fit perfectly between school dismissal and dinner aren't exactly falling from the sky.

Sometimes the appointment you need is at 10:30 a.m. on a Tuesday.

And sometimes you take it.

I still feel guilty about it almost every time.