Should I push DD to go on this trip

[LifeInAHamsterWheel]

DD is 8, and is due to go on a two night trip with girl guides next week. She initially hadn't signed up for it, she's never been away on her own before (only place she's ever stayed apart from with us is with her grandmother for a night) but she changed her mind and has been really keen to do it. However, now she's having a wobble and I'm not sure if I should push her to go or tell her that it's fine to pull out now if that's what she wants.

It sounds like it will be great fun, so many activities planned and I think she'd have a good time. But... she's still so little and so anxious about it now that I'm not sure pushing her is the right thing to do.

Am I overthinking it?

I think you should definitely encourage your DD to go. I think that facing up to things that we want to do but which are a bit outside our comfort zone helps to build confidence, and it sounds like your DD will be absolutely fine once she is there. If she pulls out, she may end up regretting it when her friends come back talking excitedly about the trip.

Thank you Mykingdomforanickname I feel the same.

I think if she was 6 I'd say wait but 2 nights away aged 8 is age appropriate. If her school take y6 away for a week it's a good step towards that. Could you fit in a single night away between now and then?

We really can't, she goes next Friday. But someone suggested to let her practice with the sleeping bag before then which we can definitely do, and we'll start getting her things together for her rucksack which might open the conversation about little things she's worried about 👍🏻

If she doesn't like it, what's the worst thing that can happen? She has to wait for a couple of hours and then she can come home again! Surely she can put up with 'not liking it' for a couple of hours? It won't kill her.
And far more likely she will really enjoy staying out and having a fun time with all her friends then she will have loads to tell you about when she does come home.