Field Trips

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, OP.. what will you do? Will you send your kids on field trips and hope for the best? Keep them home? Discuss with their teachers the best way to approach the problem? (Be prepared for the teachers to suggest your kids need to learn to listen, and function as part of the group. Especially in grade 4.)

You have opinions, most of which you don't like. So what is your solution?

I'm not sure what you're asking. I asked how others felt about safety issues on field trips and gave my opinion right up front. I stated very clearly in my OP that my kids don't go if DH or I don't go.

Hmm. You seem very invested in this thread that doesn't really amount to anything. You are very present here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, OP.. what will you do? Will you send your kids on field trips and hope for the best? Keep them home? Discuss with their teachers the best way to approach the problem? (Be prepared for the teachers to suggest your kids need to learn to listen, and function as part of the group. Especially in grade 4.)

You have opinions, most of which you don't like. So what is your solution?

I'm not sure what you're asking. I asked how others felt about safety issues on field trips and gave my opinion right up front. I stated very clearly in my OP that my kids don't go if DH or I don't go.

Hmm. You seem very invested in this thread that doesn't really amount to anything. You are very present here.

Ummm.....I started the thread. Why wouldn't I be present in the conversation. lol....are you serious?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, OP.. what will you do? Will you send your kids on field trips and hope for the best? Keep them home? Discuss with their teachers the best way to approach the problem? (Be prepared for the teachers to suggest your kids need to learn to listen, and function as part of the group. Especially in grade 4.)

You have opinions, most of which you don't like. So what is your solution?

I'm not sure what you're asking. I asked how others felt about safety issues on field trips and gave my opinion right up front. I stated very clearly in my OP that my kids don't go if DH or I don't go.

You're secure about your decision, you make no judgments about anybody who makes different ones, you know that plenty of people -- namely, the people whose children go on the field trips your children don't go on -- do make different ones, and yet for some reason you want to start a whole thread on DCUM asking for people's opinions about field trips and then telling the respondents that they're wrong. Why?

Everything up to the bold is true. Then you're simply twisting words in the bolded part. I asked about their opinions on their kids going on field trips. I never once told any poster their opinion about letting their kids go on field trips without them was wrong. When posters offered up their opinion on my decision, then yes I responded with more information to inform them about my rationale behind my decision. Please show me where I once told a poster they were wrong in their decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most responses have focused on focused on fourth grade field trips. What about first grade field trips? I posted earlier about being stressed out chaperoning my first grader's field trip to walk around DC. Kids were running off ahead of their individual groups, getting too close to water areas around monuments.

This was not just one or two kids, MANY kids behaving like that. I am vigilant, so it stressed me out and my group probably thought I was a mean mom. Other chaperones were very casual. You all are ok with your first grader being in such a situation?

Yes, because I trusted my first-graders to stay with the group.

I had a friend who said once...God watches out for the kids whose parents don't.....

I am a Christian, but, this is really not a good application of the statement. What was God doing when we read about those parents that starve, abuse, lockup their kids, or let their boyfriends abuse and kill their kids, like the little from MA (I think.. Bella was her name)? Was he "watching out" for those kids?

I have no idea why God lets those horrible things happen to kids, but your statement is clearly not true, that God will watch over a child that an adult is not paying attention to. That was a ridiculous thing to state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most responses have focused on focused on fourth grade field trips. What about first grade field trips? I posted earlier about being stressed out chaperoning my first grader's field trip to walk around DC. Kids were running off ahead of their individual groups, getting too close to water areas around monuments.

This was not just one or two kids, MANY kids behaving like that. I am vigilant, so it stressed me out and my group probably thought I was a mean mom. Other chaperones were very casual. You all are ok with your first grader being in such a situation?

Yes, because I trusted my first-graders to stay with the group.

I had a friend who said once...God watches out for the kids whose parents don't.....

I am a Christian, but, this is really not a good application of the statement. What was God doing when we read about those parents that starve, abuse, lockup their kids, or let their boyfriends abuse and kill their kids, like the little from MA (I think.. Bella was her name)? Was he "watching out" for those kids?

I have no idea why God lets those horrible things happen to kids, but your statement is clearly not true, that God will watch over a child that an adult is not paying attention to. That was a ridiculous thing to state.

omg.....lighten up a little

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well, OP.. what will you do? Will you send your kids on field trips and hope for the best? Keep them home? Discuss with their teachers the best way to approach the problem? (Be prepared for the teachers to suggest your kids need to learn to listen, and function as part of the group. Especially in grade 4.)

