I'll be honest, pretty much first time poster and am here looking for some straight talking in one form or another.
Basically Yr8 DD has an overseas school trip coming up this time next year. It's a big deal as it's the only one they do and it'll be her first one ever due to COVID messing everything up.
She came home a couple of weeks ago buzzing about it and adamant she wanted to go to one place. Time passes, we hear nothing from school officially, then on Tuesday 18th we get an email with all the details of the options. Plus a letter telling us how to book on to a trip, that its first come first served, and once a trip is picked and deposit paid (which you have to when you pick your trip) that's it, no swaps. Booking window opens 7pm two days later on the Thursday, which is the day before school breaks up.
Long story short, she decides on a trip that her mate is going on, which is her second choice because she doesn't know if anyone she likes is going on the first trip, plus it sounds like a load of the boys are doing that trip.
Later that night she's in tears because she actually really wanted the first trip, and found out people she likes are going on it.
I feel awful because I think we (me and DH) kind of convinced her we had to book it there and then (historically there's always been stories of kids not getting on trips with their mates due to trips booking up), when if we'd waited she'd have known about her other mate and she would've picked the first choice.
It probably doesn't help that I'm pretty sure one kid who is going on her trip is one she really wanted to avoid and so far there's only 21 kids doing her trip!!
I have full on mum guilt, although she's quite happy about the trip now (but doesn't know about this kid yet).
Oh and the late nature of getting info etc meant no-one from school was available to contact about it, and I have no idea if we book her onto two trips we'll have to pay in full for both! I'd not be bothered losing a deposit but there's no-one to ask about any of this.