I kept my son from going on the field trip now I feel horrible (teens, parents)

[operaphantom2003]

When I was a kid I was kept from most field trips because of money or lack of adult supervision and I swore I would never do that. Well, today I did and now I feel horrible about it. What would you have done?

My son is in kindergarten and has already had a field trip to the library, the planetarium, and the museum--all of which he went on. Well, today they had a field trip to Build-a-bear to get a free bear. It was only his class (out of 4 kindergarten classes) and a 3rd grade class. The temp when they were to leave school was 18 with a chill factor of 8. They were all walking to the outdoor mall where the store is. Total of 1.1 miles each way. Now it is not the walk per se because we walk everywhere. But it was more the temp and the reason for going is why I kept him out of it. I could see if it was educational and for the whole grade but this was a friend of a friend thing. Siblings were excluded because they were in a different class. I just don't like that idea. I watched them walk past our apartments and the teacher was a good half block ahead of the kids, 3 parents in total, and all they were doing was yelling to keep up. Half the kids don't have coats or winter wear to begin with. It looked like my son was the only one missing out. He said this morning he didn't want to go, but I don't now how he reacted when his class actually left. I feel bad for him but I really do care about his health and safety. They have to cross 2 very busy streets, a train overpass, and through a hotel parking lot to get to the mall.

Would you have sent your child on the trip in that weather? They don't even allow them to go outside for recess in that temp. I feel bad but also feel like I made the right decision. If this was spring it would have been completely different. Do you think he will really be upset at me when he gets home?

[FarNorthDallas]

Wow, that's sortof a bizarre field trip. I can't imagine it would be allowed to happen here. No educational component and too cold.

[UnincorporatedResident]

I can't see where you are from but if you would normally go out and about in that type of weather I would have sent him, just made sure he was bundled.

There is ABSOLUTELY NO reason to feel bad based on your decision. You are mom, the only one qualified-IMO to decide such things and it's not like you didn't let him go because of the money. Health and adult supervision are your job when they are still young and you had resaon to question both concerning this field trip.

[JustJulia]

I agree with both responses above. My son is in kindergarten too, and I wouldn't have wanted him walking a mile in those temps either. I think that's kind of irresponsible of the teachers to do.

If anything, I might have driven him both ways instead of making him walk. I think you did the right thing, though.

[AusParent]

You care about your child more than anyone else in the world.

[NYMD67]

Originally Posted by JustJulia

I agree with both responses above. My son is in kindergarten too, and I wouldn't have wanted him walking a mile in those temps either. I think that's kind of irresponsible of the teachers to do.

If anything, I might have driven him both ways instead of making him walk. I think you did the right thing, though.

I also agree. I can't believe it wasn't cancelled due to the weather....

I will say though, that I know, in my daughter's school, a parent cannot drive a child to a field trip. They either go via the school provided transportation ,or they cannot go. A parent can drive on their own to help supervise (or ride the bus if there is room),but a child must ride the bus due to insurance reasons.
I tried to take my daughter home from a field trip when she was in kindergarten because it was the end of the day anyway's, they were going to take a bus back to school and grab their backpacks and go home anyway's. I didn't think about it at all. I then was told quite abruptly by her teacher that I could not do that, she must ride the bus back to the school.

In the preschool's it is different because there is no district provided transportation for field trips....

[JustJulia]

Originally Posted by NYMD67

I will say though, that I know, in my daughter's school, a parent cannot drive a child to a field trip. They either go via the school provided transportation ,or they cannot go. A parent can drive on their own to help supervise (or ride the bus if there is room),but a child must ride the bus due to insurance reasons.

But if they're walking, that's not school-provided transportation, is it?

My middle daughter is in special ed, and last year her class took walking trips to the local market every week to practice social skills, using money, etc. They canceled the trips when it was really cold, though, so I haven't had to deal with this situation.

[crazyme4878]

I agree with you. I may have even questioned the field trip with the teacher or even the principal. I regularly hike with my children and I get about 1 mile/hour...it isn't much faster on pavement either. Making them walk 2 miles roundtrip in the winter is nonsense! Especially for a purely commercial 'field trip.' I don't know, I don't try to be a mettlesome parent, but I would think about bringing this up to the principal still. You want to be able to have full faith in the care of your child when he is off the school property and the scene you described sure doesn't give me much faith.

[Kibbiekat]

I don't think you made a bad choice. Not an educational trip, and too far to walk in such cold. I doubt our school would have gone ahead with the trip in such weather. If anyone showed poor judgment, I think it was the teacher/school.

[Hopes]

I'm surprised the school didn't postpone the field trip for a warmer day. When temps get into the teens, the wind chill can be in the single digits, which is dangerous for children.