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Original poster

Residential school trip - do people write to their children?

50 replies

ReallyIsThisAThing · 15/05/2019 17:48

Just as the title says - if your child is on a residential trip, would you send them a card or letter? TIA

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dementedpixie · 15/05/2019 17:49

No

CMOTDibbler · 15/05/2019 17:49

No!

moreismore · 15/05/2019 17:49

How long is the trip??

StealthPolarBear · 15/05/2019 17:49

It would mnt even cross my mind

Quellium · 15/05/2019 17:49

No. Risk of them reading it and sobbing!

moreismore · 15/05/2019 17:50

(I might hide a note somewhere they’d find it like washbag or something)

TanMateix · 15/05/2019 17:50

How long is the trip? How old is the child?

I think the answer will depend mostly on that.

MirandaWest · 15/05/2019 17:50

When I was at primary school and went on residential trips from Monday to Friday, my mum and dad wrote to me a couple of times I think. Can’t remember whether other people got cards/letters or not.

I didn’t send anything when my two went away

sleepyhead · 15/05/2019 17:52

No. Presuming it's not some US style 6 week summer camp.

TanMateix · 15/05/2019 17:52

I would say that if your child is like mine, he may read it, forget about it and never imagine he could have written back.

... thinking of that... I was the same. My sister, on the other hand, would have dissolved in tears missing mum for the rest of the trip 🤔

TanMateix · 15/05/2019 17:53

Agree, if we are talking of a 6 weeks residential, write. A week or a weekend, not.

Original poster
ReallyIsThisAThing · 15/05/2019 17:56

Its a 4 day trip in the UK.

OP posts:
mollysshadow · 15/05/2019 17:56

No

birmanbaby · 15/05/2019 17:57

Christ NO

Bunnybigears · 15/05/2019 17:58

Its a 4 day trip in the UK. definitely no, what would you even write?! Sure fire way to induce homesickness in either the written to child or the non written to children.

Tequilarose18 · 15/05/2019 17:58

I would say no as I often go on residential trips with children . On one trip a child had a numbered present and a note to open each day . Not only did it upset the recipient it upsets the others in his room as well. A little note tucked in their wash bag saying how proud you are of them and wishing them a great time would be acceptable.

MrsTerryPratchett · 15/05/2019 17:58

4 days? Would it even get there?

Original poster
ReallyIsThisAThing · 15/05/2019 17:59

Thanks, as I thought utter madness

OP posts:
ILoveMaxiBondi · 15/05/2019 18:00
Confused

What for?

dementedpixie · 15/05/2019 18:00

Who did it then?

MrsTerryPratchett · 15/05/2019 18:01

I think there is a weird creep at the moment. Everything has to be magical, everything has to be the best it can possibly be, and, I think, everything has to be posted on SM.

Thee things invariably make more work for mothers parents and mean children struggle with real life. We should be fostering resilience, which means no daily presents on trips Hmm

CielBleuEtNuages · 15/05/2019 18:03

We re in France. Ds1 (7) just went on one for 5 days. We had to give his teacher a letter for her to give out the first night plus an envelope for him to end one back.

We were also highly encouraged to write more. One mum wrote so the DC would get one every day they were there. I just did 1 extra. Its a bit hard to know what to write that wont upset them.

DS says he liked getting them and didn't get sad. But i wouldnt have done it if we hadnt been told to! Cos then I worried how he'd feel if he was the only one without a letter.

CielBleuEtNuages · 15/05/2019 18:06

Oh and he was told to take a photo of the family with him...but he is only 7.

What really amazed me was that DS1, who has never slept away from family before, wasnt even upset when I talked to him mid week on the teacher's phone (he had a migraine and I needed to check his symptoms so she could give him the right treatment ).

Maryann1975 · 15/05/2019 18:08

No! It has never even crossed my mind to do this and we are now at the point where dc3 is starting to go on Residentials. I also think the dc would be mortified to receive a letter from me while they were away and I have no idea what I would say? ‘We had lasagne for tea on Monday, dad has been to work today and I’ve been to a meeting this morning’. It’s not exactly gripping stuff to your average school age child!
I am also involved with Girlguiding and would think it highly odd if a parent wrote to their child while they are away, especially only for 4 nights. One of the reasons we say no to phones being taken is the risk that a message/phone call from parents might induce homesickness.
Who thought they needed to write and how old are their children?
I’d maybe expect the dc to write a postcard home depending on where they go. Some dc have no idea how the postal service works, so a good lesson in that and can be used as a lesson in remembering your address and recalling what you have done that day.

AJPTaylor · 15/05/2019 18:11

Dd1, never crossed my mind. She never mentioned it but when Dd2 went, dd1 told me loads of them had letters! So dd2 got a letter
When dd3 went 10 years on I had both older ones reminding me!