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carlinlp
member
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Field trip WWYD?
carlinlp
member
DS's 3 year old class is going on a field trip, it will be their first one. DH and I had a really hard time in deciding whether or not we wanted him to go. A few details: The field trip is an hour each way, possibly longer. The children will all be on a big yellow school bus - they rented one with vests to buckle kids in - but no carseats. A limited number of parents are allowed to attend, but parents are not allowed to ride on the bus. We were told there will be NO stops on the way there, or the way back, for children to go to the bathroom. When one parent asked what happens if a child needs to go or has an accident, the principal replied they would NOT be stopping. When I asked about it again later, I was told that would not be the case after they thought about it some more and that they would stop at a gas station if needed. I also asked about the bathroom situation at their destination as I think it's just a port-a-potty type setup and she was surprised, said she didn't know and hadn't considered that. DS has never been in a port-a-potty and I'm sure it would be a first for quite a few newly potty trained kids in his class as well.
I don't know....I'm not sure if we made the right decision but I was wondering if you would be comfortable with the field trip?
Would you let your 3 year old go?
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Field trip WWYD?
There's no way in hell I'd put my 3 year old on that bus alone. And the no potty thing would be a deal breaker alone, even if I WAS okay with him being on a bus for 2 hours without a parent.
ETA: if I really wanted him to take part, I'd see if I could drive him there and back myself.
(read it. you know you want to.)
anderson . september 2008
vivian . february 2010
mabel . august 2012
52 Choices For Better Health
nope, if I wasn't one of the parents on the bus, I wouldn't let him go. SBF is fun, but it's somewhere you can go as a family. I wouldn't put my 3yo in a portapotty unless I absolutely HAD to.
If I could go then I would drive him myself.
I would never send them if (a) they had to ride a bus and (b) there wasn't adequate supervision which it doesn't sound like there is because they are so disorganized.
Even if they let them have carseats, I still wouldn't do it. When I was teaching and we went on field trips, it was impossible to get a carseat securly installed on a bus. The vests are a whole other issue.
It sounds to me like the director came up with a "brillant" idea to load a bunch of 3 year olds up and take them on a field trip without thinking at all about the liability or logistics involved.
We decided that he wouldn't go because there were just too many things we weren't comfortable with. Not being able to ride the bus, their initial response to potty issues (the possibility of ds sitting in an accident for an hour or next to another child who has had an accident), no carseat, it being so far away, etc.
Also, because 2 of my children have food allergies, we *always* attend field trips and special events at school, no exceptions, because when there is a change in schedule or someone other than the normal teacher is caring for a child with allergies, there is a lot more room for error. An allergic reaction an hour away, without me there = no thank you.
I'm just curious if we are being a bit over protective on this one, cause we tend to be with him sometimes.
52 Choices For Better Health
I asked this, they said no. All children attending have to ride the bus.
52 Choices For Better Health
that's dumb.
That is dumb. What on earth is the reasoning for that?
I agree. But I think it's because they rented the bus with vests and if they say we can transport ourselves, everyone will choose that option instead.
I agree about the port-a-potty too. We are very much a have ds pee in a cup over going in to one of those things family
He'd be touching ev.ery.thing.
52 Choices For Better Health
I just feel bad he doesn't get to go have fun with his friends. I know they are building it up to get the kids excited about the trip in class today and he's going to be sad he doesn't get to go.
When they called yesterday to see if we'd decided yet, I did give them feedback as to why we weren't going to let him go. I told her I wasn't comfortable with the distance and I wish they would have chosen something closer. She offered to be sure that DS was placed with his teacher for added insurance with the allergy issues and I appreciated that, but still wasn't comfortable with it all. I'm just sad he's going to miss out though
52 Choices For Better Health
I screwed up your poll results.
I actually answered yes, but should have answered Maybe. My reasoning is this: I was thinking, "would I allow DS to go on a field trip with his class/teachers/a couple other parents"? Yes, I most likely would, because I know my son (he could make the hour trip without an accident, and has no problem with porta potties) and I know his teachers and his classmates' parents and I'm comfortable with them, and I'd make damn sure I was one of the few parents on the bus.
But after I answered, I decided that was dumb, because what you were asking was, "would I let my kid go on the field trip you described" and the answer to that is No. In fact, while I was reading your description of the trip I was thinking, "yeah, 3 years old is probably too young to be organizing field trips, especially with these stringent rules".
