My sons on a PGL holiday and wont stop crying!!

Topher

I'm a teacher, and have taken children to Boreatton Park. Obviously I don't know the circumstances under which they let your son phone home, but we actively discouraged home calls, as they only make homesickness worse and it spreads amongst all of the children. With the children who felt really desparate to phone home, we simply talked about how it was only X many days to go, and they might as well enjoy it or if they couldn't, then just do all the activities so they could tell Mum all about it when they got back.
We did let one boy phone home, but at a reasonable time, after I'd found him crying in the night, comforted him and told him he could ring home the next day.
I wouldn't bother with mobile phone contact, its a massive site, and hard for a teacher to keep track of electrical goods while half your group are uabseiling off a tower. Also, there's just so much to do.
Homesickness is absolutely part of the experience,as is dealing with it (with support) It's also a good idea to let the friends he's with step in, they're surprisingly kind in these circumstances and it helps group dynamics... in other words part of the value of going to Boreatton is the whole experience, good & bad. I really wouldn't cancel going away, as long as there's an emergency number.

By the way, some children felt bad in the evenings after the activities, but got so much out of the daytime that it really would have been a shame to pull them out of the trip.

Is he in the main building dormitories, or the external huts part?

Please don't worry

Topher

bootman

Many thanks everyone for your kind words.

No phone call tonight, so hopefully he has settled down and enjoyed the day.

We decided to stay home tonight, I am not really in a romantic night away mood. Yesterdays phone call has left me a bit anxious.

Thankfully he is staying in a dorm. I think I would be crying if I was camping outside in this rain!

Thanks again everyone for the sound advise and reassuring comments. I don't feel a bad mum now saying that he was to stay. Though I think the member of staff wanted me to say that I was on my way to collect him.

sazzlewhit

I stayed here when I was your sons age and it may of been decades ago but I can still remember that for the first couple of night quite a few kids got upset with it being the first time away from home but all the staff where really great and after the first few days no-one gave a second thought about home until it came to leaving. As a parent myself now I think its better you soon go through this now instead of in a few years when he is at high school and his friends might not be so sympathic. I know I'd feel bad in this situation, but I'm sure you feel worst and more upset than he is right now. Go on enjoy the time you have with your husband!!!!