Am I over reacting?

Lunar_Eclipse

FBaby wrote: »

I would never agree to my DD going on such a trip, because for that amount of money, I would much prefer to fund a family trip.

That's absolutely fine and I probably feel the same, but many families can't afford to do that, or have absolutely no desire to do so. As well as low income households, single parent families and large/blended families have logistical and/or financial pressures that would make a family holiday such as this one impossible.

Trips like this one are voluntary, for good reason. I like the fact that they provide some children with opportunities that they would otherwise miss out on. I also think it's a completely different experience going to Australia at 15/16 with a group from school than as a family holiday or as an adult.

Also, depending on your personal thoughts regarding education, trips like this can be hugely significant learning opportunities for some children, changing their entire perspective on life from that moment onwards.

mildred1978

Lunar_Eclipse wrote: »

Also, depending on your personal thoughts regarding education, trips like this can be hugely significant learning opportunities for some children, changing their entire perspective on life from that moment onwards.

Personally, I think a trip to an impoverished area of Africa, where people are unable to afford a trip to the next town never mind Australia, and where school is a luxury few can afford would have a more positive impact on their perspective in life.

Brighton_belle

jackie_w wrote: »

There will be no holiday for the family next year because we can't afford it, but when this school trip came up we thought it was a trip of a lifetime for my son and that is why we agreed to let him go,

IMO I think family holidays (even if just going 10 miles away and camping) are 'trips of a life time' because they are never ever repeatable, but build family group memories.

16 yr olds have a life timeahead of them to save and go on expensive traveling trips, esecially getting a lot more out of it when 18+ and are independent, have worked for it themselves. He will have ample opportunity to travel in his 20's and 30's.

FBaby

Lunar_Eclipse wrote: »

That's absolutely fine and I probably feel the same, but many families can't afford to do that, or have absolutely no desire to do so. As well as low income households, single parent families and large/blended families have logistical and/or financial pressures that would make a family holiday such as this one impossible.

Surely if you can afford to pay for a £1500 trip for one person, you can afford a decent family holiday? If the family has more than one child, then surely it would mean £1500 for each child over the years anyway.

How could you have no desire to enjoy a nice family holiday?

piglet74

wow....what a trip...for 16 YOs :eek:

i was 30 before i even had a passport

my daughters (aged 14 in Aug) school trip is one night in London in sept, priced £250,

initially i thought that was a bit dear, tho i added it all up, and it covers flights (from Ireland) hotel, shrek the musical and harry potter studios, so its not so bad.

you have to pay £50 in march for a deposit, and then £50 a month on a set date from april until july.

i have told her that her birthday present this year will be spending money for the trip, is that harsh?

scooby088

£1500 is a lot of money for a school trip, are you sure that all the parents of the children going aren't saying the same to their children? Kids very rarely say to their mates that ' i have got to pay part of it myself' As for what MIL said tell her if she wants to help fund it all donations would be welcome otherwise tell her to mind her own business.

adelight

I knew school trips were getting pricey but purely recreational trips for £1500? :eek: I went to a school where 95% of families were absolutely minted (wish I was exaggerating but I was the class pauper!) and the closest to that we did was a team building weekend in wales. That was barely 10 years ago.

Er, anyway. Is the trip this year or next? Does he have time to apply for loads of jobs, every supermarket, shop, takeaway and odd job in the area? IMO at 16 unless he is working exceedingly hard at school or something, he should be looking for a job and managing his own expenses from a set allowance. Maybe if you gave him a target amount to raise and a set allowance he would be more inclined to do his chores and look for a job.
How are his friends paying for it? Does he realise he will likely have a much better time going when 18+ without his school? If him and his friends got jobs and saved until they finished sixth form they could go on a much better holiday together. Save £20 a month and go on a lads package holiday, £20 a week and they could do a few months in Australia on a working holiday.

nickj_2

i would give your son the best lesson that he's ever likely to have and introduce him to life in the real world - that if you want something , you have to work for it . from what i can work out, he's going around this time next year ? so he's got 52 weeks to earn £1500 + a bit of spending money , let's call it £2grand - that's around £38 per week , not a king's ranson and easily achievable , paper rounds , waitering , working in shops/garage , baby sitting etc , if he wants it that badly he's old enough to get out there and get his hands dirty .
my 17 yr old daughter has just paid for a week away with her college to barcelona + spending money out of her own pocket , she works at our local hotel and gets around £100+ a week . she now has the money to be independent of us , if she wants something , she has the money to get it .

Judith_W

I really think you should be setting him a target that he has to meet, and he can find ways of getting the money. I presume the 1500 doesn't include spending money so tell him he'll only get say £50/£100 unless he makes the rest himself. At his age I was out offering gardening, car washing, babysitting etc to raise money for a month in Africa working with an Orphanage. I raised over £700 from straightforward chores, with the rest being more donated than 'earned'. I know not exactly the same but you might suddenly find him offering to do housework for some extra spending money as the deadline looms.

I also had a regular Saturday job too

Judith_W

At his age, he really need work experience as a boost to jobs in the future. A lot of my friends who didn't work even Saturday jobs until the holidays between uni found it really hard to get anything. He should be getting a summer job this summer at the very least.