To think that this isn't fair (school situation)

[whyisswangnotaword]

To cut a long story short, my child's school is holding a whole school trip to a beach to mark the end of the year.
It's been highly encouraged for all students to attend, albeit a little too encouraged and has come across to many as very pushy, which has been off putting.
We are not attending, due to my child's horrific travel sickness. I was called and asked if we were attending after already saying we are not - and then was further questioned as to why we are not going. That's not the point though -

We have today been told that any children not attending will be set online work to complete for the day that the school is closed for the trip.
I will be taking my child out for the day, most probably to the cinema due to bad weather .. because although she is aware of the reasons we are not attending and did not want to go due to travel sickness (it would absolutely NOT be enjoyable for anybody) it's still not nice for her to think of all of her friends out having fun whilst she is stuck at home.

Is it silly of me to think that it's unfair that the school are setting an online work day for the children that aren't attending?
I would agree with it totally if she were missing an educational trip, but it's not that. It's a whole school trips for the children and their parents to have a fun day at the beach.

As some others have said, it's not about what your child has to do for school, it's about what school legally have to offer your child. They have to offer education. Going on a trip is education even if it's a fun trip. Setting work online is education. They're only doing that because they have no staffing to educate or otherwise entertain her in the school building. Don't worry about it one bit.

Plus going up the tower, trying out the echo, seeing the bells, maybe having a go on ringing one.

Perfectly reasonable thing to be prickly about. You assumed OP was in work, had a car and could drive. You were wrong about all of them. Maybe engage brain a bit more about these things?

I'll second Stugeron, a life changer for me. I get horrendous motion sickness, the usual cars, boats, planes then pedalos (embarassing) having to leave the cinema, too many slides in a water park, the floating platform BEFORE I even got on the ferry, then I discovered Stugeron :)

Why do you say the children aren't of school age? Surely that will only apply to a few summer-born children in Reception?

Are they? What are they doing for the children who can't be at home because their parents can't get time off work? And the ones who don't have access to a computer at home? Really they should be open and providing education for every child who can't go on the trip.

What a strange closed off attitude to have. Your kids would have probably loved the trip.

Honestly, some of the replies on here!!!
What part of a beach trip do you not think is educational? I've attended many whole school and individual class beach trips with the school I work at... beach sports, sand art, beach schools (like forest schools), scavenger hunts, rock pooling, looking for evidence of wildlife... not to mention the follow up work in school afterwards... add to that the excitement of being with mates and just simply learning in a different environment. Such a shame to miss out.
I understand travel sickness is awful, I suffer myself moreso on a coach.. is she any better traveling by car that you could meet them there?

As for others suggesting many other trips are boring/pointless etc... how ungrateful?! I'm not suggesting that everyone should find every single trip to their taste, but to just not send children in?! Seriously?! What example does this set?!

I suppose you just adapt to your life. My husband has terrible travel sickness and nothing helps. Until he learned to drive, no sickness if he is driving, he walked/cycled/went by train. Bus journeys had to happen occasionally but were avoided like the plague e.g. one hour walk to a club he did or get the bus? He walked there and back.

One of our children also suffers but being a front seat passenger and a tablet and all OK. Caused much resentment when they were kids as she always got the front seat which as an adult I was OK with but siblings less sympathetic.

I think you have to understand that an awful lot of families have financial constraints and if your child isn't interested in a trip why would you force them to go if the £20/30/40 would be useful elsewhere?

I would recommend Sturgeon travel sickness tablets - they can be taken from age 5. Crush into a yoghurt if she can’t take a tablet. 2 hours before travel - they 100% work but must be taken 2 hours before travel. It seems such a shame for her to miss the beach day because of travel sickness.

In the sense that children do not have to be in school until the term after they turn 5!

You do realise that just because something works for you it doesn't mean it will work for everyone. My husband has tried every medication going, he's tried wrist bands. He's nearly 80 and in poor health, he lives in dread of being confined to the house if he can't drive as he can only walk a very short distance. His travel sickness doesn't just last for the journey, it goes on for hours. When he had an accident and couldn't drive I had to drive him home from the hospital and it was the first time I'd actually seen how bad it was. It was bad.

They don't 100% work for everyone. They don't work 1% for my husband. I'm glad they work for you and/or your children but it really doesn't mean they work for everyone.

Shut up

Not sure why you think the school can offer the choice of a day trip or a day off to pupils. They are obliged to provide an education on the days that aren't holidays or inset days. Can you get your child to the location independently so they don't have to deal with the coach travel? School trips are usually great for bonding with school friends and become an important shared history and great memories.

People don't get it do they. Something works for them or they get a much milder sickness so they don't realise how truly bad it can be. You have my sympathy as I have witnessed how bad it can be.

The school have to set work. You don't have to do it (and I don't imagine they're expecting you to do it).

@Moonlaserbearwolf That recent drowning came in to my mind too. My daughter was one of the medical staff working on that child that day trying to save his life.

Late to this but it's a school day so if you're not on the school trip you should be doing school work.

For the travel sickness do try Stugeron, it's been very helpful to my DC for many years. DS finds his travel sickness much better if he wears headphones to listen to music and does not look out the window. It's not what's usually recommended but works for him to be in a world of his own rather than trying to focus on what is happening on the journey

With your attitude your children could probably do with some culture. A school trip is about more than the location.

OP, if I were you I think I would have inexplicable problems with my internet access that day.

I totally agree. A 5 hour round trip is completely unreasonable.

As is a trip requiring 1-to-1 parental supervision and closing the school for the day.

It sounds a bit like an illegal exclusion to me - what about looked after children or cases where parent cant get a day off work (there are some) or disabled /infirm parents who couldn't manage a bus trip - let alone a 5 hr round trip.

Don’t do it no teacher will chase this work so close to end of term

Have you tried Tonstix for the travel sickness?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/TONSTIX-Travel-Pops-Ginger-L-Theanine/dp/B0CWL6V6JC/ref=asc_df_B0CWL6V6JC/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=697298169004&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9055604987249478248&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007850&hvtargid=pla-2308620636445&psc=1&mcid=bbc6d89eeb9a3cdab4142a26e88c0f4f&gad_source=1

apologies for the long link.