No phones on ski trip

[AreTheyMad]

DD is going on a ski trip with school next week. We've just been informed they won't be allowed to use their phones during the day, only for an hour in the evening.
Would you be happy with your DC not being allowed to take their phones on the slopes?

I think it's mad, and I'm trying to formulate a mail which doesn't sound over protective pub! It means they can't call if they get separated from the group, check the map, if they injure themselves. What if the visibility is bad? Am I overreacting here?

I’m assuming as it’s a school trip they will be skiing in a group with a trained instructor and teachers at all times who will have access to a phone in case of an emergency.

Skiing is dangerous (I love it, but it is!) and teenagers don’t always see danger the same way, particularly if they haven’t done the activity before to understand the risk. Phones can be a distraction. You don’t want them using a phone whilst going down a slope and going straight into something/someone or stop mid slope to look at their phone and have someone go straight into them do they?

If they were out alone skiing off piste/on remote slopes, and may need to call for help, different matter. Given the fact they’re likely to be on busy training/green/blue slopes with an adult and plenty of people about should they need help the phones will be more of a hindrance and a risk than a help.

It always amuses me when someone asks a question on here and even after everyone disagrees and calls them silly, they still double down.
Why ask if you don’t genuinely want the answer.

Nothing in the OP's post suggests that she's based in a Nordic country.

My experience of groups from Scandinavia, be they ski clubs or school groups, is that they adhere to the same sensible rules as the UK and the Alpine countries. Children's groups are always supervised, and the supervisors are required to have the applicable certifications and qualifications - i.e. they are qualified ski school instructors, sports club instructors, or if they are PE or other school subject teachers they have an equivalent qualification.

As for there being about 5 black runs in the whole of Scandinavia, this is utter nonsense. Åre in Sweden has 4 black runs, and there are another 250 resorts in Sweden, 170 in Norway and 80 in Finland.

@Banannanana "If they were out alone skiing off piste/on remote slopes, and may need to call for help, different matter."

Nobody should be skiing alone on off-piste or remote slopes, regardless of whether they are experienced skiers, instructors, or least of all the OP's daughter who is no more than 14 years old.

A phone is useless if there is no signal or battery, or if it has been lost or broken in an accident. It can't be used by someone who is unconscious or badly injured, and it is of no use if the person doesn't know who to call or is unable to tell anyone where they actually are.

What country is this in? What happens to families who can't pay for the ski trip?

I am struggling to picture how you are imaging your child using her phone on a ski slope without both BEING IN, and PUTTING OTHERS IN, significantly more danger than if she wasn't using her phone!

I agree they shouldn’t be skiing alone. Hence why I said they’re not gonna be doing that, there’ll be in groups with adults. A school trip wouldn’t do that.

But regardless of whether they SHOULD people DO go off piste alone in dangerous areas and that’s where they may need to call for help.

I guess central Europe, because what the OP says is similar to what I know. However, I don't claim it is the same country I am in, because a few things differ.

If any EU country, it means roaming isn't an issue, as there is EU wide mandatory roaming with all phone contracts.

@Elsvieta
Families who can't pay could get school assistance with the fees

@Banannanana not necessarily. The OP already said teachers only, no additional instructors. And I remember having a time for free skiing at school ski trips. And it wasn't about blue and green slopes.
In my country in my school we did local ski trip at 12 for learning basic and Alps at 14 to enjoy skiing. As Alps are relatively more expensive for us, it would be a huge waste of money to go to Alps to do the basics with instructors.
And yes, we were absolutely riding without adults.

It doesn't mean we are irresponsibly dying en mass on slopes though.

In my country students of teaching at university can take skiing, swimming and summer outdoor sports modules, so practically all PE teachers and many others have a qualification. So we, as parents and students, don't think about the qualifications at all, because it is normal that teachers do it.

The free riding can be for example one nice slope at the beginning - so the teachers are around, can observe behaviour and decide whether to extend the area.
I was in a grammar school equivalent, so I don't know how this works elsewhere, but we behaved- because being allowed to just ride in a small groups was a privilege.

So now the question is - if you imagine that teens will be allowed some riding without direct supervision, no matter whether you approve or not, should they be allowed to have phones?

You’re quoting the price in £, which implies that you are in the UK. As far as England is concerned (I am not familiar with systems in other parts of UK), you cannot be forced to pay for anything that is a part of the core curriculum. Schools can, and usually do, ask for contributions for curriculum related trips, but they cannot force you to pay. If it’s not curricular, which most residentials aren’t, then the trip is optional. If it’s curricular then the cost should come out of the school budget with support from willing parents.

You are overreacting massively.

My daughters had this on their ski trip. Best thing ever. They interacted with their friends, had fun, the teachers took the photos and they got to be kids.

I understand why you might feel worried but I think you are over worrying.

Personally I think my girls would be much more of a danger to themselves and others with them!

Don’t email - you won’t change their mind and you’ll just look like an overbearing parent.

1. they won’t be alone in slopes
2. they’ll probably smash them
3. they’ll risk their own safety to get them out to take photos or play music etc - potentially causing mistakes.

If you don’t like their rules, don’t send them.

You could for peace of mind get a luggage tracker so see into coat. It won’t send live updates, but when they go past another phone it’ll send you an update so you’ll know their last known location.

I still can't believe that on a school trip teenagers will be able to go on black runs/off piste. That's crazy.

My 12yo is on a ski trip now. He was last on his phone two days ago. I've had two one liners from him: 'There's basically no Internet here,' and 'This is sooo good.'

What else do I need to know? The snow is fantastic, the staff put a few pics up on the school Instagram account at the end of the day. They are having a ball, together, liberated from their phones.

You do not need your child to be contactable all the time.

I think you are worrying unnecessarily

Have you contacted the school yet @AreTheyMad ?

Another control freak parent showing how little faith she had in the ability of her child's school to do their job. I've said it here lots of times and I'll say it again today: the behaviour of some parents is the main reason I am relieved that having finished my PGCE, I realised teaching wasn't the right career for me.

In some countries children go skiing with their school on a weekly basis instead of doing PE, so of course those kids are ready for more. The OP isn't in the UK and presumably she's in a country where the kids have much more experience skiing.

Simple solution, don’t send your kid, if you have taught her not to follow rules and the instructions of an adult!. If she goes off by herself, that means she’s been taught to ignore adults and not to listen to safety instructions.
You sound like a helicopter parent and I guess, you should just pull her out of the trip, then you have nothing to moan about.

Kids in my school (not me because we were poor) went skiing every year and they all came back. That was in the 80s.

I would be more worried about kids messing around on phones on lifts or in lift queues when they should be paying attention. The slopes are littered with lost phones when the snow melts. We all skied without phones as kids. My DC never had them either. It was fine. If you don't like the rules, then don't send your child on the trip.

Complete overreaction. My daughter went to Morocco and was walking in the Atlas Mountains. She couldn’t take her phone either. Not an issue. Took a digital camera for the memories.

What a great idea. It will help build their confidence. Two teens on my street genuinely didn’t know what a bus timetable was at the bus stop because they just use google maps. Teens need freedom from phones. They might get a holiday from social media, talk to each other and actually come back using their phones less. Kudos to their school. You’ve picked a good one for them.

Op you need to organise two drones (in case one breaks) linked to a tracker which your dc must keep on her person at all times.
These drones - flying at a safe height - can accompany your dc and be linked to your and your dh’s phone (and maybe her school’s internet with a teacher watching throughout the day) so you can keep her in your sight at all times.