To not pay for DD's school trip

I absolutely agree with you. No 14yr old has any sort of reasonable earning capacity and there are very few jobs that they can do to earn money because of health and safety regulations. Baby sitting and dog walking are jobs involving responsibilities that 14yr olds cannot have outside the family circle. There doesn't have to be an inquisition, your child knows if you are struggling to make ends meet and you just need to say that you cannot afford it and that there will possibilities further down the line but not this Time. No, they won't all be going, that's a fact so your child won't be left out. If they are having the screaming abdabs and being nasty that just shows a level of immaturity and ingratitude for all the other things you as a parent facilitate. Just take it on the nose. That's life.

When is this trip anyway? Can't think of many places where you can go skiing in July or even for the next months. If it's very far off and provided the money doesn't all have to be paid upfront maybe she can get a job but not if the parents have to pay for it all now as "it would be putting [them] at risk, and it would definitely impact [their] lives". We never know when emergencies will arise and better safe (with money in the bank) than sorry (with paid upfront for a skiing trip).

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow
Getting employment at 14 is quite hard but not impossible.
She could instead start her own business by putting flyers around the area for jobs like dog walking, car washing, ironing services etc. you just need some initiative and drive. There's always a way to make pocket money and many people are only to pleased to help especially if she explains why she's raising the money.

I had this and the costs don't end there,there was hire of ski suits,skis,spending money,pre trip skiing lessons and new clothes,coat etc.
I was able to pay for the actual holiday beforehand in instalments and I had to go without but they have never forgotten the fun and the thrill of it.
I can't advise you other than to say go with your instincts.🌈

What sheltered lives some have lived if they can't grasp "it would be putting us at risk, and it would definitely impact our lives"!

My son has a paper round - he's 13. He goes out 6 mornings a week and it takes him about 50 minutes (except Saturdays which has bigger papers and a slightly bigger round). He gets £25pw, which over the year is over £1k. Tell her to pay if it's that important, and if you feel able to you can contribute later

£15 quid for 6 rounds? (I mean, 6 days a week). That seems really quite low. My other friends kids all get between £24-max £30 per week.

I suppose it depends how many houses/papers. DC has a lot but they are fairly close together round our village. So no walking miles between drops.

His Sat round he needs 2 bags or to go back to the shop to pick up the 2nd lot as the papers are thicker but he's still done in an hour or so.

We live rurally in a little village and the chap who owns the shop is very nice and maybe does pay a little over the odds but the paper boys/girls are loyal and stay for several years usually - rounds are well sought after and he can pick kids he knows will be reliable and pleasant to his customers.

DC has got to know his regulars and helped put bins out, find lost cats and dig out drives in the snow for the elderly ones. All good lessons in community.

@DockOTheBay
You are asking more or less the same question you asked me earlier, which I answered.
The OP has asked for peoples’ opinions regarding a situation she is facing NOW, not similar situations faced by people in the past. I gave an opinion, which I stand by.
I do have ideological issues with some school trips in general, but that’s not what we’re discussing in this thread.
I really don’t understand what you are expecting me to say or do about peoples’ struggles with affording school trips in the past, or 2019, as you refer to specifically?

School trips were often subsidised for me due to being a low income family.

You should ask the school, don't embarrassment stop you (just in case that is one of the reasons).

Gosh that's alot! My kids went to private school and the most expensive trip was skiiing for £750, and many couldn't go (it was an extra). The annual Y6 trips to France were cancelled for both my children as so many parents balked at paying the £600 for it - and that was to compliment the syllabus!
I'm surprised all her friends are going - have you checked? But if u can't afford it you can't - this will be her first lesson about the realities of household budgeting - maybe you could sit her down and explain how this works.

My ds gets 15 quid. I think 30 is very high.

Yes the pay for a paper round is fairly "crap" when you work it out against adult rates, but my DC earns approx £30 a week (for 45 mins work per day Mon-Fri and an hour on Saturday. He walks fast!)

£30 a week for a year would cover the cost. Not including Christmas tips - my DC did very well last Cmas from tips in cards!

