To make DS pay for school trip?

[AtSea1979]

DS wants to go on a school trip in year 8. It's to Europe and it's £700 would you expect your DC to contribute? He's been saving for a Switch console. Should I make him choose? Or do jobs? Or sacrifice Xmas presents and birthday? (Although I'd still end up buying stuff for him to open). Or would you just pay for it all?

My daughter paid half there was no way i could afford to pay for it all although i must admit i would prefer to have paid it all for her of course.

Year 8, yes I'd pay for it, but he needs to raise the spending money.

No you should not expect him to pay anything. He is a child, you are the parent. If you can't afford it then say so but I don't think it is right to expect him to pay. It is actually a bit weird.

I think you look at the range of trips the school offer and decide which one big trip he's going to do whilst there (or whatever number you think is reasonable). And you as his parent pay for it - unless it's one of those very expensive expeditions like World Chsllenge where fundraising for it is part of the experience. However, I don't think it is outrageous if you feel he should contribute.

It would depend on how essential the trip is. I remember my parents saying no to the ski trip (v. expensive) and my mum paying in instalments for an A level trip (required for coursework). Jobs for spending money however would not be unreasonable

I think it's right for children of secondary school age to learn the value of money. The school runs trips abroad in yrs 7-9. they know they each get one paid for during their school career, BUT they need to pay themselves to "top up" if they want a trip over the mid range option (so far its been anything over 500 ) and any spending money comes out of birthday/christmas. once old enough they get a paper round and then any trips yr10 plus are funded from that.

I don't think I will do then any favours if they dont realise as they grow up that even £500 is A LOT of of money for a holiday for one person,

No, I wouldn't make my child pay.

In year 8 it's not essential to education, it's not GCSE years. Personally I would make a way of my DCs contribute, £700 is a lot of money for one person, the whole family could go away for that. Kids need to learn the value of money and that it's not in unlimited supplies!

I don't think you can have a blanket rule - paying for the Year Six residential is a bit different to paying for a skiing holiday that none of his friends are going on and that you can't really afford as a family.

In the circumstances you describe, I don't think you'd be unreasonable to expect him to contribute something.

Im paying a bit more (then spends on top) for ds to go abroad (3 days italy and 3 days france and flying) with school next year, i dont think its in the least bit educational, its for watersports etc

But no, no way would i let him pay. Im not comfortably off, but i said he could go on one abroad holiday with school and ill do the same for his sisters. I see its as a school experience nowadays.

But it no way would i make him sacrifice in other places or pay himself

None of my DC (17,14 &13) have ever asked to go on a school holiday cos in we could I couldnt afford it.
However, I have always said if there is a trip (not jolly) they are really interested in then to bring details home and we will discuss it.

My 17 &13yr old both swim competitively and compete all over the country; my 13yr swims for her country and we travel 300miles every couple of months for her to attend training camps. The annual outlay of swimming cost is approximately £9,000a year including travel and accommodation.
My 14yr plays Hockey for his country, every 3 weeks he is expected to travel 300miles to attend national squad training.

My DC appreciate what they have and also realise that because of the opportunities they get (I don't work so I can transport them to training etc and my husband earns an average wage) that not everything is possible.

OP I think that you need to do what works for you and your family. If u want to teach ur DC how u will afford the trip and that they will need to contribute in some way (either chores, smaller gifts or saving pocket money) then I think it is a good idea as it allows them to see that sometimes you have to sacrifice things if you want something badly.
THats what's wrong with society now - everyone expects to have everything and reality isn't always like that

I have just paid for my sons (12) school trip as I felt that was the right thing to do . It was a bit of a struggle at times and my DH worked overtime to pay for it. He absolutely loved it though (Spain), made good friends with other boys in the year and he has come back seeming a lot more responsible looking after his stuff and managing his own money. I have said to him it won't be every year but a lot of them are long bus trips which he isn't keen on anyway. There is one in sixth year to US which the parents can pay over 2 years. For that one I'd expect him to save up at least some of his spending money as he'll be 16 by then x

I remember these sorts of optional school trips, there were loads in my secondary school. I remember being conscious of the fact they were expensive and I didn't expect to be able to go on any of them. We were a very middling family on am average income I think, definitely money conscious. I don't think it hurts kids at all to have to contribute to demonstrate that they do genuinely want to go on the trip rather than just chancing their luck with the bank of mum and dad. That said I would still think the majority of the cost would have to be paid by the parents unless the kid had an exceptionally good part time job or generous relatives at birthdays and Christmas.

