not to let my 6.5 year old go on a school trip which involves an overnight stay?

[laughingduck]

Title says it all really. dh and I don't want him to go on the trip as he has never stayed away from home without one of us before. He is in a mixed YR1/YR2 class and the trip is a last minute cancellation that the school have got and so details have yet to be finalised. Are we just totally out of touch - is it the norm for infant school aged children to go on this kind of trip? Most people we have asked so far have said they wouldn't either but I thought I'd get the opinion of MN too (plus can't resist starting a thread in this topic ).

I probably would let him go but only if I went too

If everyone else was going I'd let him go.

where are they going?

If ds wanted to go i would let him.

Hmm, it's not the norm. Beavers and Rainbows of this age don't go away overnight and Yr4 is the first year at our school that an overnight stay is permitted.
If he has not been away from you before then I would not be happy either.
I see what you mean GDG but I think that a lot of the Year 1 parents in this year group will hesitate about the trip too.
Plus at this age there is a statistical probability that some are still not reliably dry at night...

I probably would but then dd (also 6.5) has stayed at friend's houses over night without us

think (if it was me) it would depend if his friends are going and where it was (i.e. how far away, where they'd be staying) tbh

does seem a bit young to me,school is being quite brave I think.I don't know what I think,depends on lats of things.WHo else is going,does he want to go,where etc

That's very little to be going on a over night trip. Our school takes Yr 4 away for 3 nights and that was traumatic enough for me! It's a tricky one, as you don't want him to miss out on the fun, especially if everyone else is going. Has anyone else at school got the same reservations as you?

Message deleted

oh yes, and whether he wanted to go

Ds has stayed over at friends without me before so he'd be fine - especially if his friends were going.

Obviously I'd want to know where they were going and be reassured about safety.

Like others have said, I might volunteer to go and help but then I nearly always do anyway. It's always the same old people helping out, including me!

Hmm I agree with marina that this would be unusual. I would probably let DS but I would be less sure if he had never stayed away before, but DS has been to grandparents and friends before.

totally depends on the set up.. where are they going? is it far away? is it camping/hotel/overnight on a ferry?? and what about numbers? adult to child ratio?

The trip is to a forest (Delamere) and there is an education centre there apparently (again this is all the information we have as the school has done this as a last minute thing). I have no idea what the sleeping arrangements are yet, but my concern is that even at 6.5 he still needs a fair bit of supervision. Also he has a heart condition, which is under control, but causes me some anxiety. He hasn't mentioned it to us tbh, and I'm not sure he is bothered either way. Not sure what other parents are doing as have been in a bit of a rush on the school run this week!

only if i could go too

Ib think theres'a big difference too between staying overnight at a friends house and staying with a big group of children in a dormintory / youth hostel type place.

My ds doesn't really do sleepovers yet with school friends but I know anecdotally there is a lot of last minute refusal amongst his friends where parents have to be called to come and get children who haven't settled at another friends house for the night! They are year 2.

My DS2 is going away to the new forest with the beavers, he is six and a half, he really wants to go and will be away two days and one night.

DS1 age 10 is going for 3 days and two nights, and DH1 is going as a helper for the scouts so wont really be seeing DS2.
Its so hard I know but I can't baby the forever (as much as would like to)

I would be guided by him. If he is mega keen and confident to go I would then investigate sleeping arrangements, who else is going etc etc

If he doesnt want to go, isnt keen or isnt bothered and your are anxious about it I wouldnt send him.

Actually ds's Beavers pack had a sleep-over last weekend, and that includes 6 year-olds.

I think if he wants to go, then you should let him. Some kids are brave enough, some are not, but if yours is a brave one, then don't hold him back.

What exactly are you afraid of? Yes he might get a bit upset, but the staff attending will have dealt with such matters before, and there has to be a first time at some stage.
FWIW ds loved his sleep-over (not that much sleeping got done ) He says he felt lonely a bit once everyone had settled down to bed, but cuddled his puppy and felt fine.

ds went and most of his class. He is also in a mixed y1/2. He is 6y. I was quite a bit surprised but he enjoyed it and they didn't seem to have had any problems. Also, it was not far from us. In fact, 1 boy went but slept at homew and came back in the morning. (according to ds he had forgotten his sleeping bag...)

You know, I'd just typed a response but when I read it back I though it sounded so pathetic that I really wonder whether my anxiety is more about dh and I (we both tend to see the doom and gloom in everything atm). Not sure what to do, but will have a word with the teacher I think and see if they can give me any more information. Dh or I would be prepared to go to help out but dh can't get time off and I have two other dcs to look after. Still think 6.5 is a bit little though...

Thanks everyone for your replies btw

i wouldnt

you're not being pathetic! he's still young and he'll have other opportunities for trips like this so if you're not keen (or he's not), then don't worry! I bet he won't be the only one who doesn't go.

If its a last minute thing then i would be reluctant to let him go, especially as the details have not been finalised.
Its a long time to be away from your parents at that age but you just cant tell how he will react.

No, I probably wouldn't TBH.