So I'm sorry - your scientific research is now flawed, because of me.
When 3 Became 4
stupid!
LOL! No worries!
I totally understand what you mean. I think that may be why we aren't super comfortable, DS is fairly new to the school, the teacher has been with him for about a month. I am friendly with several of the other moms but I don't know them really well or anything. They are requiring all the chaperones to ride their school owned bus - that is why they have a limit on the number of parents that can go. If they would have let me drive him so he could still participate, I'd be all over that!
52 Choices For Better Health
I would be tempted to take him anyway. It's not like the daycare rented out the whole farm, right? Who's to say that you and T can't decide to head on over there by yourselves.
Barring that, I would probably take him this weekend just so he can have the same experience as his classmates.
But, no. I don't think that I would feel comfortable with a field trip like you are describing. I had to stop and pee on the way there and I'm 31!
could you plan something special for him that day? IDK what exactly, but something so he feels like he's doing an exciting activity, too?
It seems like they weren't even fully prepared as to how the field trip was going to go (bathrooms are just one example) and they never really thought all things out. That would be a major red flag to me, personally.
Also, esp since it's to someplace I'd rather want to visit as a family, I'd just do a weekend trip and wouldn't feel guilty about maybe him "missing out."
Plus, maybe it's just me, but an hour trip one way (2 hours on a bus total) without me, at 3 years old? Nope nope nope. Even if I was following behind. Nope. It seems too young, to me. Also, I think it's really lame they won't let parents who want to caravan their children to the farms. :-/
FWIW, I would not let me 3-yr old go on a field trip at all if I was not there. I have serious trust issues when others are watching my DD (outside of DH and my mother)- esp if they are also responsible for many other 3-yr olds at the same time. I don't think you're being too overprotective at all and from the questions the other parents were asking, I'd be surprised if T was the only one NOT going.
I agree w/ PPs - maybe you guys could go as a family? There is a lot of stuff to do there that all your kids would enjoy.
Considering your extra allergy issues and such, I'd probably be nervous too. The second issue for me would be the bus with "vests." I guess I've never seen a bus like this, so I'm not sure how secure those seats would be. Otherwise, I would let my child go. DS's preschool had field trips starting at age 3. They rented a special bus from Hays ISD that had real carseats in it. We did not use our own carseats because too many times they don't get transferred and re-installed properly/tight enough, etc. and the bus is always outfitted with these approved carseats. The Director of the school checked every single bus carseat to make sure it was properly installed, before the kids boarded. The teachers buckled them in. Parents could not ride due to the bus being full of carseats, but we could follow in our own vehicles (which I did). We could not transport our own children on a school sponsored event for liability reasons for the school - so there are reasons for the "no transporting your kid in your own car" rules. They 'pottied' the kids before boarding and no one had any issues, so that would actually not be too high of an issue for me. The school is stringent on washing hands and cleanliness, so I would feel comfortable with his teachers aiding him in a bathroom situation and keeping the germs to a minimum. Plus, where as he may not go in a port-a-potty for me or DH, he probably would go for another adult, especially if classmates were going too.
I'm sure they are not going to put any child at risk/in danger and there are other parents around to step in as well. If I were you, I'd just follow them in my car and let DS ride with his friends (after knowing more about the "vests", of course). He'll probably sleep the whole way back to the school anyhow and they will most likely fill the time out there, with songs and such (I'm making a big assumption here, but hoping for the best).
Our daycare doesn't start field trips until the kids are 5..and at that age they require them to bring their booster seats in to put in the van.
My initial thought was along the lines of what someone else posted..what are they going to do if you and DS just happen to show up at SBF at the same time?
The Blog
I'm late to this party and didn't read even one response, so take my post with a grain of salt.
A) Three years old is TOO young to be riding a bus without parents, with out a car seat, and to a location an hour away.
My son's preschool does field trips starting at 4 years old. They use buses provided by Hays ISD and there is a car seat for every.single.child riding the bus. They don't travel more than 20-30 minutes away (TOPS). In those situations, I would say that was ok, but I would still be on the field trip as a chaperon.
52 Choices For Better Health
This, or drive there separately but take him.
3 year olds on a bus? That's nuts to me.