To think that kids on a residential should be allowed a couple of phone calls

well so did I then folk started talking about abuse.......

Yes, Y were BU, but glad you have agreed that on P3.

All the reasons summed up in the first 4 replies really, then repeated lots over the rest of the thread.

I read it as Separation Anxiety.

@godmum56 I assumed sexual abuse, Separation Anxiety makes more sense.

by SA are we meaning Separation Anxiety or Sexual Abuse?

My dd is away on a school trip, a few of the mums who haven't sent their kids to it have said its because of the risk of SA.

That's really sad. From whom? They're never alone! They're never alone with a teacher and they're never alone with a child of the opposite sex (not primary anyway)

Wasn't allowed when my DC went 30 years + ago and wasn't allowed when I used to accompany them either

Would be a nightmare!

No

One child tried this on a trip I was on.

She was caught and the phone confiscated till she got home.

No.

You will have had a phone call to say all is well and that's enough

If there are phone calls home many children won't settle.

They're fine!

Kids are really resilient. They're surrounded by friends, lots of distractions and fun stuff. Unfortunately some mums see their kids depending on them as a requirement so these kids could he happy and completely distracted and then go have a phone call home and it be all "oh mummy missed you soooo much, don't you miss mummy. I hope you're having fun but I can't wait to see you and give you a cuddle". Boom, kids upset, wants mum.

I remember going away with the Girls Brigade back in about 1969. No mobile phones in those days. We had to take a postcard stamped and addressed to home to send to Mum and Dad on arrival!

I'm in America. When my youngest was in 8th Grade (equivalent to your Year 9), so age 13, he went with his school for a week to Washington DC. They did have their phones, and were allowed to use them. I think I got 2 texts the whole time he was gone. I admit it was me that wanted more contact (but I never messaged him first), he was having the time of his life and last thing he wanted to do was talk to Mum. If there is an emergency the adults will contact you.

No! They are having a blast, off screens and enjoying starting those next steps to being independent.

Or you could do what one mother did when her DD went on a residential led by my DH.
He and colleagues kept seeing a woman in a pink anorak peeping out and observing them. He managed to get close to her and realised it was one of the mums who had followed them down and then followed the coach every morning as they went off to activities. She then got a job as a TA at the school (was a City lawyer) so she could continue to be near her DD. Absolutely fucking nutter - what spy wears a great big bright pink anorak?! 🙄

And no phone calls! I am guessing she's not away for more than a week? Honestly having accompanied this trips when teachers couldn't be arsed to go during their holidays, the last thing the kids are thinking of is calling their parents.

Absolutely not. Just would make homesickness worse. If you don’t hear anything assume all well.

They are safe and phone calls home will only make them homesick! The teachers would contact you if there are any problems. The risk of SA is tiny - children are far more at risk from their own family and family friends unfortunately 😔

I think I know where this is and the perpetrator hasnt worked there since it all happened, there is no reason for parents not to send their childeren on that trip

Nope. It often makes homesickness worse and leads to tears. And I say that as someone who suffered dreadfully with homesickness until I was about 15.

A parent wouldn’t be much use in a genuine emergency and contacting home wouldn’t help homesickness so I think any contact would really be for your benefit not your DC. Kids coped fine in the pre-mobile days and still do now.

Is it common for parents to keep kids off trips because of the risk of SA? Who do they think will be the perpetrator??

My extremely anxious DD was on her residential last week. I was worried about her not being able to contact me, but selfishly it was actually better for me as I couldn't get calls/messages saying she missed me. They keep them very busy on most school trips which helps avoid homesickness.

I think that phonecalls home should only be done in exceptional circumstances, such as if a child is normally a carer for a parent and needs to discuss something important with the temp.

When my DD did her residential I thought exactly the same. I nearly snuck her phone in her bag so she could text but they warned against this so we didn't. It was actually absolutely fine and I get why they do it now. There were regular updates on class dojo but that caused upset as DD looked really upset in one of them (or more like Wednesday Adam's) and I panicked she needed me but couldn't get to me. I asked her when she got back and she said she hated all the photos so pulled a face.

I used to work in a residential centre for children that schools used. There were no mobile phones for kids in those days. But schools that allowed kids to phone home would often trigger homesickness in at least one child. Those schools that did not allow phone calls tended to have far less homesickness. Every school allowed phone calls in special circumstances.

Ridiculous

I went on a residential (albeit early 1980s)

There were no mobiles. There was a dial pay phone if you needed to

But we didn't

Snowflakes