To make this suggestion to my child's teacher....

[flowerpower18]

or am I literally being an over the top parent.

I have a DS who is 9 and amongst all the other things you worry about as a parent, one of my biggest fears is losing him whilst we are out and about. We've drummed it into him the importance of sticking by our side when we're out incase of him getting lost that he literally holds my hand the whole time we are out especially in busy places (which is a great thing, he's always done this).

Anyway, what we do is put a note in his pocket with our telephone numbers on incase this was to happen and he's going on a school trip at the end of the month with all of his year which is around 64 children plus another school year of around the same amount of children and of course I know there will be teachers with them and I will be adding the schools number to my DS's note incase he was to get lost from his group.

I was going to suggest this to the teacher that they do this for all the children that are going but not sure if I'm being an overprotective/weird/smothering mother. I suspect they will be wearing some kind of hi-vis vest so they can be identified and it shows they are part of a school trip.

Am I just being stupid!

I think this would be ott. It sounds like you have a specific anxiety about this the school will have a lot of experience around keeping kids safe on trips and won't need advice (unless your DS has particular needs they're not aware of). If it will make you feel better put your contact number and school name and office number on a note (or clip on card you can get on amazon) but don't approach the school.

You do need to address your anxiety for DS's sake. At 9 he shouldn't have to hold your hand in public.

School trips are heavily risk assessed...they will have thought of this.

Can I just say:

1. Please don't assume he's not independent, trust me, he is.
2. It's more busy places where HE will choose to hold my hand
3. He's never been on a trip of this kind before and I wasn't aware of the school procedures

Thanks everyone though for your advice - it helps!

Op. Wider points. My Dd is 11, she's going to secondary school is September and will have to walk 2 miles there as all the kids in our area do. It was imperative that I started getting her ready for this around 8/9 so that's she ready. So, walking short journeys on their own, leaving alone in the house for short periods etc at 8 or 9 is vital. Otherwise they're just not ready. It's obvious you just want the best for your ds, who doesn't, but you MUST let go.

Terribly timed cross post. Sorry op

On a trip like you describe there will be 1 adult to at most 8 children.

They will be told to stick closely to their adult when moving locations, and be given boundaries at other times (eg in a museum - stay in this room).
When let off the leash there will probably be adults keeping an eye on exits.
They will do regular headcounts, and the adults will be paranoid about losing anyone.
School trips are risk assessed to within an inch.

I've accompanied whole primary trips to the theatre by foot/train.
It was one long worry for the adults there and back.

Yeah don’t suggest it to the teachers unless you want them to laugh at you.
I say that as a totally-paranoid-about-losing-my-children-in-a-crowd person. My dd is 9 and we hold hands in a busy crowded city centre and she has my number written on various notes/clothes/bags.
The trick to getting away with being batshit is to hide it. Only ever admit it on anonymous forums. Never in rl.

The school has to do a risk assessment before a trip and there will undoubtedly be a section on it about how to keep pupils together and what to do if one goes out of sight, as well as procedures about counting heads, buddy systems etc. You could probably ask (politely) to see it.

I've volunteered on lots of school trips...It's usually one adult to between 4-6 kids at my dcs school...Lots of head counts, hi vis jackets...honestly, I wouldn't worry.

I hate high-vis jackets on school trips. Every school uses them so you can't easily identify your own children from their uniform!

Trust me, school trips always involve an enormous amount of risk assessment beforehand. Procedures to ensure no one wanders off or gets lost are followed, as are procedures for if a child does stray from the group or get lost. There's always a ridiculous amount of head counting, register taking and plenty supervision, in my past experience. They know what they are doing.

Think about how many children are at school, out on school trips etc every day. Millions. Occasionally you'll see a story in the news about a child wandering off or escaping school unnoticed - you only see these in the news because it is so rare! Statistically you'd expect it to happen in a daily basis, given just how many children attend school every day. If you're worried, you could ask to see the risk assessment documentation the school holds, and ask what their procedures are?

My 11-yr-old holds my hand. Ignore all the posters appalled at the thought of a DC voluntarily showing affection in public.

@CuckooCuckooClock

Your post made me laugh out loud "The trick to getting away with being batshit is to hide it" - OK I admit it's batshit behaviour.

I would ask what their processes are. Everyone always assumes that they will have thought about thee things but not all schools are up to scratch and this doesn’t get highlighted unless parents are willing to ask the questions and check.

If you’re worried, ask. Who cares if anyone thinks you’re overprotective. Our children are the most important people in the world to us - I think it’s odd not to worry about them! Our job is to ask these questions and make sure they are safe.

Thanks Everyone :-)

Our school issue each child with a card with school name and contact details in case they get lost or separated in the event of an emergency. They are told to show it to a person who works wherever it is they are, or to a member of emergency services. You might find your school already do something similar.
School trips are risk assessed to the hilt.

Before I had kids of my own I used to see school trips in London, 100s of kids trying to get onto the tube, usually foreign 12 year olds. The thought of the doors closing leaving one lone Spanish 12 year old on the platform used to really worry me!!

He'll be fine, write details down or if you have time ordered the bracelet.
I don't worry so much on school trips though I'll be tempted to chip them as young teens. I wonder would the vet do it for a back handed price.

I took school trips here there and everywhere always with my heart in my mouth, many of them before the days of mobile phones. Once I took a group of rural teens into London and was convinced someone would be knocked down in traffic as they were more used to tractor speeds. I never lost anyone! I can say it now.

Obsessive organisation, informed helpers, buddy systems, repetitive headcounts, a ruthless willingness to exclude children who absolutely can't be trusted to listen and comply and generalised hypervigilance got me through.

Then of course you all come safely back and get the snarky comments from (some, not all) parents about how you enjoyed your 'free' day out or theatre visit or 'holiday' at their expense as you go home for a nice lie down in a darkened room to recover.

Don't be that parent.

I was about to say you were being a bit over the top until I remembered about an incident a few years ago. In the next village to us, there is a drop off point for the school buses from various schools. My son noticed a very upset boy about 10 or 11 stood waiting after all the buses had gone. Different school uniform to them, so stood out. I stopped and spoke to him, and his mum hadn't collected him. He didn't have her mobile number or home number. Wasn't 100% sure where he lived. Rang his school but they had closed. We waited with him until his very worried mum arrived about half an hour later. He had got off at the wrong stop, so she had traced the bus route back.
After that I asked my DC to keep our numbers in theri homework diaries.

I think you've had this questioned answered, but have you ever wondered why you are so anxious about him getting lost? Has something happened which makes you think this? Teach him the skills of what to do if he does get lost (learn your phone number, who to approach to ask for help, retracing steps to the last place you got separated and waiting) all these things will help him and you if that should ever happen. Hopefully if you feel more comfortable that he will have strategies then you will feel more comfortable allowing him to leave you side :)

He's 9 and never been on a school trip before?

At my kids school they were a high Viz and one of those rubber bands around their wrist with school name/number on. It's a bit patronising to the teachers, I'm sure they've taken kids on trips before.

Wear not were!