Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

school trip for 13 year olds which involves setting off at 2am?

351 replies

Mintyy · 20/06/2014 22:38

My child is going on a 3 day school trip to a European country.

Today I find out that the timing of the outward bound flight means that we have to get her to school for boarding the coach by 2.15am.

Aibu to think this is nuts?

OP posts:
HercShipwright · 21/06/2014 08:22

Delphinium - why do you hate them. Why not hate the people who are determined to 'keep down the cost' even though that might make participating impossible for some?

Igggi · 21/06/2014 08:23

Herc but your dd2 will be a bit older (maybe not old enough) and is not likely to have a music exam the following day again! I think it's a shame to decide on this now. Is a taxi impossible?

Igggi · 21/06/2014 08:26

More children will not be able to go if the trip is more expensive than if it involves a silly start time.

Stillenacht - hope you get a peaceful one. What's the bet someone will mention your "extra holiday" or ask if teachers pay to go!

SirChenjin · 21/06/2014 08:28

Hating anyone is a bit silly, but given that state schools (I presume the OP uses state education?) are supposed to be inclusive, then 'keeping the cost down' seems an imminently more sensible way of ensuring that as many people as possible are able to attend - and if that means using your initiative and looking for solutions (some great ideas on here already), rather than bowing to a small handful of parents who are prepared to pay over the odds - then that seems like a much better option to me.

BillnTedsMostFeministAdventure · 21/06/2014 08:29

A 5am start is much nicer than a 2am start.

I regularly pitch for new work. If I had a pitch the day that a trip left at 2am, no, the DCs wouldn't go if I couldn't find an alternative eg taxi.

Delphiniumsblue · 21/06/2014 08:31

I hate them because I lived in an affluent area when mine were growing up and the answer to everything from some people was 'just pay more' - with not a thought to the people who couldn't.
If you can't manage it for younger DCs etc then get them staying with a friend. As soon as they get to school you need to develop a support network.

BillnTedsMostFeministAdventure · 21/06/2014 08:31

Can I point out that no one said it should be more expensive - my post was responding to Delph saying OP would whinge if it did cost more.

defineme · 21/06/2014 08:31

I would put them in a taxi if I had another child in bed. Otherwise I wouldn't have a problem, but I can go back to sleep without a problem whereas I know others find thatdifficult.
Lots of night flights to holiday destinations have kids on them-i will be getting my kids up at 4am in August for our holiday.

stillenacht1 · 21/06/2014 08:31

Thanks IgggiSmile I hope so too Wink

Delphiniumsblue · 21/06/2014 08:32

I was using 'hate' loosely! 'Irritated' if you want to be precise about it!

MadameDefarge · 21/06/2014 08:32

So parents who don't drive will have an extra charge for a taxi two ways at silly oclock?

That's not keeping the trip cost down, that's penalising non-driving parents.

stillenacht1 · 21/06/2014 08:33

Same could be applied to non driving teachers Madame. It's not always the teachers choice when a departure time is set.

AuntieStella · 21/06/2014 08:33

Mine went on one with at 2:00am departure.

The difference in flight costs was just over £100 per head.

MadameDefarge · 21/06/2014 08:33

yes, but the central point here is a parent is unhappy. so I am addressing that.

TooSpotty · 21/06/2014 08:34

I'm definitely in the DIBMLF camp, but actually cope pretty well with sleep loss so it doesn't sound like utter hell to me. I think it's reasonable enough to complain if practical reasons make it complicated.

On a side note, and not related to the OP (really NOT some crappy 'be grateful for your kids' thing), this whole thread is poignant for me because my mum died while I was on a school trip. My last sight of her was her cheerfully waving me goodbye outside my school at 4am.

Delphiniumsblue · 21/06/2014 08:34

If they are 13yrs you are at the start of 'unsociable hours' and you have to manage them. When DS was 17yrs I had two primary school aged children. Things are rarely easy!

Goblinchild · 21/06/2014 08:35

Just as an aside, SirC, one of the schools I worked in had a very divergent catchment area. From families on the breadline to families on three holidays and a new car most years.
Bunch of parents decided to be inclusive and put their money where their mouths were, and paid for their child's trip and AN Other, to be decided anonymously by the staff. We had six extra children on the trip because of a group of lovely people, some needed a top-up of cash, some paid for completely.

DeepThought · 21/06/2014 08:36

Same happened to my mate

Her girl had been signed up for exchange to europe, all forms etc filled in yonks ago

The 2am drop off wasn't notified to parents til about ten days beforehand, up til then it was woolly 'late night flight, details tbc' fob offs.

Thry left the ten yr old at home, ssleep. Single parent family in this case.

(Shan't tell you about the 4am pickup ten days later!)

DeepThought · 21/06/2014 08:36

TooSpotty Flowers

stillenacht1 · 21/06/2014 08:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HercShipwright · 21/06/2014 08:39

Igggi no she still won't be old enough (she'll be not much over 11 - August born). Also we wouldn't leave her alone in the house with DS asleep. We just wouldn't. What if there was a fire? Neither of them are sensible.

The school is an hour away, I suppose a taxi is an option and one we may have to explore but it's not something I like the idea of either - we don't have any minicab firms round here where you can request a female driver (in all my years living here I've only seen a couple of female taxi drivers, actually. It's very odd and something I've often commented on). I really don't like the idea of DD1 in a minicab going full pelt down windy country roads at that time of night. Our plan B at the moment is to see if she can stay at a friend's house near the school anyway (even though said friend won't be going on the trip) and get a cab from there - but it's not a good plan and I know the friend's family would rather not. :( But until we know the date of the trip we don't know if we will need plan B.

HercShipwright · 21/06/2014 08:41

Of course, a taxi from here to there would probably cost about £60 so instead of an extra £50 for a later start we would be expected to pay more so that others can get a cheaper trip. Which hardly seems fair. And most of the others (in this particular case) are actually better able to afford the extra than we are!

CarryOn90 · 21/06/2014 08:42

Yabvvu to say that your kids will miss out on all future educational trips because you can't handle a couple of late nights.

Being a parent involves losing sleep in case you hadn't noticed Hmm

ApocalypseThen · 21/06/2014 08:42

yes, but the central point here is a parent is unhappy. so I am addressing that.

One thing that simply cannot be tolerated is an upset parent.

Goblinchild · 21/06/2014 08:46

'Yabvvu to say that your kids will miss out on all future educational trips because you can't handle a couple of late nights.'

The sad thing is that the teachers might feel slightly disappointed for a minute that your child isn't experiencing the trip. then they'll move on.
Your child may be distressed for longer, especially as they will not be a part of all the chat and gossip and socialising that follows an overnight trip.