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 ).

The general feeling and opinion seems to be that most would be guided by their children and if they were happy to go they would let them, but some seem to be saying that they would say no regardless of how the child felt which to me backs up what I said about it being some parents who cant cope.

We do know our children better than anyone, so hopefully would know if they could cope with staying away overnight. I let mine from quite young, they were happy to go and I would have happily collected them if they wanted to come home

Just off to ask my mum if I can stay overnight with frogs and clumsymum at the bad mothers bootcamp

You'll be very welcom Helen .

Califrau,

Thanks for posting that, it really is so interesting. Interesting too that altho you thought your child wouldn't like it, he had such a wonderful time.

I am just so very concerned that we are creating a culture in the UK where our children are over protected, and that they miss out on things because of it.

And everyone got soooo hung up on my "small-minded" comment, that no-one has answered my question.

What harm do you think it will do your child to go to an organised sleep-over?

My dd's first sleep-over in kindergarten in Germany was when she was 3 and then she had one a year till she started school aged 6. She sleeps over at friend's houses occasionally, really not very often though. I think the first time she did that she was 4.

However, sending her away from town with her entire class at age 6.5 (her current age), I wouldn't contemplate yet though.

Califrau,

I think on balance I prefer it Germany's way.

I like the rite of passage thing very much Cali

and it's good that it was optional - I would not expect all children at this age to be ready to do this.

My own feeling on this is that if your child is not ready for such a level of separation from you then it would be a mistake to push them into it. And I would think it fair to trust a parent's judgement of whether the child is ready at this point.

Myself I would feel unhappy about it because I remember the very inadequate supervision we had on various school trips when I was at school. I think a properly supervised adventure away from home could be a magical thing and very boosting to the self-esteem of a young child who felt ready to try it.

I also think supervision is the magic word! If I was offered a trip with plenty of capable staff and adequate information about the sleeping arrangements I would feel much better about sending my child away.
califrau, you brought back memories about the Waldtag, we had those every tuesday whatever the weather they would march off to the forest with the littlest ones in one of those wooden carts and build dens, get muddy and have a picnic! I didn't mind that so much as they had 2 teachers but when they went into town on the bus it was a worry because I knew the teacher did a fair bit of window shopping!

I never said anyone else was a bad Mum for letting their kids go overnight. that is not what I was saying at all, If I had a totally independant child who did not need extra help and I was sure , completely sure I could trust another family with my child he could go but not under the circumstances I stated earlier in my posts, so that will be when my ds is older,
Why are 'different' opinions automatically thought to mean 'bad opinions'

No, I wouldn't let ds go. He's five and I'm pretty sure he'd hate it even in a year's time. Plus if he's dry at night by then I'll be very surprised. Very unusual to have overnight stays at that age.