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Would you let your 4 yr old


Chiflata2003 wrote: go on a field trip to a zoo that is roughly an hour away? My dd goes to a school just for pre-k. They have 3 yr old classes and 4 yr old classes. Since there are so many students they go half day, but on this field trip all the 4 yr old classes are going. That means there are roughly 25-30 kids per teacher. They do have one aide with each teacher that is it. Parents aren't allowed to go with them.

I talked to my dh about this and he says not to let her go, but I don't know. I don't like the idea of her being on the bus in the first place, going an hour away with a nice size class where it would be easy not to notice when someone is missing doesn't sound good either. But the teacher has already made the remark about not babying her so I just don't know what to do.

What do you think?

Boys r us replied: Uhm..that seems so weird that they wouldn't WANT more help from parents!
My son is in kindergarten and they have 19 students in his class and 1 teacher and 1 aide and when we go on field trips, notice I said WE, they beg for parental participation! Usually each parent gets assigned 2 or 3 kids for the trip! Anyways, given the conditions in which you described, no..I would not!

My3LilMonkeys replied: Personally, no. I personally would have no issue with her riding the bus or going that far away - it's the ratio of kids to adults that I don't like. For a group of 25-30 4 year olds in an open outdoor setting like a zoo I would want them to have at least 6 adults but 10 would be even better.

BAC'sMom replied: Nope

I have gone on all the field trips when my children were that young. I would drive my on car and follow the bus, that’s what I do. They certainly can’t tell you that you can’t go to a public place. tongue.gif

Kaitlin'smom replied: in your senerio no I would not. Now if parents could go most deffinalty she would go and I would also. any idea why they wont let parents go?

Boo&BugsMom replied: I don't understand why parents can't go with! That doesn't make sense. Are you sure that is what they said or meant? Or did they say they have no more room on the bus for parent chaperones? That would be my deciding factor. If they had enough chaperones, I'd be fine with it. The bus, distance, and field trip factors alone..yes I think that would be babying a little if you held her back...but the fact that they wont "let" parents go, that would make me want to keep her behind. Having a mass amount of children that young (not so much the 4's, but the 3's) with so little help in a large place would not sit right with me.

My2Beauties replied:
Ditto.

coasterqueen replied:
Exactly what I was thinking. I also think it's weird the school does not want parents to help. Our school is always begging parents to help, although they really don't have to beg most of the parents do help on field trips.

mommy~to~a~bunch replied: No, I wouldn't. And that is really odd that parents aren't allowed with. I can see if there's no more room, but that's a lot of active kids for 2 people to look after.

lisar replied: I wouldnt let mine go if the parents couldnt go.

A&A'smommy replied: no I wouldn't let my 4 year old go and NOT just because of the lack of help (although that is a BIG issue) but I wouldnt let mine go because she is still small enough that she needs to be in a booster seat!!

mckayleesmom replied: Nope

mckayleesmom replied: I take that back....I would say no to the school....and just take her myself on the same day as the school.

Crystalina replied: Any field trip Izabella takes I go (unless she's only going a few blocks from her school). I would never let her go that far away without me. I'm a paranoid mama. If I couldn't go then she wouldn't. I know how hard it is to watch my two at the zoo. So many people everywhere. I would not trust someone else to watch my child in an overly populated environment like that and especially not if they have so many other kids to look after.

danahas4monkeys replied: No thats too many kids per adult! My dd is also doing a zoo trip the end of this month she is in K I am going as a chaperone and we are each responsible for 2-3 kids MAX, they are really strict on who is allowed to go and they have to be approved by the school board first.

Celestrina replied:
ITA - It would just be too difficult for so few adults to keep track of all those kids.

MommyToAshley replied: I would say no also, it would be too easy for one of the kids to get distracted and lost. I find it very odd that the school didn't ask for parents to help. I also find her comment about you babying her to be a bit odd -- she's ONLY 4! I go on every field trip -- they can say I baby her, I am paranoid, it wouldn't matter to me.

Teesa®© replied: Here in Canad-eh, there's a Law that states there HAS to be ONE adult for every FIVE children for a field trip. This is up to the age of 12.

I would assume due to money, that the school wouldn't be able to afford the parents going, but I would ask about going on my own and paying my own way. If they tell me no, then my child is definitely NOT GOING and I would be talking to as many other parents as I could. Heck, I'd probably just show up anyway, it's not like they can stop me, LOL!

Our school is really good and the classes here are only 20 children maximum per class. If there's more students, then they do a split class with 2 grades or hire another teacher if needed. Every teacher has an aide - some are high school students doing it for extra credit - so not many parents are ever needed for trips. We have waiting lists for parents so we don't fight and argue over who goes, lol.

Chiflata2003 replied:
It says on the permission slip that no parent was allowed to ride the bus or to meet them at the zoo since it will be a rushed visit because of the distance and then the time they have in the first place.

Chiflata2003 replied: It's not that I baby her in a certain way. Dd is special needs, she is talking a lot more and now can tell you her name when you ask her, but she cannot tell someone that she is lost and what our number and address is. Plus she's little bitty so she doesnt even fit the bus requirements to ride anyway.

Chiflata2003 replied:
I was thinking about doing that as well...they cant say anything if I am paying for us to go on our own. biggrin.gif

Kaitlin'smom replied:
well that seems like a waist then, why drive an hour to 'rush' 4 yr olds then an hour back. I dont think they thought this though

Calimama replied: No, that's ridiculous IMO.


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