I am aren't I? Don't want DS to go on school trip he is too small!

[BupcakesandCunting]

DS is in reception class (4 years old) and we got a letter home last week to say they are going on a school trip to Twycross Zoo. I offered my services as a parent helper as I do help out sometimes at the forest school/trips etc and his teacher said "No but thanks, we'll be taking members of staff for school so we're all covered!"

Errrr, you what?! How many staff are they taking to cover 60 4/5 year olds?! There's only ten teachers at the school anyway and I don't think they'll be taking all of the teachers out.

Oh help me and tell me I'm being a nob. I have visions of DS or one of his classmates inadvertently getting separated and lost from their class or whatever. In my defence, I'm not the only one I earwigged on some other mums this morning in the playground and they're a bit about it too.

Parenting isn't easy-it isn't supposed to be!
Your job is to give them roots and give them wings. You have to start gradually, not shove them out at 18yrs with not experience of independence, and if you clip their wings, so they don't fly,they are safe but not what I would call living.If you get it right it is so gradual that they don't notice and they come back because they want to-they actually like you, as well as love you.
If your DC is in a nursery class or a school class where the staff think they can do a trip-the staff are right, they will have done it before and they will have had to risk access. They will be head counting all the time and the adult/child ratio will probably be even higher than needed by law.

It is such a shame if you keep them at home, the rest will all be talking about it, and you can be sure that they will be doing work around it once they get back.

Hula I agree, I led a trip of 17-22 year olds (I was only 18 at the time!) and I was terrified of losing any of them. I was walking along with them surreptitiously counting all the time, despite knowing they'd probably be absolutely fine if they did go missing. When two didn't turn up (had made their own way back to the coach) I honestly thought I'd have a heart attack.I don't think I could be a primary school teacher!

So, Bups, if I was like that with people's grown-up, spending-2-weeks-in-a-foreign-country, quite-happy-away-from-home children, imagine how the teachers will be with your 4 year olds .

He'll love it. (I still regret missing my Reception trip, a teddy bears picnic. I couldn't do the assembly about it . I was actually ill though.)

If the school was not confident that it could manage this trip it wouldn't suggest it in the first place - honest! Please don't let your child miss out. i am a teacher and I much prefer a trip without parent help as here are some of the parent behaviours I have had to deal with in the past .... bringing a toddler along and said toddler taking up lots of time for toileting, feeding, behaviour, buying own child lots of pressies from gift shop, buying own child crisps and choccie, taking own child home early because she is tired leaving me with supervision issue, complaining about other children very loudly, talking about other children in parent community after the trip, disagreeing with me publicly and audibly about the need for pleases and thank-yous (didn't believe in them, apparently they 'inhibit' a child). And I have had a stalking parent who turned up at theatre trip with a very needy toddler and then was audibly pissy because there were no seats left close by.

Bups, I live not too far away from the zoo, I could maybe schedule a visit there to coincide with your sons trip and keep my eye out for him? Perhaps me and ABF could tag team so the teacher doesn't get suspicious? It could save you a fortune in fancy dress hire and your embarrassment, Hmm, what do you reckon? :)

you are being a teeny tiny insy bit over protective just a tad teachers and school staff are trained to take children out of school they have a ratio let your son go stop being so wossy he will be fine honest he will ,

My DM was a teacher, and always said that after trips she would be counting children in her sleep for days, and waking up convinced she had lost one (she never did, as far as I am aware).

Bups has this trip been and gone whilst people are missing the humour and berating you for something you have no intention of doing?

Possibly a bit late to add my tupence but you sound like a completly normal , caring mum.

I know where you are coming from but it will be fine, it will be good for him to go on such a "big trip " without you, that experience will be so much better than being excluded from it.

loof forward to him coming home and telling you all about it

if your worried tell the school about your concerns or dont let him go just because it,s a school trip it dosen,t mean there always safe. ,i don,t think he,ll get eaten by the animals> only joking

DS went to the zoo when he was in foundation. They DID have mum helpers and from what they told me they spent the whole time ferrying kids to and from the loos and DS complained that they didn't see many animals. I think they probably do need parent helpers but your child will be fine!!!