You have opinions, most of which you don't like. So what is your solution?

I'm not sure what you're asking. I asked how others felt about safety issues on field trips and gave my opinion right up front. I stated very clearly in my OP that my kids don't go if DH or I don't go.

Hmm. You seem very invested in this thread that doesn't really amount to anything. You are very present here.

Ummm.....I started the thread. Why wouldn't I be present in the conversation. lol....are you serious?

The whole thread is strange, no? It's more like a AMA thread rather than one soliciting opinions.

[Anonymous]

Off topic, but I just found out the field trips for 4th grade. Ours are Kennedy Center, Richmond and Jamestown. I really want to do the Jamestown one. I wonder how many parents are allowed to go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Off topic, but I just found out the field trips for 4th grade. Ours are Kennedy Center, Richmond and Jamestown. I really want to do the Jamestown one. I wonder how many parents are allowed to go.

Most schools allow the parents to go if they can find their own ride. Part of the reason why they limit parent volunteers is because there is no room on the bus to accommodate so many parents. I have driven myself to a few field trips. Several parents drove themselves. You should go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Off topic, but I just found out the field trips for 4th grade. Ours are Kennedy Center, Richmond and Jamestown. I really want to do the Jamestown one. I wonder how many parents are allowed to go.

They often allow more chaperones for Jamestown. Our ES used charter buses for that one so there were more seats available for chaperones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Off topic, but I just found out the field trips for 4th grade. Ours are Kennedy Center, Richmond and Jamestown. I really want to do the Jamestown one. I wonder how many parents are allowed to go.

My 4th grader is going to the Kennedy Center also and they are restricting the chaperones to 2 per class. They claim it's a limit due to seats at KC.

[Anonymous]

Last year I did not allow my child to go without my husband or I. The parent volunteers were a mix and given my child's needs I was not ok with entrusting someone I did not know. This year, I'd allow my child to go with one parent/ child's best friend but we cannot pick who the kids are assigned to. My child will not be going if one of us does not go. The school knows this and has always found a way to get us as a volunteer. Depending on the trip this year, we are going to opt out as some were an hour bus ride to spend 30 minutes a museum, eat a quick lunch and then leave. Not worth it. I'd rather drive my kid and stay longer or do another activity.

We observed parents not being attentive and completely checked out (even to their own kids).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Off topic, but I just found out the field trips for 4th grade. Ours are Kennedy Center, Richmond and Jamestown. I really want to do the Jamestown one. I wonder how many parents are allowed to go.

My 4th grader is going to the Kennedy Center also and they are restricting the chaperones to 2 per class. They claim it's a limit due to seats at KC.

For our school, they are cheap and do not want to buy more tickets and then lazy as parents offer to take the extra cost and they refuse. Plenty of room on our buses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last year I did not allow my child to go without my husband or I. The parent volunteers were a mix and given my child's needs I was not ok with entrusting someone I did not know. This year, I'd allow my child to go with one parent/ child's best friend but we cannot pick who the kids are assigned to. My child will not be going if one of us does not go. The school knows this and has always found a way to get us as a volunteer. Depending on the trip this year, we are going to opt out as some were an hour bus ride to spend 30 minutes a museum, eat a quick lunch and then leave. Not worth it. I'd rather drive my kid and stay longer or do another activity.

We observed parents not being attentive and completely checked out (even to their own kids).

So, I guess I'm not the only one (outside some of my friends) that feel this way. Definitely the minority opinion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Off topic, but I just found out the field trips for 4th grade. Ours are Kennedy Center, Richmond and Jamestown. I really want to do the Jamestown one. I wonder how many parents are allowed to go.

I think someone pointed this out already, but the school doesn't usually prevent you from going - it's a matter of bus space. If you drive yourself, you can usually meet them there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Off topic, but I just found out the field trips for 4th grade. Ours are Kennedy Center, Richmond and Jamestown. I really want to do the Jamestown one. I wonder how many parents are allowed to go.

I think someone pointed this out already, but the school doesn't usually prevent you from going - it's a matter of bus space. If you drive yourself, you can usually meet them there.

According to our teacher there will be limited space at the actual field trip locations, so they will be limiting the number of parents to just 2 or a few for each trip this year. Maybe I misunderstood her but their Kennedy Center trip they have limited the number of parents that are allowed in the facility by 2 per class. I think they are going to a museum and a farm also, so maybe there will be more parents allowed at those.