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Enough with the school trips!
My 11-year-old just got back from a fifth-grade trip to Washington, D.C. My 13-year-old left today for Washington, Yorktown, Williamsburg and Jamestown.
In May, each girl will also go to Islands of Adventure with her school.
The 13-year-old will have taken seven trips by the end of this school year, either with school or our temple youth group. Although some of them, like the trip to Washington and the Revolutionary War sites, have been educational, what is the value of an end-of-the-year trip to Islands of Adventure?
These school-sponsored vacations cost a lot of money. Of course I could say no to some of them, and I have. But there's no need for schools to create these uncomfortable situations: Just stop offering these expensive and unnecessary holidays!
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Comments
I've actually used this issue to help my kids make their own decisions about major spending -- of time and money. When her 8th grade this year offered a $950 trip to Washington and Philadelphia, my daughter had a choice to make: She could stay at home, be in a play at the children's theater and save the money. Or she could go with her friends on the trip.
She chose the former, and we were able to use the money we would have spent on her class trip for a family trip to New York with shows on Broadway and a very interesting and educational tour of Ellis Island.
Sure, she missed out on some fun with her friends, but I'm certain that she would make exactly the same decision again.
The Islands of Adventure trip I'll gladly pay for her. That's going to be a lot cheaper than taking the family and more fun for her to go with friends than us anyway.
But I do agree that too many of these kinds of trips adds up, and you have to wonder whether the money is better spent elsewhere.
Vicki
Posted by: Vicki Brennan | April 3, 2008 9:44 AM
I teach fourth grade and I have the opposite problem from parents at my school. None of the teachers at my grade level are really willing to take students on field trips anymore. There are many reasons but the main ones are complaints from parents. Such as, not a good enough trip, too expensive, turning money in on time, why can't my child that can't follow rules in class go away from school on a trip. Then the parents that go on the trip often find more things to complain about.
The only reason I ever wanted to plan a field trip was that it made students happy. It takes a lot of extra work to plan these trips, it's time away from our own families, and we aren't compensated in anyway for all the extra hours working. Then top that with no thanks just complaints, why should schools want to plan them?
To me it sounds like you are blaming a wonderful school that plans many fun activities for your children with your inability to help your child make choices and set limits. Don't worry though I am sure if you complain enough and get more parents to complain too teachers at your child's school will also stop planning these trips, just like you wanted.
Posted by: vicky | April 6, 2008 9:59 AM
I have to agree with Lois - the schools demands on our money are getting quite steep, and several expensive trips per year are just financially hard, especially when you have more than one kid in school. Vicky - you sound very jaded with a chip on your shoulder. I have no doubt that there are a lot of aggravating parents, but I'm not sure I'd want that attitude teaching my kids.
Posted by: Jeff | April 11, 2008 4:14 PM