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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to send my children on a school trip to London?

53 replies

urrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrmmmmm · 22/02/2008 22:32

Have namechanged as am paranoid!

My children's school is organising a trip tp London - to the Tutankhamun (sp?) exhibit and a trip on the river. They are travelling by train and it will be a long day - leaving our home city at 8am and getting back at 8pm. (Children are Yr 5 and Yr 2 btw)
My dc are eager to go and I was happy with this - trust school implicitly and think this would be a great adventure BUT - heard two mums talking about it today - their children aren't going and they were saying how it was too far, too long a day, wasn't safe. London unsuitable etc etc. Thing is - I respect both of those women as being jolly good parents and it's worried me a bit - am I being irresposnsible or just plain stupid to let me children go? Dh tells me not to be daft.......any thoughts?

OP posts:
Original poster
urrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrmmmmm · 22/02/2008 22:53

scottishmummy - I certainly wouldn't project said unfounded fears on my kids - tis the fears of other mummys that got projected onto me - and I swallowed them all up, festered and fretted for a bit then regurgitated the whole lot for the mnet jury to pick over and slap me back to my senses. There's no question of my children not going - but I have to say reading everyone else's views is a comfort!

OP posts:
scottishmummy · 22/02/2008 22:55

smashing they will enjoy

pointydog · 22/02/2008 22:59

You are being daft. But not as daft as those other two mums.

Pebblemum · 22/02/2008 22:59

I must be a really bad mum then. DS1 (10yrs) went to London yesterday. Left Portsmouth at 4.30pm went to the Royal Albert Hall and didnt get home until 12.30am. What am I like, letting my son go to London at night when the wolves are out

Not once did i consider not letting him go. It was arranged through several local schools, was free (that helped lol) and in my eyes it was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

I would love to see that exhibit (wont even try spelling it lol). I say let them go. It may be a bit of a long day for yr2's but the experience would be worth a few tired children

SueW · 22/02/2008 22:59

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at OP's request.

glucose · 22/02/2008 23:05

2 special

Many children alive and well in London
Many children survive public transport, & long days out. Independent trips without parents are healthy and enjoyable.
It seems dotty to me to think otherwise, but I live in London with 3 1/2 yo who goes on day trips with her nursery - a bit biased? Din't wish to offend

mrsruffallo · 22/02/2008 23:05

What do they think is going to happen here?
I was brought up here, so was my dp and our dc even go to school here and sometimes we go out too!!!

We only hear the wolves at night, baying at the moon

pointydog · 22/02/2008 23:10

lions and tigers and bears - oh my!

ibblewob · 22/02/2008 23:10

"London unsuitable"!

hunkermunker · 22/02/2008 23:13

Wolves won't touch fruit shoots, urrrmmm, even as bait - sensible feral child-eaters that they are.

2specialgirls, have you been to London?

Original poster
urrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrmmmmm · 22/02/2008 23:14

Lions, lions - where??? Nobody said anything about lions {faints away}

Pleased the London 'unsuitable' thing makes no sense to anyone else - it didn't to me - but then I got all nervous and paranoid and wondering what I was missing......of course now I know about the wolves - and the lions - I understand!

OP posts:
Janni · 22/02/2008 23:15

at London being UNSUITABLE.
Priceless.

hunkermunker · 22/02/2008 23:15

Have the women in question been to London?

I'm amazed by the reputation it has outside, well, London, really. Usually it's people who've never been, I reckon.

I might start a thread.

Original poster
urrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrmmmmm · 22/02/2008 23:17

I'm quite sure they have of course - no idea how often etc. Dh goes just about every week for work and so thought the whole thing highly amusing

OP posts:
unknownrebelbang · 22/02/2008 23:24

I echo others.

Long day for the Yr2s, but I'd possibly still let them go.

Great experience for them.

Can I come?

scottishmummy · 22/02/2008 23:25

let these two worried mamas be worried, teeth sucking head shakin foot tapping oh-anything-could-happen-in-that-there-London and seeing the worst. you enjoy thought of dc's trip to london, talk about it, imbue a sense of wow something fun happening

Scramble · 22/02/2008 23:34

Perhaps the mums could have volunteered to help on the trip if they were a bit unsure about it rather than writing it off as a bad idea. My only fear would be waking them all up on the train home in time to get them off .

Original poster
urrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrmmmmm · 22/02/2008 23:37

scamble - my year 2 child will fall asleep - and once she's off, she's off! I think I'd better warn her teacher......

OP posts:
Sarahjct · 22/02/2008 23:48

SueW, I work for a national museum in London, in the education department so we book thousands of school visits a year. Teachers are offered the closest match to what they ask for and what we can fit in. Leaving visits on Fridays for local schools isn't practical and doesn't make sense, particularly as traffic is no worse on a Friday than any other week day.

We have had schools come up from Cornwall and down from Cumbria in a day with no problem. Teachers can be extremely demanding and ignore our advice most of the time anyway. Trying to tell them they can't come on a Friday because they're too far away would get us lynched!

We've had schools cancel in the aftermath of 11/9 and 7/7 and it always makes me laugh, especially as those are the safest times to come! Good job we're not worried about being in London talking to people who tell us London is too dangerous. Country would grind to a halt if we were all like that.

SueW · 23/02/2008 10:02

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at OP's request.

citylover · 23/02/2008 10:08

I live and am bringing up two children in London. They havae not been not eaten by wolves though we do see several foxes running around.

Although coming from the provinces the attitude of the two mums is really common and doesn't surprise me although it does sadden me.

My own mother is very anti London she thinks it is a terrible place and does not agree with bringing up children here. But I see that she is projecting her fears onto anything she sees as scary including the big bad city.

Where I live now is probably the quietest place I have ever lived including 6 months in the deepest countryside.

edam · 23/02/2008 10:16

School trips to parliament on Friday may be a good thing, as it's less busy (MPs tend to go back to their constituencies, very little business on that day). Then again, probably less interesting - depends whether they are of an age to sit quietly in the public gallery and watch a debate in the chamber, I suppose.

If you live up North, Granada studios has/had a mock-up House of Commons and conducts fab mock debates with actors. AND you get to see the 'real' Coronation Street. Once went to a conference there and came over all giddy with excitement walking down the street.

edam · 23/02/2008 10:17

M1's shit any day, tbh, what with all the roadworks between Luton and Hemel Hempstead. Which are going on for another year or so.

cupsoftea · 23/02/2008 10:23

could you go with them?

think they'll have a great time

chocolatedot · 23/02/2008 10:23

My son went to York from London on a day trip to see the Viking Museum in Year 2. It was a very early start (Kings Cross at 7.15am) but they had a superb day. It would be a great shame to deprive a child of an experience like that on such spurious grounds. Good on the school for having the gumption to organise it.

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