don't know what to do about my sons 3 night school trip

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Sorry this won't help much, but having had 2 go on these trips (and I remember mine fondly), the kids who don't go are generally written off by the vast majority as having major issues and are referred to as such for the rest of their time at school. So keeping him off could make things worse for him.

RedBern

we had a problem with our youngest who didn't want to go on the school trip. He decided he was happy to stay at school - with 2 others didn't go on the trip. After first day he was bored silly, they were getting passed from pillar to post - so he spent the rest of the week with OH (who was a teacher at the time) in his school! Ask what arrangements there are if he decides he really doesn't want to go - see if he'd like sitting in reception doing extra maths papers while everyone in his class is having a good time.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

Sorry this won't help much, but having had 2 go on these trips (and I remember mine fondly), the kids who don't go are generally written off by the vast majority as having major issues and are referred to as such for the rest of their time at school. So keeping him off could make things worse for him.

not true in our case - they just thought we were stroppy parents which I could live with.

vax2002

My Alarm bells say, from experience of 3 boys.
Someone is kicking ten bells out of him and he has just found out they are going on the trip as well.

sooty&sweep

Hi

Do you know which centre he would be going to ?
My son did a similar thing last september and he had a fabulous time. He went to a PGL centre called Winnmarleigh (could have spelt that wrong !) in Lancashire. He enjoyed it so much that I requested the brochure as I was considering a short break for him this year.
Also PGL are very experienced at dealing with youngsters who are nervous about being away from home but from what my son told me they were kept so busy they didn't have time to think about home and so tired they crashed out each night.

Personally I would have a chat with his teacher (he doesn't need to know) and seek their views and maybe suggest that they discuss this in class as part of the preparation, obviously without refering to him but getting a discussion going. He may feel better if he hears from others that they are also worried ? I bet he's not the only one who's feeling nervous about being away from home !

Do you know how many children aren't going ? Maybe also point out to him that only a few aren't going and they'll be attending school as normal.

Good Luck

Jen

Spendless

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

Sorry this won't help much, but having had 2 go on these trips (and I remember mine fondly), the kids who don't go are generally written off by the vast majority as having major issues and are referred to as such for the rest of their time at school. So keeping him off could make things worse for him.

Though I wouldn't have put it as strongly I would certainly say that the 1 child that didn't go on DS's yr 6 residential missed out in terms of the 'bonding' I mentioned earlier and due to 3 classes all going on diff days during course of a week, she was always with a yr 6 class, so not as noticeable as if she'd been the only yr 6 child left in school. That's why I suggested you ask how many other kids aren't going when you speak to teacher. Now my son's in Secondary it seems less important. He goes on a residential late spring (£155 for 2 nights, last year I paid £128 for 2 nights) but there was only around 40 spaces with a year group of around 240, so loads and loads of kids not going on it, not just a few.

pinkclouds

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

Sorry this won't help much, but having had 2 go on these trips (and I remember mine fondly), the kids who don't go are generally written off by the vast majority as having major issues and are referred to as such for the rest of their time at school. So keeping him off could make things worse for him.

I disagree. It depends on the social status of the kids in question and, even then, I don't think it'll change their status. When I was at primary school, we went on a residential trip - I don't know the equivalent "year" in England but we were about 10 years old - and only 1 kid didn't go. He certainly wasn't treated like some sort of outcast and he had plenty of friends. I don't know the exact reason he didn't go, nor do I really care. He spent the week we were away doing pretty much zilch school work and just playing games and using the computer. I think the only thing he minded was his friends being away. He waved us off on the coach and was there when got back. It wasn't a big deal to us.

vax2002

A top tip for all :
With boys:
The issue is never about what the issue is about.

pinkclouds

vax2002 wrote: »

A top tip for all :
With boys:
The issue is never about what the issue is about.

Really? (Genuinely.) I'd have said that was girls. Boys always seem more straightforward, to me.

Humphrey10

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

Sorry this won't help much, but having had 2 go on these trips (and I remember mine fondly), the kids who don't go are generally written off by the vast majority as having major issues and are referred to as such for the rest of their time at school. So keeping him off could make things worse for him.

I remember this from primary school. The one or two children who didn't go were viewed as pathetic cry-babies who couldn't bear be away from mummy for a night, and were treated quite nastily by some of the other children.

Oldernotwiser

vax2002 wrote: »

My Alarm bells say, from experience of 3 boys.
Someone is kicking ten bells out of him and he has just found out they are going on the trip as well.

My thoughts exactly.