Ideas to persuade my ds to go on residential trip.

[Biffsboys]

My ds11 is due to go on a school residential trip in April . He’s said tonight he doesn’t want to go .
My problem is , he’s a very active , sporty boy with lots of friends- the only reason he doesn’t want to go is because he doesn’t like staying away from home .
I feel sad for him that he will miss out on something he will really enjoy and that he will hear how much fun they had when they return .
Does anyone have any ideas to help him ?

It's only a few days out of his life. If he doesn't want to go don't make him. Once they're back in school the following week it's never mentioned. The kids have had a weekend at home with their families doing normal routine things and the away week is forgotten.

I definitely wouldn’t make him go . I just know he would love it once he is there .

Promise you'll come and fetch him if he hates it, no matter what. He might be willing to give it a go if he knows he can leave. Talk to the school and agree that he can call you if he wants to.

How far from home is it? Could you fetch him, and take him back the next morning if he really didn't want to stay overnight? I am doing this with my 8year old. It's only about 20mins drive away for me though

Speak to school, they will be used to managing this every year. If close by, they maybe able to take him along to the place before hand and see where he would be sleeping etc. They would do this with SEN kids anyway, it helps to ease anxieties and gives him a chance to ask questions away from his peer group.

My DD was like this, didn't like being away from home.
She decided to go and loved it.
Also they were not allowed mobile phones, which in my DD's case, think really helped. They were too busy/tired to think about home.
She did burst in to tears as soon as I went to get her but I think this was exhaustion
As a pp has mentioned the school will know how to deal with this.

It’s a ferry trip away so couldn’t just go for days . I’ll say to him we’ll pick him up if he hates it . He’ll be fine until it’s bedtime then he will panic . He never stays overnight with anyone other than my dp , even that is a push .