For the first time in my life, I have with much reluctance, allowed my first born to go on a school trip scheduled for next month. Since last year, Alycia has been pestering us to allow her to participate in school trips. I have on all occasions said no due to various reasons. Firstly is the increasingly high crime rate that has plagued our country. Kids are kidnapped, raped and murdered with no mercy. People are robbed and shot to death in broad daylight.  It is just not safe to go anywhere anymore. Secondly, it is the nightmare that I had 9 years ago when Alycia was only a few months old. I dreamt that she was drowned. The dream is still vivid and lucid to me up until today. It is because of this dream that I am reluctant to let go of my precious baby to go to places unaccompanied.
Thirdly, I have no confidence in tour bus drivers anymore and I am sure many of you would feel the same too after reading news of fatal bus crash time and again. And lastly, you would have probably read that Alycia was a hard-to-get baby. She was conceived via IUI fertility treatment, hence the name ‘precious baby’.  She will forever be my precious baby, the baby whom I had dreamed of for years. She was the ‘designer baby’, perfect in every way. We have had so many firsts with her and she will always have a special place in our hearts. I have been telling her that she will be allowed to go on trips with her school only when she turns 12. But she retorted and asked me why she has to wait so long when most of her classmates could go since years ago.
After much argument with her over this trip, with her pleading, throwing tantrums and almost in tears, we have finally allowed her to go, albeit with great reluctance. It is a day-trip to some outskirt towns in Selangor. The hubs and I tried to find excuses and tried reasoning with her but to no avail. She was darn adamant on her insistence in joining the trip. She told me that there will be no swimming pool or sea or river, thus I need not be worried of her drowning!
Alycia kept reassuring me that her teacher said that “it is VERY, VERY safe to join the trip!”. I am quite certain she cooked up this sentence to try to convince me! She told me that there will be four teachers in each bus. I cannot wait for the day to come and be over with her coming back safely to me.
Would you allow your 10-year old daughter to go if you were me?
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Tough decision, but I totally understand and share your concerns, esp in Malaysia. Pray that all will go well and Alycia will have a fun time with her schoolmates.
It depends to where and how long the journey will take and the route taken. But at 10, I guess it’s safe for the child to go on school excursions. If not 10, it has to be 11, or at least 12!
Just pray she’s safe, get the teacher’s hp if can, or if the school allow, give her a hp to carry on such trips.
Aly have not been on a day-school trip before??? I allowed P to go since he was 4yo n sometimes twice a year. Parents were allowed to go but I never tag before. hmm how come I am not worried?
If it is just a day trip, I would allow… but it also depends on how much confidence I have in the school and the teachers in charge.
Sooner or later we must learn to let go. I know I will struggle with this too because Chloe is my one and only precious child…she’s all that I have!
I dunno if I’ll allow Ethan to go when he is 10 but so far I have yet to allow him to go to any school excursions unless the parents are allowed to accompany them. I don’t trust bus drivers neither..
This is what’s every parents concern too!but,sometimes we hv to let go cos kids growing up each day n they know how to demand very well.
I allowed both my kids to go on the school field trip since they were in K1. They have 2 or 3 field trips each year and the trips was part of their education program.
I allow my kids to join school field trip, because their kinder or daycare is rather small. Lately I only allow my kids to join the daycare holiday field trip as the principal and teachers travel with their own car, moreover they are very responsible and I believe my kids are in the good hand.
My girl has been going for kindy field trips since she was 4. Actually, it didn’t even cross my mind not to allow. I do believe she’s in good hands in her kindy.
Would never compromise that in Malaysia.
Try bringing her to those places with your family. Even when my kid had excursions during his kindergarten days and despite Singapore being a much safer country….my mind could only rest when he is safely back home on that day.
I had the same reaction too when I learnt that my eldest whom same age with Alycia, got to go for a compulsory 2 days 1 night church retreat at the outskirt retreat centre last month. In order for us to contact each other, we let her hold a hand phone, we will sms or call each other whenever she is not in the seminar, so that we could get an update of how and what she is doing. She enjoyed the fellowship.
Can Alycia bring along handphone for the outing? It would ease your worries if she is allowed to..you will be able to in contact with her anytime.
My girl has been going on school field trip since she was 5 yrs old. I totally understand your concern because the current situation in Malaysia.
Hmmmm…. I have allowed my 7 year old to go on school excursions since her kindy days. I guess it depends on how capable her teachers/care-takers have proven themselves to be. In my case, her kindy principal is very hands-on and it’s a family-run kindy so I trusted them.
Thanks friends for your input. We have paid the teacher for the trip. Hoping for a very safe and fun-filled trip for her 🙂