Anxiety over residential trip

[Dogzombie]

DD is 9 and about to go on her first overnight trip with school. I’m trying to hide it but I’m incredibly anxious about her going and convinced something awful will happen. I’ve kept this inside and pretending I’m excited for her. But inside I’m so so worried.

I know it’s good for her to go.
has anyone else felt like this?

Did they have a meeting about it, my school did and it really helped alleviate all my anxieties.

I understand totally and had all those anxieties when my dc when on their first residential trip. It is normal and understandable and you are doing the right thing by making sure that your anxieties are not translated to your child. I am a natural worrier and my mind goes to the worst case scenarios of many things, but I try to balance it by reminding myself what a joyous experience these events can be for our children, and what an important developmental progression they represent. At the risk of going all Pollyanna-esque about it, I also remind myself how lucky I am to have a child capable of embarking on these rites of passage of childhood. So many of the children I have cared for over the years have been denied these experiences because of serious disabilities and I know what a sadness that is for their parents.

So in a nutshell, a very normal feeling, it does get easier, but also remember there is a degree of luck and privilege in having the opportunity to have that worry.

I’m really trying to be calm and my “excitement” has rubbed off on DD who is now massively excited!
I can’t wait until it’s over and she’s back with us!

My 9 year old has just done a 2 night residential, she did her first overnight residential aged 7.
Both times round mine was extremely nervous/anxious herself and spent a few weeks beforehand getting herself really worked up, which made me more worried than I had been previously! She had an absolutely brilliant time at both though and hasn’t yet stopped chattering excitedly about the last one she went on.

Out of interest, how was she when she returned? Just wondering if the anxiety she had subsided straight away or took a little time?

First time she was absolutely fine when she returned, absolutely full of chatter about how amazing it was and how she’d had the best time ever. Second time (after the 2 nighter) she burst into tears as soon as she saw me, I think she was mainly just exhausted and a bit overwhelmed, but when she’d calmed down she just happily told me all about it.
She’s a proper home body and doesn’t like the idea of sleepovers with friends etc (she’s been to one and enjoyed it but is in no rush to repeat it), but I think the activities they did on the residentials were so much fun that she got over the anxiety pretty quickly. It helped her to know that other children would be feeling the same way as her and that they were all in it together. The teachers were fab with the kids who were more nervous than the others.

Thanks for that. Dealing with something similar so just wanted to hear about another’s experience.

YABU, she will be fine! Well done for not letting her see your anxiety. Does she go to friends/family for sleepovers and if so do you also find that difficult?