I don’t want to go on this coach trip tomorrow.

[WheresTheSauce]

Oldest DC is going on a school trip to the seaside tomorrow. It’s going to rain.

Children must be accompanied by a parent/carer and siblings are invited as well… most people are bringing younger children.
some are going on the school organised coach, some are driving and meeting there.

originally our plan was to drive and the whole family (DH, myself and two DCs age 4 & 1) meet them there… but last week DH had a change of work plans and now can’t drive us. It’s two hours away and for certain reasons I am not up for driving this far.

so instead I booked the coach but now that means me dragging all the stuff on a coach, two hours each way for about three hours on the beach. I feel horrendous and will probably be ill on the coach, younger DC has a cold. I’ll have to try and keep a 4 yo and feral toddler safe by the sea without another parent to help, and to top it off we will probably be soaked.

ILs would usually help by taking younger DC but they can’t at the moment.

if we hadn’t paid £35 for the coach seats (non-refundable) I would call and say we can’t come now.

what was I thinking!? Someone talk me out of it

Does your DC want to go? If not then I would just cancel. There’s no point forcing yourself to do something you don’t want to for £35.

DC is absolutely bloody buzzing about going 😂😂

what a shame

Why can't you drive? Could you get the train instead?

I was going to say sack it off but if she's 'buzzing'... You know what you have to do. 😂Take a flask of vodka and think of England? Maybe it will turn into one of those trips where you are really glad you went in the end?

I won't lie - it does sound awful.

Just don't go

Or drive there yourself another day

If she's buzzing about going, just go. So what if it's raining.

Would be my first choice but sadly not an option 😂

thoughts and prayers for me

It would be pretty shit of you not to go if your DC is excited and all their friends will be there.

Get lots of change.....so you can head to arcades if it rains, or for chips, or for ice cream.

Get the bags packed tonight. Include paracetamol for you and the kids and travel sickness pills.

Take one cool bag with food and drink.
One rucksack with change of clothes and towels (you might need them either for the sea, or just the rain).

Pack waterproofs and an umbrella. Also a couple of big bin bags - you can put your stuff in them to stay dry while you run up and down the beach exhausting the kids. You can sit on them if everything is wet. You can wear them if necessary - hole for head and arms.

Have fun. The little ones will probably sleep all the way home. Please come and tell us after how it went.

What seaside are you going to?

If all else fails.....drink gin!!

What mum school did you go to!? The bin bags thing is GENIUS

Talcum powder for getting the sand off feet after!

This is the time to latch onto the parent with older children, who presumably will still be in school or won't need as much supervision. I would have happily kept my eye on a younger sibling for a bit.

Oh and DH is leaving the house at 5.30am tomorrow so not even someone to make me a consolation cuppa before chaos ensues 😂😂

I feel horrendous

Why-are you ill?!

I’d take stuff for the smalls to do on the coach and plenty of food

I was a girl guide. Be prepared and all that!!

What a strange set up. Is this usual for the school?

& bit of a tangent - younger DC is currently potty training so we are also at that stage of dragging one of those disgusting portable potties around with us everywhere we go.

anyone else hate those things with a passion? 🤢😂

Sounds awful. I wouldn’t book on a coach if I got travel sick.

They do it every year. It’s actually a preschool attached to a primary but I call it “school” out of habit tbh

There will be about 50 kids going in total I think hence the parent supervision

Sounds crap, don’t go. Call in sick for all of you and stay home.

50 preschoolers? Is the pre-school insane?

It was like a military operation getting my DC's pre-school class of 12 to walk up the road to the post office.

Does your DC's pre-school use whips and chairs or just tasers? Please go and tell us the organization specifics.

One of my friends is from the Republic of Georgia. She took her DC there and they got to go on a school field trip. The coach stopped for regular smoke breaks for the parents and the parents were happily drinking wine on the coach. They all also yelled emphatically at any misbehaving child. Friend's DD was sitting with her eyes bugging out watching it all.

I like the sound of Georgia.

As long as you’re prepared it could be good fun. The biggest thing you can do to give yourself the best chance of enjoying yourself is to accept the crazy, and resolve to make sure it’s great fun for the kids. Do you have a suitcase on wheels? Or a few smaller ones that the older kids can pull? If so, pack everything you need into that. Keep lunches simple and filling - sandwiches, crisps, fruit and biscuits should be plenty for snacks and lunch, bottle of water, bottle of squash. Easy change of clothes, picnic blanket, a few towels, job done. You might want to bring a flask of coffee or tea. Big glass of wine when you get home 😁

Everyone else on the coach will presumably also be bring all their stuff, so it’s not like you’ll stand out or look silly. It’s just a case of getting organised. I assume DC has friends so you’ll probably end up palling alone with other parents anyway. Sounds much easier than going on your own!

Well it’s a huge preschool (IME) Counting all the children I can think of it’s 43 actually. & most of them don’t go every day of the week.

if they go out during school time they are split into groups (a bit like the house system at schools - eg. My DC is in “Sapphire” group and they always go for walks/trips to the shop in this group of children similar in age)

you aren’t allowed to go without a parent in this trip.

in general they are a really excellent school I have to say.

maybe I will move to Georgia