Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

Original poster

AIBU to think that £10 is an awful lot of spending money for a school trip?

24 replies

domesticsluttery · 27/06/2010 16:17

DC are 4, 6 and 7 (Reception, Years 1&2). Their whole school is going on a trip before the end of term. The trip is only for a day, they leave at 8am and will be back by 6pm. They will spend about 4hrs of that driving, so only 6 hours at the actual place. The place they are visiting has a petting farm, museum, playbarn, dinosaur park, go karts etc all included in the entrance ticket. We are paying £10 per child for the cost of the trip, and sending packed lunches.

They have suggested a maximum spending money of £10. I know this is the maximum, but most parents that I have spoken to are sending £10 per child as they are worried that they will be left out if their friends all have that amount if they don't.

However, I can't see what a 4yr old needs £10 for. They will only be buying tat things from the gift shop. I would rather send them with £5 each, which IMO is plenty to buy a little souvenier and maybe some sweets or something.

AIBU? Will my children all feel hard done by? Or is £5 enough?

OP posts:

coppertop · 27/06/2010 16:19

YANBU. £10 is a lot of money. Ours usually has a maximum of about £2.

£5 should be more than enough.

janeite · 27/06/2010 16:19

5 is plenty, I think. It's enough for an icecream and a plastic dinosaur or somesuch - what more could a 4,6 or 7 year old ask for?!

TheFallenMadonna · 27/06/2010 16:20

Blimey. Maximum of £2 for DD's trip. Plenty.

janeite · 27/06/2010 16:21

There are still some idiotic parents though (and by no means the rich ones ime) who think that trip spending money is some kind of competition and ignore the school advice altogether, sending their children with stupid amounts of money plus bags full of pop and crisps etc.

Bonsoir · 27/06/2010 16:24

This is madness. My DD goes on lots of school trips, but all she is expected to take with her is a packed lunch in a back pack. There is no opportunity to buy anything and the children are not expected to take money with them.

Decorhate · 27/06/2010 16:24

Our max is usually £1 or £2. They will only buy tat anyway....

Wandaaa · 27/06/2010 16:24

For DD's class trip the price of an icecream was included in the cost and we were told no spending money.

Jamieandhismagictorch · 27/06/2010 16:28

YANBU - £5 would be more than enough

compo · 27/06/2010 16:28

You've got a child in reception, yr 1 and yr 2?!!
Yes just send a couple of quid

Original poster

domesticsluttery · 27/06/2010 16:28

I'm already planning on sending bags full of crisps/biscuits/cheese dippers etc due to the fact that DS1 is getting to the age where he realises that his lunchbox is full of boring healthy stuff whereas his friends all get junk treats. So I am fighting my inner urge to pack hummus and carrot sticks in the name of peer pressure (I will be sneaking "fun" bags of raisins and pieces of fruit in though, and there is no way they are taking anything other than pure fruit juice and water to drink!).

I'm glad everyone else thinks that £10 is a lot though.

OP posts:

LostArtofKeepingASecret · 27/06/2010 16:29

I'm shocked at the idea of sending children that young with spending money at all, let alone £10. I thought school trips are supposed to be vaguely educational, not an excuse to buy more tat.

Original poster

domesticsluttery · 27/06/2010 16:30

Yes, DD is the second youngest child in the school, she is 4 and started this term (we have 3 intakes a year here). DS2 is one of the youngest in Yr1 and DS1 is one of the eldest on Yr2. There are 20 months between DS1 and DS2, and 20 months again between DS2 and DD.

OP posts:

Seona1973 · 27/06/2010 16:32

I sent dd (6) with £5 on her school trip and she brought me change back (£1.50!). She took a pack lunch/drinks with her.

Original poster

domesticsluttery · 27/06/2010 16:33

When DS1 was in Reception the maximum was £5, and he managed to stretch that to buy himself and his brother and sister a small toy each.

I'm sure this is the first year that the maximum has been £10, although this is also the first time for a while that they have all gone to the same place. Usually Reception, 1 & 2 go to one place and years 3-6 go somewhere else. Perhaps the older pupils usually have a £10 maximum and that is why it has increased for the younger pupils this year.

OP posts:

Loshad · 27/06/2010 16:39

Far too much - partic with 3 £5 more than generous imo, agree with janeite re ice creamand plastic dinosaur/tat. Could you set up discussion with school for furture years about adding on £1/£1.50 and including an cie cream and then no spending money, my dss junior school quite often does that - when i've helped on junior trips out the gift shop bit is always a total nightmare anyway

Doyouthinktheysaurus · 27/06/2010 16:42

Blimey, that's far too much.

The ds's both just went on a school trip and were told they could take £2.50 spending money, I thought even that was a bit much given the tat I knew they would buy

They did indeed buy tat but ds1 bought 50p change back!

Runoutofideas · 27/06/2010 17:01

My dd1 in reception is off on her first school trip next week. They have specifically told us not to send them with any spending money - which seems to be much easier all round!

namelessmum · 27/06/2010 17:43

For my DS (aged 9), £5 seems to be the standard max spending money recommendation, both for school trips and cubs trips. Why don't you "spread the word" that you are sending £5 each? There are probably other parents who think that £10 is too high, but are worried about appearing mean. Suggesting reception class children bring spending money at all seems daft to me. At that age, mine would have had no idea at all (a) how to find out the price of an item in the shop; or (b) whether any change would be due.

Original poster

domesticsluttery · 27/06/2010 17:50

Loshad and nameless: they are both very good suggestions, thanks.

OP posts:

lizziemun · 27/06/2010 18:28

Runoutofideas

That's what my dd's do. No spending money.

toccatanfudge · 27/06/2010 18:31

no spending money at either of my DS's schools either, like some of the other posters the price on an icecream is included in the cost

Fayrazzled · 27/06/2010 18:32

My son (reception in a state school) has been on two trips. One was subsidised by the school association and a voluntary contribution of £2 was requested. The second has been funded through non-uniform days throughout the year and £2 was requested for an ice cream treat on the daY.

Fayrazzled · 27/06/2010 18:33

Meant to add: on no occasion was additional spending money requested and I didn't send my son with any.

SE13Mummy · 27/06/2010 19:07

When I take classes on trips I do not let them take spending money and make it clear on the letter that the children will not be allowed to spend any (some parents seem to think that by sending them with money I will change my mind - it doesn't work). If it's a special, end of year trip they might be allowed to bring some money for an ice-cream but that will be all they are allowed to buy - ice-cream van drivers are usually quite helpful at policing this one.

It's easier to say no money and to either include the cost of an ice-cream in the cost of the trip or for the teacher to buy 30 identical ones so no-one's left out.

£10 is what our school suggests as a maximum for a residential trip (Monday-Friday).

Flip