Is 10 to young to go away with school for 5 days ?

Question

My daughter’s school are planning a residential trip for October, at an outdoor activity place in Devon, 4 hours drive away.
The trip is Monday to Friday, no contact aloud as it only upsets them!
Many of the parents are concerned.
This for most of the children is the first time away from home.
Should the school find somewhere closer or should it be a shorter trip (3 days maybe) or are we all just being over protective?

My daughter is still very unsure if she wants to go, her answer changes daily. If she wants to go i will let het go.

I am not worried about being away from her, she has been left with family before while i have gone on holiday with friends.

Answer 1

i think its down to the individual child at the end of the day

Answer 2

My boys went away for the first time last year with cubs at the age of 9, they spent 5 days there and had the best time ever, I too was very worried about letting them go. This year they are in yr 6 and are 10 and are going away from Tuesday to Friday with school at the end of February they cant wait, I did have concerns as they have some special needs but they did so well at cubs I know theyll be fine here too. Its natural to feel concerned as a parent and I can fully understand why you are feeling so worried. As a group of parents why dont you suggest to the headteacher they cut the days down to 2 or 3, I'm sure if everyone feels the same it would be in the best interests to do it

Answer 3

I had week on the Isle of White with a school trip when I was 10, it was a great trip and we all had fun. We also had a week camping ( cuffley camp ) when we were nine, that also was good.

I think youre all being over protective.

This week will show your kids a little bit of freedom, maybe a bit of homesickness too, but lifes tough and a gentle first lesson in being away from home is good for kids, do it now, and when it comes to field trips in secondary school, they wont get anxious about it, and thier education will not suffer as a result.... Furthermore..... trips like this help build your childs character, they face the world alone for the forst time and it;s a tiny bit scary for them... BUT the school staff are there, and thats a great safety net.

Let you kid's go on this trip.... Have a week off yourself and while theyre away, have a few ( kid free !!) days to yourselvs too !!! Book a mini break ! have a ball !

Having read a few other answers here.... Blimey ! there's some kid's out there who are going to get SUCH a shock when they face the real world !!
It's a wonder the human race survived before we all became so uttelry paraniod about child molesters, coach crashes, floods, and being in instant and constant communication with our offspring ! Are you the people that only ever use antibiotic washing up liquid too ? and refuse to get in a car without an airbag ?

Get a life guys.... and remember it's about RISK, otherwise it's just an existence.

Answer 4

Schools have been doing trips like this for years 5 and 6 for a very long time. It sounds as if your daughter's school is very late to catch on to the benefits.
Children enjoy these trips hugely and the social and educational benefits are incalculable.
My son first went away on an orchestra trip aged 8. Since then he and his younger brother between them have been to Norfolk, France, Germany and the Isle of Wight - and last year, New York.
This year, now aged 13, 11 and 8, the three of them will go on school trips to Italy, Hong Kong and Portugal.
Yes, I think you and your friends are being over protective. Let your children live a little!

Answer 5

Its not too young. Kids enjoy these trips massively. There will be an initial contact policy but if the child is so upset to be away from his folks they will have to allow contact. I promise you after the first night there wont be that issue as the kids will be having such a great time the only problem will be getting them on the bus to come home.
This sort of thing is excellent for your childs development. It encourages team building, maturity and is the first little taste of independance for them. The school should be commended for doing something like this instead of wrapping them in cotton wool like many do

Answer 6

Its only 3 nights if they go on Monday and come home Friday.
There are checks made on the activities, the camp and the staff. They have to be licensed.
If you're unhappy, check out the place they're going to! How long has it been running, what are the activities!
If you make a fuss your kids will get the idea that theres something wrong. If you look forwards to it so will they.
If either of you have any worries then talk about it and teach them coping strategies.

Answer 7

I went away with my school when I was 9, it was at a summer camp type of place we were gone for about a week. So it is not unusual, but the no contact thing is concerning......I can understand they don't need every parent calling everyday to just chit chat, but if you need to contact them you should be able to, if they won't give you any contact infomation I would be concerned.

They should give contact infomation, plus the exact location and directions to get there, also they should have parent volunteers to help out, that way you could have someone you trust on the inside. If they do not provide all of this stuff I would be concerned!

So make sure they take all those steps.........this is your daughter and you can NEVER be too concerned in today's society!

Answer 8

i remember being 9 and going on a school trip with school to a hotel.. it was my first time away from my parents and i had a great time... we had lessons during the day, but they were fun lessons like nature walks .. in the evening there was a single bowling alley in the basement which we were allowed to use.. we also sang and we had a barbecue at the end which parents were allowed to come to if they wished..... i was living in germany at the time (dad was in army) it was a wonderful experience... i will be 28 this year so this was nearly 20 yrs ago and i still remember it like it was yesterday....if you have any worries speak to the school and if you are happy let her go.. i bet she will love the freedom and have one of her first of many life experiences....im afraid they grow up very fast and there is nothing we can do about it.... good luck

Answer 9

10 is a good age, I used to go to camp and on trips when I was that age. My only thought on the matter, is to ask your child what she wants. If she wants to go, then let her, if not... don't worry about it. But if she does want to go, then prepare her by explaining how you won't be there, but that it's only a few days, and she'll be fine. And there's no normal contact, but if there ever was an emergency, she would be able to talk to you and vice versa. Honestly, when I went on those trips, I had so much fun and I made friends that I still talk to all the time, and I'm 25 now.

Answer 10

My daughter went on a 4 day trip in 5th grade called Natures Classroom in another state. Schools all over the country do this trip.

Answer 11

Let your daughter decide only she knows if she is going to be alright without mummy for 4 days. often they say that would not like to go but when they are there with all of their friends they forget what they were worried about and come back with lots of great stories to tell you.

you are not being over-protective you are just a mother , but I say if she wants to go let her . I know it Will probably be hard to let her go and you might shed a few tears n the day but she will thank you in the long run