Would you let your child go on this school trip?

[Bubblegirly]

Hello

7yr old in year 3 has the opportunity to go to London to see a musical. It’s for those children who are involved in performing arts at school. It’s an evening performance and coach will likely not be home to midnight. It’s on a school night (organised by school) and children are allowed in later the next day.

1 parent is point blank saying no because it’s too late!
other parent thinks 1 late night is ok for a child that has a well established routine generally and that they will be sad to miss out!

YANBU = let them go
YABU= don’t let them go it’s too late

Gridgingly yes. It'd be so fun for them.

One late night isn't going to hurt them. Most of them will sleep on the coach on the way back anyway

It’s one day

There’s no one answer for these things! What’s right for your child? If they want to go, can cope with an odd late night and you can accommodate a lie in the next morning around work or whatever you do, then sounds great.

Yes, absolutely. The school themselves have recognised and mitigated that it’s going to be a late night by actively saying those who attend can go into school later. It’s one night, and will be a great experience.

Yes, I'd positively encourage it. They'll be tired next day, but that's not the end of the world for one day and they will have so much fun - going to a 'grown up' event with their friends, how lovely.

They will all fall asleep on the bus home.

Wouldn’t bother me in the slightest. I would happily let DC go.

A fantastic opportunity.
Most will fall asleep on the coach home.

What a stupid trip. Who on earth arranges for 7 year olds to go to an evening performance? The performance will finish around 10:00 at night, A lot of them will probably fall asleep.

No, I wouldn't send my child.

They’ll sleep on the way home and all be on the same boat the following day, which schools have endorsed.

I’m pretty strict on routine and never keep them up late for events, doing afternoon activities instead. But I would 100% let them go on this trip.

Does the parent who thinks it’s too late not want to collect them? I can see if you live a distance away from school without transport it could be difficult/ impossible but based on the op of course dc should go.

Let them go. Its fun staying up late, and they need to have the experience at least once so they can know what it feels like the next day, it helps them to regulate their own bedtime in the future.

If my dc wanted to go, definitely. He’d sleep on the coach anyway.

We went to Spain last year and flight got delayed. Didn’t land back in the UK until nearly midnight, then had to collect car from car park, then 2.5 hour drive home. He was 6 in Y1 at the time. He slept a bit on the plane, then slept again in the car, then I tipped him into bed circa 3am ish. We were up at 8am and to school as normal for 8:45am.

He was tired, but fine. It was an amazing experience and he still talks about that trip nearly daily. Just had an early one the next night. He’s not an 8 week old baby, he doesn’t need some strict routine anymore.

It’s one day and a memory they will have for life. They should absolutely go!

Yes I would let them go.

Mine are adults now and I used to be quite uptight about bedtimes but I always allowed leeway for special occasions like this and holidays etc.

They were talking recently about how a neighbour knocked on the door one Sunday night with a sledge ... it had been snowing heavily without our knowledge, and they wanted our DDs to go out and play in it. They were in bed.

DDs came down the stairs in their pyjamas, convinced I would say no ... I said quick, get your warm clothes on .... it's this sort of thing that makes lovely memories.

Let the kid go in the trip!

What a great experience for a child who's showing an interest in drama.

Probably, but we wouldn’t be able to send them in late the next day as we have work.

Yes. I remember going to a London show back in the 1970s (and we all had far fewer opportunities in those days). It fuelled a lifelong love of theatre, which is one of my greatest joys.
And, even if that doesn't happen for your child, it will be fun AND school-approved. What's not to like?

Didn't they do this for England football team reaching the world cup final or euros final ?? I definitely remember this in my school . Because it was on so late they let the children come in later the next day ?

I’d let them go. Accept the following day is a write off.

I’d let them go if I thought they’d enjoy it but I’m also the parent that would be dealing with the grumpy child the next day. Both of mine wouldn’t sleep later in the morning, they’d just be really awful the next day. They’d promise me if they were allowed to go they’d be angelic, but they really don’t function well when tired.

I think parent who has to collect them after midnight (possibly miserable after being woken from sleep on the coach), get them up the next morning, and put up with them being difficult the next afternoon/evening gets final say.

My 7 year old really gets tired if kept up after 9pm, usual bedtime is 8pm.

If the performance was finished and they'd be travelling back by 9.30pm I'd let them go as they'd sleep on the coach and get carried all the way home to bed. If they had to stay up behind 10pm then no I'm afraid.

I was thinking that. When I had younger DC and DH worked away a midnight pick up would have meant either a babysitter or getting toddlers out of bed either way a PITA.

Of course 🤷‍♀️