DC and school trip..Am worried..

[polarfox]

DC will be going on school trip for week..Its 2 hours away so not very far, she is excited and wants to go (she's liable to change her mind, being a girl ).

I know I have to let her go, I will and she will regret it if we don't go for it, but..I dont know..am worried..

Tell me it's ok and am being stupid!

She's not independent really, she's a dramatic, immature little baby.

She's never been away from me , not even had a sleep over, as not ready yet!

What's parents/teachers experiencec of these?
Need to put my mind at rest..

I have taken children on residential trips and in in all my years I have never sent a child home or had to have them collected because they were homesick.

This includes one girl who had never slept away from her parents, as she refused to do sleepovers etc, as she was too scared. She lasted the whole 4 nights. I did have to stay with her a bit each night but it got less and less each night, till the last night it was literally 2 mins.

The children benefit so mcuh from these trips, it is so lovely to take them. But shattering.

Polarfox, I wonder if you would have had more understanding and helpful responses in general (not to say nobody was! There are some great ideas here) had you posted in adoptions/fostering section, where people are used to the issus that can arise with looked after kids?

I'm just saying that to try and balance out the view that it's silly to worry about a 10yo, which a few people have suggested.

I understand something of where you're coming from but don't have much advice I'm afraid. just from personal experience, if she wants to go, send her - and if she doesn't, don't force it. That's all I can really offer.

I hope it works out well x

My DD is similar to MadameHooch. DD1 went to loads of sleepovers and all her school residential trips and always had a great time.

DD2 is just not interested, for some reason. She's 10 and has only been for a few sleepovers; when she came home and 'told us about it' she was quite underwhelmed.

Similarly, she has never been on a residential school trip, because she simply didn't want to go.

As OP, like myself, has not discouraged it, I can only put it down to the fact that we're all different, as are our DC.

I feel quite sad that DD2 has never been away with her school pals, but she's happy,and not in the least bothered by it, so it's an irrational feeling.

OP At least she has now said she wants to go; my DD2 has already told me she's not going on the next and final trip.

similar situation here polarfox-i'm with you? when she going?

should add, my dd is ready, she's looking forward to it but it's me who isn't.

OMG!! I thought you were going to say 4 or 5.

Is she not an 'immature, little baby' because she's not been allowed to be anything else??? I think you need to let her grow up a bit.

Don't know if this will make you feel any better but my DS aged 10 is going on a week long trip skiing in Italy at half term. We have been told no mobiles and no contact unless an emergency. I admit to feeling a bit wobbly but he has been on a couple of other overnight outwood bound type school trips already and has had a wonderful time so i know it's me who is more upset than him and I would would be doing him no favours by being over protective and not letting him go.

Let her go. I know we live in a different country (Belgium) where school residentital trips are the norm from the age of 4 years old, but even when we lived in the UK, I couldn't wait for our eldest to do his first school trip at 10 years old.

The UK is just so over-protective of their children, no wonder they go mad in their teens with drink and drugs, they are not allowed to learn how to be independant little by little, so that by the time they are teenagers, they have the maturity and common sense and good judgement and know how to measure and react to dangers.

Sleepovers too, just go for it. Our youngest child has done sleepovers since she was 3, with close friends and neighbours, we do have a strong sense of community where we are.

it definitely does help to have a close community, my dd has often asked to sleep over at various friends houses but i've only allowed her to stay with people i know quite well.

polarfox - I'm sure she'll have a fabulous time.

I take Year 5 and 6 on residential trips - last year one 10 year old boy had never spent a night away from home and he and his mum were both really worried.
Up until the moment of departure we thought that he (or mum) might change their minds and pull out.

He had a few tears on the first night (mostly because by 1am after their midnight feast he was over-tired and emotional), but after that he had a whale of a time.

At parent's evening his parents said that letting him go was the best thing they had ever done for him - he is now much more confident and willing to try new things.

He was also one of the first to sign up for ths years trip.

I love taking pupils on residential trips - it's exaughsting, demanding and relentless but it is the most brilliant opportunity to develop my relationship with the children in a completely different environemnt.