It’s this time of year when many schools including primary take year groups away for a residential trip. For many this outing is the highlight of the year, for some it really isn’t!
For parents of the children who counting down the days with glee to head off on to their adventures the next few days or weeks until the trip will be fraught with trying to calm your kids down. For the others it may well be weeks of negotiation and reassurance that the trip will be ‘just great’.
So how do you cope if there is dread around the school residential? Firstly, you know our child, and no teacher will want for ‘force’ a child along who is nervous or upset at the prospect of being away. So be honest with your school and explain your position, they can help and will have plenty of experience in running these trips so speak to your teacher!
If it is becoming traumatic don’t enforce a trip, this scenario will not end well and may ensure that every future trip is dreaded. In readiness for the next opportunity, try some sleep overs maybe a group weekend away with friends & children the same age. Replace the fear with joyful experiences and hopefully next year your little one will be game.
