When it comes to your children going on school trips, you, of course, want them to have fun but you also have concerns about other aspects of the trip as well. As soon as they come home from school with that form for you to sign, your brain automatically shifts gears and goes right into “how much?” “when are you going?” and “where is it?” It’s perfectly normal for parents to have these questions and concerns because they’re deeply rooted in safety, security, and spending.
Your concern might be annoying to your teen but that’s because they don’t understand what it’s like to be a parent… They thought your concern was unnecessary when preparing them to drive so they’re definitely not going to find reason in you being concerned about a school trip. They think that because it’s a school trip, there aren’t any safety concerns but the reality is that there are plenty of reasons for parents to be concerned.
Although you may have concerns about school trips, it’s important that your teen goes to a few when they come available. According to livestron.com, school trips are important for kids at any age because they expose your kids to different ways to learn. If you have a teenager getting ready for a school trip, here are th top 3 questions you need to be asking before signing any type of paperwork for them to go. Asking these five questions will definitely give you peace of mind.
1. How are You Getting There?
The type of transportation that will be used for this trip is very important to know and it’s also dependent upon what type of trip the students will be going on. Some school trips are overnight trips and will require suitcases. So trips like that would require a charter bus but trips that aren’t overnight, students can ride comfortably in school bus rentals.
If you knew that your child would be riding in a school bus, that would at least make you feel a little bit better about the trip because kids ride buses to school anyway so it wouldn’t be anything that they’re not used to and anything that you’re not used to; and even if you’re teen doesn’t ride the bus to school everyday, you at least know that they’re in a safe vehicle.
2. What Will You Be Doing During This Trip?
Some school trips are used as rewards to students for good grades, winning first place in a contest, or for simply being a senior in high school but regardless of the reason for the trip, as a parent, you’re going to want to know what exactly will be going on during the trip, right? Of course. So this is when you start asking questions.
Your questions are valid in this case. It’s not necessarily the location of the trip or even the focus that matters but the activities that are planned need to be laid out in the form the kids bring home to their parents to sign. Some trips have a recreational focus while others might have an educational focus. Here are some examples of recreational trips and eductional trips:
- Beach- recreational trip
- Museum- educational trip
- Bowling Alley- recreational trip
- College Game- recreational/educational trip
- Zoos- educational/recreational trip
There are several other types of school trips your children can go on but there’s nothing wrong with wanting to know what your kids will be doing during the trip… you just never know, sometimes kids don’t always tell the truth, so to really be “in-the-know” about your teen’s school trip, sometimes you have to dig a little deeper.
3. Who Will be On the Trip?
This is one of the most important questions you need to ask. When it comes to school trips, there should at least be two very important people on the the trip: the person in charge of the trip and the chaperone.
The Person in Charge
The person in charge of the trip is who will be able to answer questions like:
- How long of a drive is it?
- Will there be chaperones? If so, how many?
- What time does the trip start and when will everyone be heading back?
The person in charge will be able to answer any logistics about the trip, especially if this trip is an overnight type of trip. They will be the one who plans all the safety measures to ensure parents know their child is safe.
The Chaperone
The chaperone is the other individual that you should know about. Majority of the times, when the school trip is with a large group, there is more than just one chaperone but there should at least be one. The chaperone is the person checks to makes sure everyone is accounted for during the trip, making sure that everyone who attends the trip also makes it back home. As a chaperone, they will also be monitoring the kids to make sure they are behaving appropriately according to the trip guidelines. The chaperone is your informant as to how your teen behaves during the trip.
