WWYD- DD doesn't want to go on (day) school trip

[Aroundtheworldin80moves]

DD is one of youngest in Yr3. (She is still 7). Next week Yr3-6 are going to the cinema. The film is related to school work but not essential. (The cinema gives the school free viewings of old films, this is a reasonably regular thing for them).

DD doesn't really like the cinema that much, and hates scary films. While the film will be tame for most of the class, she will not like it. She has said she doesn't want to go.

I'm talking to her teacher today, but what will be the best course of action? Make her go, and have a teacher have to take her out? (Likely to be at least 5/6 members of staff, and about 50 kids)
Ask her to stay behind and go to younger class?
See if I can pick her up after lunchtime registration?

I have no idea whether she will be alone in this.

What a bloody stupid film to go and see! I remember it as very jumpy scary, not to mention the graphic scenes of people being eaten by dinosaurs!!
Absolutely ridiculous - my very robust 7 year old would not be going either!

JP is a bit much for age 7 especially on the big screen, they'd have been better off with The Land before time, at this age.

Let her watch something more fun about Dinosaurs like this.

How is Jurassic Park educational? Yanbu. I wouldn't have let 2 of mine see that at the pictures at that age.

DD1 is a similar age and does not like watching something film length at all... she'd get really really upset seeing Jurassic Park in a cinema setting (she'd probably cope with it on a small TV) and freak out completely. Sometimes the idea of doing something along with her peers carries her past her comfort zone and she's OK - but she wouldn't cope with that.

She's going on her school residential and a Beaver camp soon and I'm not at all worried about her doing those things - but I know she wouldn't cope with the film suggestion the OP is talking about so it's not always just some kind of "oh my kid is rough and tough and would walk uphill with no shoes in the snow" versus snowflake-type scenario.

I'd have a word with school.

Ds1 is a young yr3 and very emotionally immature. We had to abandon Paddington some time ago as DS was terrified and crying constantly, plus hiding by my feet!. At school in yr1 they were watching a documentary that caused him to run from the classroom in tears. I never worked out quite why!
THere have been several things which were predicted to be 'too scary' and DS was excused from.

• CInema to see a Wallace and gromit film in reception (DS had seen an advert with a scary face on it and refused to go)
• Theatre trip to chatty chatty bang bang (child catcher...)
• End of yr2 outing to laser quest

PLus if there is wet lunchtime or when they have a 'treat' of watching something the teachers give him an opt out of leaving whenever or being in the library instead. We are lucky DS is at a small prep school that is really flexible and nurturing.

I agree with you OP. Jurassic Park is too scary for that age group. That could give quite a few kids nightmares!

Dear OP,
My 12 year old DD would not like JP now and would find it too scary. There is not a chance in hell I would have given permission for her to watch it at age 7. I think the school have made a poor choice and are likely to end up with quite a number of distressed children.

Thank you everyone for your reassurance that I'm not being soft with her. DH agrees its not right for her.

I'm pleased DDs go to a school where they get the opportunities for stuff like the cinema trip and staff who go an extra mile to make their learning interesting. They do the curriculum stuff too.

Omg I was terrified at JP and was older when I saw it. I would do the same in your shoes and say dd not able to cope with it

If the film was Jurassic Park, I agree with you. It's not for every child in that age group. Definitely not mine.

Bloody hell, Jurassic Park?

I can tell you OP she will not be alone. In a group of 7-11 year olds I would expect at least 25% to be scared at this, and more will stay in and then have nightmares.

Very bad call from school. This film is SCARY!

I run a kids camp where we have 6-12 year olds.
We show Paddington on the film night.
Every year we have 2-3 kids who find it scary, so we offer an alternative.
They are not the 6 year olds! The oldest was 10.
That is 10% of the kids, and Paddington is not a scary film, unlike JP

Funnily enough steppemum Paddington is one of the ones my DS has been most upset by. I put it down to the chase scenes - either a sensory thing with the picture moving too fast or the "mild peril" of being chased being something he can really relate to.

DD absolutely hated Paddington, she was terrified of Nicole Kidman’s character and very upset at the idea of someone wanting to kill and stuff him. She also hated Peter Rabbit because she was upset about young Mr McGregor (who appeared to be borderline psychotic IMO) wanted to kill Peter.

Jurassic Park is PG and it’s meant to be suitable for unaccompanied children but over 8 years old, so y4. So says the British Board of Film Classification. It might not be suitable for nervous children. However it probably would be ok for the majority who are, presumably, going. I bet they see far worse gaming!

The whole point of the Peter Rabbit book is him cheating death by escaping from Mr McGregor! Maybe read the book first!

Yanbu. That is a scary film. I have a 7yo and no way would she see that. She'd be terrified.

The class went yesterday. DD stayed behind in Yr2. One other joined her halfway through.

On Saturday she has a birthday party to see a U rated film and is excited to go.

Thank you to all that commented (and for reassuring me that at least on this I'm not over protective)