Christ alive. I'm 43 and we never did anything like this when I was at secondary school. Just as well, my parents wouldn't have been able to afford even half that!

I'm sick of all the trips offered by schools. I remember one or two at secondary school. That's it. It's not fair on the parents who can't afford it. And the cost of them....don't get me started. For what they charge for one child I can take 4 of us on holiday. And quite frankly I'm the one who needs a holiday. Working, food shopping, cooking ironing. I take my kids to lots of sports activities through the year. Can't afford everything.

we've always made ours pay 50% of any trips - we have given them plenty of options to earn the money at home or use birthday / christmas money.

they both also have Saturday jobs now and they pay for their own phones and luxuries they want.

i think that unlike the PM we don't have a magic money tree and our DDs need to understand the value of the things.

they have never missed out on a school trip but also understand the value of money.

I think asking a child to contribute spending money or £x amount is sometimes fair. So far we have paid for trips (but so far all in uk), and we pay for 1 week at PGL with eldest friends in the summer holidays. If he really wants to go, perhaps ask him to do extra jobs and save for 10 or 15% of the trip. I'd be happy to give extra pocket money towards saving for a trip if it helped them releaise that money needs to be earned. And even at minimum wage that's a lot of hours for one trip. My husband earns the equivalent of £20 per hour after tax etc, so even at that rate it's at least 35 hours work for a grown up to earn that trip. However I'm the parent when DD8 wanted an £80 doll for her birthday made her contribute £20, in fairness she had lots of presents on top of that, and I put the £20 in her savings account, but to me it demonstrated how much she wanted the doll.

Yes, dd had money for her birthday & Christmas to put towards a school trip to France. (We contributed £150, grandparents & aunties/uncles gave around £100 between them then she saved the rest (£50) from pocket money/savings).

I paid for all my school trips at school except the very first one to France in yr 7. But I paid to go to Austria and Venice in yr 9 and German exchange in year 11. I worked assisting dance classes after school, baby sat, worked at a hairdressers Saturday and did 3 paper rounds. Saved enought to pay for the trips, all my spending money and all my clothes. I can't imagine paying £800 for a school trip for one of mine tbh. I'd probably say they had to pay half at least.

100% yes to contribute. It teaches kids the value of money. It's part of education but also a very expensive extra. I'm amazed at how many are "baffled" by your question. I got my son a trip to Rome for his birthday which included educational tours as well as football tickets whilst there. He had things to open from other people so I didn't see a problem! In fact I doubt anyone would spend more than £700 on their child's birthday anyway let alone an extra £700! The present to open could be something to use for their trip for example a new suitcase? I think you've got parenting right with this one! :-) keep to your guns!

At that age I don't think you can expect them to pay for it. Maybe the family cuts down on expenses for the trip and any pocket money the child would get goes towards that?

My son is year 7 grammar school. There are lots of extra curricular trips on offer- French trip Spanish trip and ski trip. All amazing experiences. I've signed him up to 2 but expect him to contribute. I can easily afford it but that's not the point. It's a luxury and he needs to understand the value of money. I pay for the usual 3 days residential ones but anything above that I expect him to do chores etc over and above.

Don't service why this is any different to him saving up for an Xbox etc. It's part of growing up and learning that money doesn't grow on trees and you have to work hard for nice things. And if your parents cannot afford it then definitely !

My senior school allows payment by instalments so if I can afford the payments then I do. I don't expect my children to contribute.

£700!?! Is that how much school trips cost now? My 2 are still under 3 but there's no way I could afford that. £700 is the price of our family holiday and I'd think that's more important than a school trip.

Just to update. It's an 'educational' trip. To museums and Auschwitz etc. He will need lunch money as well as spends. It's next year so will be able to pay in instalments but it's a lot for Europe. I've paid the deposit now so he's going.