Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I remember where we went on our trips. The nuclear power plant, Bloomsburg Fair, Quiet Valley Historical Farm, Philadelphia Zoo, Knoebels and Washington DC.
I've always rated the experience on its own merits and I've declined to permit my kid to go on poorly planned low quality field trips, all the way through HS. We just make alternate plans to do the experience in an environment that was actually fun and enjoyable, or we came up with a different experience to address the social or 'consolation' aspect.
OP, I would not allow the trip, I would take your child with a few friends myself to a more relaxed nearby zoo or hayride on your own time.
The message my child received from my policies is that you do not go along with 'whatever' unless you think it is safe and rewarding. You do not go along with a plan for reasons like accommodating pressure from peers or organizations, to enhance esteem or popularity, or because you didn't really think about it and just said yes.
Once my kid got older, saying no to pressure and being able to cultivate herself independently are some of her greatest strengths.
I'm not sending my kid. We'll go to a pumpkin farm that is local instead. She said a few other parents are uncomfortable with the journey and are driving their kids themselves...I don't feel compelled to do that. I just had a lovely conversation with my son about not necessarily doing something because everyone else is...worked out ok so far.
Lovely conversation or not - he WILL be missing out. You can take him to a farm, but that will not be the same experience as him going with his classmates.
Quote:
Originally Posted by paganmama80
except the child isn't missing out and she is taking her kid to a local farm instead. I also don't get what this has to do with competence either.
He is missing out on the social aspect of the trip. Granted, it is just one trip, but how many trips to the pumpkin patch will his class make? If it was every week, fine, but this IS one trip. I think it's more special because of that. The other kids will be in the pictures of the trip, her son will not be. They'll have the memories together, her son will not.
No, it won't break him, but it will affect him. Choices add up.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Magritte25
It would be rushed and chaotic. No thank you.
Why would it be any more rushed and chaotic? If they went to a closer farm, wouldn't they just be getting back to school earlier? 10:00 - 11:30 is more than enough time to explore.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Magritte25
One missed field trip (a poorly planned one at that) is not going to make or break the child's confidence, competence or independence.
As I said above, one trip won't, necessarily, but keeping him home certainly won't positively affect him. Unless he really doesn't want to go with everyone else; it depends on how social he is.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Obrero
This one is just so idiotic, I'm not going to be part of it.
But your son would probably not see it as idiotic at all. If you have the money, why not send him? He'll have fun on the trip there and back, fun there, it will be shared memory with his class. My son still remembers going to the pumpkin farm with his *preschool* class! He remembers a joke one of his friends made...
I don't see how keeping him away from the experience accomplishes anything for your son. Keeping him away would be for YOU, so you can be "right" about how "idiotic" the choice is. Look at this through your son's eyes; it's HIS trip, not yours.
There are many more positives in allowing him to go, than in keeping him away.
Last edited by CharlotteGal; 10-11-2011 at 09:04 AM..
Why would it be any more rushed and chaotic? If they went to a closer farm, wouldn't they just be getting back to school earlier? 10:00 - 11:30 is more than enough time to explore.
As I said above, one trip won't, necessarily, but keeping him home certainly won't positively affect him. Unless he really doesn't want to go with everyone else; it depends on how social he is.
Really? Because they would have less time to do things. They would have more time at a farm closer to them. Like I said we EASILY spend the better part of a day when we take our children to the farm.
I don't think it will negatively or positively effect the kid.
I didn't have time to read the thread and I'm not a parent, so feel free to disregard!
My take is that half the fun of a school trip is going with all the other kids - the farm aspect sounds nice, but the trip on the bus will be half the fun!
Maybe my opinion will change when/ if we have a child, but right now I would say I would absolutely let my kid go even if it's further away than normal with more travel time. He'll have a blast!!
My school is taking the K class on their first field trip to a pumpkin farm / petting zoo. Some genius has decided to book a place 52 miles away on a busy highway. There are a zillion farms close by - where all the previous K classes have gone. I have no idea why the choice was made to go so far...but would you let your 5 year old go? They leave at 8:45am and get back at 12:30pm. So hardly anytime there...seriously thinking of skipping this one.
Thoughts?
My kids only did trips like that when they were that young if I could go on the bus with them or drive the car they were in
50+ miles for a bunch of kids kindergarten age is a bit much.
Betting half of them will fall asleep on the ride and won't be "conversing" or "socializing" with their peers at all, lol!
If the trip was all day, I think OP wouldn't have an issue. I completely agree with what she is saying. It makes zero sense to travel so far for such a short trip.
They leave at 8:45, get there at 9:45 and have to leave by 11:30 to be back by 12:30. Waste of time.
Not uncalled for just a little off the cuff, maybe I should tone it down for the children in the audience.
DH and I take our children to a farm every year. We easily spend five or six hours there between eating, games, hayride, mazes, picking a pumpkin, petting zoo, pony rides etc.
Are you serious they have all that stuff at a pumpkin patch? When I was a kid all there was was a bunch of pumpkins no rides no games just pumpkins. Hey it reminds me of Little people big world.
Not uncalled for just a little off the cuff, maybe I should tone it down for the children in the audience.
This statement:
Quote:
Originally Posted by heetseeker
Maybe you should just keep your kids in the closet for the rest of their lives that way you will know exactly where they are at all times.
was definitely uncalled for because it wasn't the intent of her post. She never said that she wasn't comfortable with the idea of not knowing where her child was at all times.
There are no children in the audience, only people interested in discussing what was actually said; not made up BS so someone could "get a good one off".
Are you serious they have all that stuff at a pumpkin patch? When I was a kid all there was was a bunch of pumpkins no rides no games just pumpkins. Hey it reminds me of Little people big world.
Yes.
Miller's Orchards Farm Market, Inc. (http://www.millersorchard.com/fall_activities.htm - broken link)
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
