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

I don’t think it’s a well thought out trip. My seven year old would be a sobbing mess at 9.30. Some kids can cope with a late night and some can’t. A afternoon show would be a much better idea

It's a one off so wouldn't bother me. It might be difficult for single parents to pick up though if they have other children at home

I would, if someone could collect them at midnight, be there for them the following morning & get them to school

If you don't want your kid to go , don't let them .Why shouldn't people get to go who want to ? Does one parent get to choose fir everyone else? Bonkers.

I am 42. I still have fond memories of doing this exact trip at that age.

I would say no. Even aside from the late travel, an evening performance of a west end musical won’t start until 7.30, finish around 9.30.
At 7 years old, are they really going to enjoy the show or by the second half will they be too tired?
So I wouldn’t send them on the school trip but if it’s something they are excited about I would arrange to take them myself for a matinee performance. It’s baffling that the school haven’t thought to plan it for the afternoon show!

For sure. I remember things like this as a kid and yes I was groggy the next day, but it was cool to feel like a grown up. As for keeping the routine, for us what works is we get them up at the same time they’d normally be up. I also try and do this myself when I have a late one. They’re little shits in the day because they’re tired, but they go to bed at normal time the next day (sometimes even earlier) and it resets them.

It's an experience and an adventure. I wouldn't dream of saying no. But I do think an evening performance for such young children wasn't maybe the best idea in the world.

Oh, of course they should be allowed to go on the school trip. It's ONE night. It's not going to kill them and I'm sure their parents won't have their whole life ruined if their kid's a bit sleepy and grumpy the next day. Jeez, some people are so bloody uptight.

Do you think anyone ever reaches adulthood and thinks 'You know what, I really respect my parents for making me miss out on a magical, exciting and enriching experience because it was past my bedtime. I would certainly be a worse and unhappier human being today if I'd had that one late night. So glad I've got those lovely memories of being put to bed as normal that day while my friends were at the theatre.'

At 7 years old, are they really going to enjoy the show

Yes they will.

or by the second half will they be too tired?

No they won't.

Definitely, I would not want them to miss out on that!

Loved that sort of thing at their age (and now). What harm will it do? A slightly tired child the following day, an early night and all is well.

some parents are a bit pathetic really...why deprive your child of an "adventure" that all their mates are talking about which is not risky in any shape or form?

It depends on the DC.
If they can manage a late one or not.

it completely depends on the child. My seven year old would not cope, they would be exhausted and just want to be in bed. My old child (at seven) would have been fine but very cranky the next day.

Every parent has to make their own call but an afternoon show would be a better idea

Definitely, they'll make the sleep up, the school aren't expecting much the next day. It'll be a great adventure. Avoiding something as it'll make them a bit tired is ridiculous, kids need to learn resilience and flexibility.

I think the OP means that she and her partner are arguing over their own child going - not that one parent is trying to stop a whole class going because of their one child's bedtime.

How far away are you from London? I wouldn't even let my family members take DC to London that late never mind school 😕

Wouldn’t even cross my mind not to let them.

My kids school take them to the young voices concert. They don’t get home until 11-11.30pm. They go to school for 10am the next day. It’s not a big deal

If he isn't allowed to go then he will have another kind of memory. especially if he's the only one to miss out, it will be the talk of the town for days and he'll be left out. People seem to underestimate children's resilience, he'll be fine, they'll sleep on the coach coming home and be knackered the next day!

Seriously? Why? So your kid can never have a late night? What a miserable existence

even my 4 year old could cope with an evening west end show (she's been twice) we live in london though so were home in 30 mins so not super late - at 7 im sure she'd have no issues

It’s a slightly odd trip for 7 year olds given the time back on a school night but yes I would have let ds go no problems then would have arranged to take him into school once he got up.
i suppose this is difficult no adult is available to facilitate the late morning start.

It sounds like a train wreck. Seven year olds, that late at night will be tired, tearful, sick, out of routine, grumpy, scared of the dark, over excited. I'd let my son stay up that late as a one off, but somewhere where I was there, where we could duck out if it got too much.

We take our children to Young Voices every year (big choir event) and get back around midnight. It’s fine! They have the option to come into school a little later the next day, but most are in at the normal time.

One late night (after a fantastic experience!) isn’t going to do irreparable damage!