Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy DS MUST go on field trip

This sounds so much like what schools are trying to tell us about our kids who understand more and want more and they get to hear "tough life, you don't always get what you want, so get used to it, learn to sit, wait and listen". Isn't that what most of us fight against on a daily basis on behalf of our children?

I agree. People tend to like to bash schools on here. I think someone said earlier but my guess is they didn't want to leave a teacher behind just for one kid but they didn't want to give that as their reason.

I never heard that sit wait and listen before but maybe that's me. I guess I must be the only one that lives in an area where schools are good. My comment really had nothing to do with schools.

I also don't see it as a red flag at all. It could be any of the reasons mentioned above. I'd also consider that they might want him to attend because the field trip is directly related to seething that is currently being studied in class. Maybe our schools are different than elsewhere, but the vast majority of my kids' field trips are either related to current classroom studies (most field trips), classroom community building (typically only at beginning or end of the school year), or arts appreciation or traveling special exhibit in town. The third things on my list are the only trips is really consider optional - and I would still send my kids because I think they are worthwhile and they (here) are usually free or much lower cost than to the general public.

Have you asked the school yet why it's mandatory?

polarbear

The OP said, DS7 has already been to this place enough, so doesn't feel like going again just now, and besides they were planning to homschool all day that day, so going on a redundant field trip would just be a disruption.

In other words it's just a common sense decision.

I agree with this, and I'll post an article that I think I've posted here before, but is relevant to this discussion: How to Teach a Child to Argue

My ds 11 has always liked to go on field trips.
If he said he didn't want to go I would wonder why and hear him out.
I can't imagine never asking him for input, even at 7 I wanted him to be part of the conversation.

It is the parent's decision, and they can decide after hearing the reasons to go or not. OP's DS7 has already given reasons he needn't go (already been there, wants to school all day at home that day). Nobody else has given any reasons why he should go, so ...

Are you serious? That is crazy. Here it would take a lot more than that (like 6 months non attendance) to get a truancy case taken though if my child were late to school every day the school social worker might get involved.

The only other thing I can think of is that they think you are deliberately preventing your child from attending when he wants to go because you don't want him exposed to things without you being there to control what he sees/does.

I wouldn't ask ds7's opinion on a field trip but I would listen if he expressed an opinion.

You don't always get what you want in life but I'm not sure you need to spend your childhood preparing for this. I'm assuming he gets a little practice anyway as most people insist of some diet and sleep limitations. Besides if life isn't fair you should work to make it fair not shrug your shoulders and hope you are always on the right side of the unfairness.

I know kids who habitually missed 30+ days of school each year, and no truancy case was generated, despite this wording in the law:

"A student shall be considered habitually absent or habitually tardy when either condition continues to exist after all reasonable efforts by any school personnel, truancy officer, or other law enforcement personnel have failed to correct the condition after the fifth unexcused absence or fifth unexcused occurrence of being tardy within any school semester."

Policy and practice don't often match.