School trips - does anyone else think this is a bit young?

[earlgrey]

We waved off dd1 yesterday as she left for a week's field trip some 4 hour's drive away. We're not allowed any contact.

They're expected to make their own beds, do their own clothes washing, etc etc, combined with doing things they're not accustomed to like abseiling and canoeing. And dd1 is such a fussy eater - I can just picture her weeping into her brocolli bake.

DD1 was 8 in August. I suppose it's the 'no contact' thing that's bothering me most of all. She's back 9.00pm Friday night and I can't wait. What do you think?

Her younger sister, however, is having a field day with no arguing and having to pander to her older sister's demands.

Mean to add that I can remember at 11 going to Butlins in Minehead with the school for a week, and feeling really homesick, and everthing was done for us. One of the girls I was sharing the 'chalet' with cried incessantly all week.

Mine did her first over night trip at 7, two nights at 8 3 nights at 9 and has just come back from 4 nights in London. She (and all the rest of the kids) had the time of their lives.

The school runs a no contact policy because they find that if the kids talk to the parents it tends to make the homesickness worse not better.

I'm sure she will be fine, and will have lots to tell you

My son's School does a field trip where they go away on the Monday and come back Friday. But this is for Year 6, ages 10 and 11. I am surprised that your school is going this. It its a bit young. My son is 7 this august and I do not think he would know what to do if he went on one at this age.

Thanks MB.

She has done three nights away before, at 7 too, but it was just up the road really and felt, well, nearer.

I think that it is always harder for us parents than for the kids!

I'm sure the staff wouldn't do it if they had to deal with loads of very miserable kids all day, who wouyld vonleteer to do that in their spare time?

Erm, I think they do get paid, MB

er, not to do 24 hours a day they don't!

And it is not ina school teachers contract to do school trips at all, they do it out of pure good will! They will not get a penny of over time for this, for all the lost sleep and possibly missing their own kids!

I have to say I agree with the no contact policy.

I went on a school trip with yr7s last summer, and most of them have their mobile phones. They had the time of their lives, but late in the evening - when they were shattered and exhausted - some of them would phone home and then feel homesick. One girl was crying her eyes out on the phone to her mum on the evening of the second day, whilst the rest of her room were trying to sleep. Eventually her phone ran out of credit. So I then texted her mum to say that she was OK, any major problems she or her dd could use my phone for contact, but that generally the phone wasn't helping. Her mum completely agreed with me, and after that the dd was 100% fine!

Sorry MB, I misunderstood. I thought you meant the staff at the centre.

Oh yes, and I agree about the volunteer bit. I work/get paid 32.5 hrs a week (CS at secondary). On the school trip we got about 7 hrs sleep each night - always going to bed after we were sure all the children were asleep, and getting up before them. And for every waking hour you are "on duty" and it is bloody hard work: but very rewarding and enjoyable too.

I missed my son's birthday to go, and when I came back I slept for about 32 hours I was so shattered!

My DD1 did her first residential in year 4 - it was Monday to Friday in a PGL activity centre and she absolutely loved it. Took me an hour and a half to detangle her hair when she got back though!
I don't think it is too young if the child is up for it. Roughly half of her year group went on this trip and they all had a fantastic time, DD said there was no homesickness at all.

My DD will be going on a Friday to Monday trip in June. She's in Year 6. The no contact thing bothers me a bit too, although I can see how it might make the homesickness worse.

I think that is quite a long time for 8 year olds, earlgrey. My DS1 is 8, but he's very clingy, and there's no way he would cope with that. I know I wouldn't have been able to let him go. If he did go, we'd be going to collect him before the first night.

The no contact rule is a must in my opinion...All my charges whom have had Parents away have only ever had meltdowns when Mummy's rang & said I miss you!