It's not really educational either. I'd rather they go to see a battlefield.

but it's probably because the ski trip is a "known entity" - the staff and school know exactly what they're doing in terms of the company used, forms filled in, Risk Assessments, where to go, what's on offer, limited spaces meaning kids are easier to handle - from navigating through airports to checking in and out of ski school etc each day

It's not the School's responsibility to offer trips that suit everyone - especially when it's during holiday time. They can offer whatever suits them. If parents don't like the option, they're more than welcome to help organise and accompany "better" trips. Or use other organisations such as Scouting to go on different trips.

It's obviously because the staff want the holiday.

People are commenting on the situation now with this OP. There have always been people who can't afford trips and the OP can't be blamed for that. She's hardly to blame for the current crisis either. Don't blame her for things which are beyond her control.

You are angry and stunned that they're arranging a school trip now. Were you angry and stunned when they arranged the same trip in 2019? I'm sure plenty of people couldn't afford it then either.

@DockOTheBay

When did I say I had no sympathy? Please show me.
And anyway, I'm talking about the situation as it is now, not the past.

Exactly, why a bloody ski trip??

The annual ski trip is the ONLY non-subject related trip offered by DS's school - depending on the subjects a child studies it could be the only one they qualify for. There are so many brilliant options that they could offer for just a few hundred pounds that would hugely widen the number of students who could take part (and also make it easier to subsidise those that can't). I just don't understand it.

And I don't buy the argument that it gives parents the opportunity to let they kids try skiing without the expense of taking the whole family - surely there are a billion other activities that could apply to, why is it always skiing that somehow gets this special treatment?

Many State schools have run ski trips for years- mine date back 40 years ago!
I have no idea why they insist on doing this other than some teachers fancy it.
it has always caused division amongst kids whose parent have and those that haven’t
whilst school trips that including overnight stays are important, it is just a fact of life, that your daughter will have to get to know, that not all of them are affordable to all and some are more privileged than others.

if she doesn’t yet understand much about money at 14 then that is with you and you MUST do something about it.

At that age you can start by handing over a monthly allowance for all her spends except essentials like school uniform, undies and haircut. Sit with her and devise a budget for her spends on her phone, clothes, cosmetics, social life. Get her a basic bank account and send her the money. Say if she wants anything else she’ll have to earn it. Explain the going rate you set of 30 mins additional chores (not essential chores that are part and parcel of her living in the house and contributing to housework). Come up with a list of chores she can opt to do to earn more money. Also encourage her to start thinking about what sort of part time job she might get if she wants more money. Talk about different options, age she needs to be . Use it as discussion on minimum wage,cworking hours etc. have a conversation about what hours are feasible to fit in with school work. She doesn’t need to start now, but sow the seeds to tell her options are out there to earn her own money for her own things later on.

Then talk to her about your budget. What you have to pay out in terms of outgoings. How many hours work that ski trip is and what % of household income. Don’t talk around it and don’t be general. Sit her down and treat it like a lesson in personal finance . Ensure she understands exactly where your income comes from, tax and what money has to be spent on essentials. Sure she may not want to hear it, don’t frighten her, but it shows you have taken Her seriously and that you want to explain why not and help her understand what is possible in terms of spends on her, vs what is not

finally get her started on Martin Lewis financial education stuff for kids.

honestly, 14 is too old for her to be thinking money grows on trees still. You are not helping her or yourselves to let her continue to bury her head in the sand and behave like an entitled little princess.

With the rising cost of living, they'll find less people able go on these trips or even those that can afford it may choose a family holiday instead. Ive never understood the idea of a skiing trip because its just so expensive. A few days somewhere in europe for max £500 would be a great experience but £1600 for 1 person is ridiculous. I'd rather take my whole family for not much more.

This...
For a keen teen raising 500£ over a year... Is absolutely do-able..

I would happily pay a teen to do jobs I can't!

It’s not doable. Putting themselves financially at risk for a holiday is bananas.

What is the timeline for a deposit and full payment? Work out whether getting a part-time job a is feasible way to let the cost.

Our 10 year old came home with a letter for his ski trip last week... £1650 per child!!!! 😬 It is extortionate but if it is doable, I would say allow it as it's these experiences that the children will
look back on. Explain how expensive it is and ensure your daughter understands the value of sacrifice in order to be able to have what she wants.