One concerned mother has taken to the online forum Mumsnet to ask whether she should allow her daughter to go on a school trip. The trip is a five-day activity-packed residential trip in Scotland, where the whole class “will be doing things in all weathers like canoeing, abseiling, walks, cycling etc”. However, the mum is worried that her daughter won’t enjoy it, despite her wanting to take part because “all her friends are going”.
The mother asked the online parenting forum
The worried mum looked up the venue and found out that six children share a room with communal toilets and showers, and the food menu is full of items that her daughter dislikes. There’s also “no vending machines, no mobile phones allowed, no calls to parents, [and they are] not allowed to bring own sweets,” plus the trip is mid-November, so “very likely to be rainy, cold, windy, [with] lots of midgies”.
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“I know my [daughter]. She's not outdoorsy at all. If there's no food she likes, she wont eat or survive on bread and butter. She will hate the rain, wind etc. She thinks she can take her phone so she can call us - she can't. I can see her being very homesick and upset. Two of the three teachers in charge are teachers that neither [daughter] or myself like. Also, I fully expect my [daughter] to start her periods soon, all the signs are there”. The trip costs £320 and the mother would rather spend the money on something she is certain her daughter will enjoy, but her husband and in-laws think that she should let her for for the experience, and she might end up liking it.
Her concerns were picked up by other users who seemed to suggest that she was overreacting a little - one said: “Spend the 320 quid on cotton wool and bubble wrap,” and another explained: “My [son] didn’t want to go, we pushed him into it. He had an amazing time! At 18 still does some of the activities he first tried there. Sorry no help!”
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Others said it was great to push her out of her comfort zone, and that her daughter will likely feel left out if she doesn’t go. Another noted that even if she thinks her daughter is a fussy eater, it’s likely that the food they prepare for hundreds of 10-year-olds will probably encompass something she likes. And one simply said that if her daughter wants to go, that’s the only thing that matters. So what would you do? Is it best to take a risk, or would you rather keep the money for something more worthwhile?
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