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.

I just find it so depressing

When people question why so many children don't engage with education (are rude to staff, dont attend) a large part of the answer is ousted because the parents dont engage with or value education.

Tell them to sod off. Travel sickness is horrible, I suffered as a child and if someone barfs up on a coach it's pretty unpleasant for everyone else.
I wouldn't fancy trying to control an entire school on a trip to the beach BTW!!

I was horribly travel sick as a kid, still not a great passenger now, I took Kwells or Boots own brand travel sick pills for coach trips and anything longer than about 20 min journeys in a car. Sorted! I used to have to crunch them up with a chewy sweet until I could swallow pills, but they make dissolvable ones as well. I wouldn't have wanted to be kept on my own missing a school trip because of travel sickness when over the counter meds are an option.

I agree, I took my kids to Ely cathedral when they were young-ish, seeing the destruction wrought on the beautiful room of statues where every single one of them had been vandalised was really sobering for all of us and really put religious extremism into real life for the kids. Plus we had a brilliant time in the beautiful grounds. Ditto other cathedrals/ churches/ mosques from Lichfield all the way to Bayeux and Foix (my kids especially like lighting a candle abroad!).

So depressing that people dismiss these amazing historical experiences because they think they sound a bit boring- and even more so when the school has gone to the trouble of organising, planning and in many cases partially paying for the trip.

Agree it’s sad to see this attitude

We took ours around all sorts of buildings from before they could even walk. Including religious buildings. All of our holidays took in local architecture with many detours en route to get in a building.
They loved it and as adults still do.

Agree.!
Mine loved searching for ancient graffiti. Seeing all the old tombs. There’s so much history and exploring, love a good crypt too.

It’s possible to get travel sick on the coaches used for school trips. I had this as a child. For this situation though just take the homework and it’ll be fine. It won’t take long and you could do it together.

100%

They won't check and so what if they do!

There´s pills for that. They also come in the form of chewing gum, sweets and sweets on a stick (whatever it´s called in English). The 19th century was over a long time ago. I was taking these in the 90s. Sorted.

I think the school are just required to demonstrate that your child was provided with work. No-one will care whether they do it or not.

Good for you. Perhaps think of others in the 21st century that still feel sick on school coaches.

What? Do parents have to go if their child is going?

So if you can't take annual leave to take your child to the beach, they don't go to school that day? What about children with parents who are teachers..?

YANBU. There's no way any teacher is going to give a shit about marking whatever work has been set. And if you're concerned about it, then you could easily have her call in sick that day.

When I was a kid I had to miss a trip for my whole school year because it involved activities I couldn't do (I had a leg brace on at the time as part of a lengthy rehab from a serious accident). The headteacher told my mum I would have to come to school that day and sit in the classroom with the younger kids all day. My mum's reaction was pretty much 'Haha! No.' She took me to see Return To Oz at the pictures and then we went to a cafe and had egg and chips and a knickerbocker glory 😄

If she travels in the car with you okay, could you drop her at the beach and collect her later?

There are lots of remedies for travel sickness, are you sure that you just don’t want her to go? Think that you are being unfair to your DD.

Think people are underestimating the grimness of travel sickness.

And being obtuse with the "do they never go anywhere" questions 🙄 of course they do, you just have to be a bit selective and if someones planning a trip somewhere you're not particularly arsed about you don't go. If you are arsed you maybe take something, hope that doesn't make you feel worse, and just deal with it.

IME a lot of younger kids tend to grow out of it anyway as they get older.

Are there worksheets etc for kids going on the trip?

Yes how do you manage on family trips? Lifelong sufferer of severe travel sickness here but meds, bands and sitting at the front of the coach all helped me, as did sitting with someone calm and not leaping about so as to not further issues with peripheral vision. Seems a shame for her to miss out

Glad that works for you, but one of my best friends has tried every anti-sickness medication in the book and she still throws up within 15 minutes of a coach journey.

You're kidding, right?

Yeah, I absolutely loved all that stuff as a kid and my nephews loved looking out for gargoyles and gory portraits of murdered saints.

They will legally have to provide work.

This. I went to a cathedral when young and it was the best trip ever. We did preparitory art work like stained glass, heard amazing music etc.

Just travelling with friends to a beach is fun.

If I were you I would give my child some car sick medication.
The class would have learnt lots about the beach creatures etc. You could go too and enjoy the swim and sun.
Encourage your child to find a way to cope and be resilient.

The issue is the bus. You are clearly able to take the day off work that day so why can’t you take her on the trip by car so she can join her class there?