School trips in light of recent events...

[MrsD79]

So as the last term of school rapidly approaches, along comes with it the annual school trip. My 6 yr old's class is scheduled to go Lego land. My 4 year old is scheduled for london zoo. What is the educational purpose of legoland? Parents are not allowed. We are going in the summer as a family anyway for my son's birthday. All that aside I just feel really uncomfortable about them going. There was the Drayton manor incident a few weeks ago and Manchester the other night (God rest their souls). How do you all feel about school trips at the moment? Am I being stuiped? Do I let them go and chain myself to the coach? Or do I stand by my decision and let them think I am evil? Help a sister out!

I feel that people are overreacting and pearl clutching to the point of being extremely annoying.

I feel that in the grand scheme of things, what happened in Manchester is a tiny little speck compared to what is happening in other countries and that we're incredibly lucky to live in a safe country.

You say you're going to Lego land in the summer: who's to say something bad doesn't happen then? The death in Drayton manor was an accident that couldn't be helped.

My ds is going on a trip soon, aged 5. He will be going and having fun, like any 5 year old should. We are incredibly lucky our children still have the opportunity to enjoy their childhood and we shouldn't stop them because of our own anxieties.

Are you going to spend the summer going no further than your back garden?

Don't let your children miss out on opportunities because of your fears. I'm sure they will have a great time

I'm having this problem. My Y5 DD is due to go to London next month. She is ridiculously excited.

Already I've her dad, her gran and my gran on the phone telling me she is no longer allowed to go.

In all honesty I expect it will be cancelled/postponed but if it's not I'm leaning towards letting her go. The chances of a terror attack occurring during the three days she is there are slim, the chances of it happening close to her in a city the size of London even slimmer and that she'd be actually injured or killed should the unthinkable happen slimmer still.

I refuse to live my life in fear. If I did that how far do I let that fear rule my life? Do I avoid any and all major cities? What about events? Buses, trains, airplanes?

But then what if she gets run off the pavement by a drunk driver? Or targeted by a predator?

Yes the risk is higher in London, but then so is the risk of being hit by a bus or tram.

We travel to Manchester often, I used to live there so when my older DD asks to go to concerts if there's not a Newcastle date Manchester just makes more sense to me than Leeds or other closer cities because I don't know Leeds, I do know Manchester. This isn't going to stop me but it would make me more vigilant.

Do not teach your children to be afraid of these people or they've already 'won'

Lead by example.

Take heart in the amount of people who help. Who show kindness. Who care. There are millions more of them.