All parents know how great school trips can be for their kids, with even just the gleeful grins on their faces as they hop onto that coach enough reason for most parents to sign consent forms without question. As they reach secondary school age, though, most kids will bring home at least a form or two for an overnight or even longer trip which is unlike anything they’ve been on before. For obvious reasons, this can leave parents in two minds, especially if their child has spent little time away from home up to now.
In reality, though, trips like these offer even more potential for experience and education than a day trip ever could. We’re going to prove as much by considering the following three reasons why you might want to sign that long-haul consent form the next time one comes around.
# 1 – A safer way to provide independence
Above all, a long-haul trip that sees your child spending even just one night away from home under the supervision of trusted teachers can be a great yet safe way to start offering independence. After all, while you won’t have any real reason to worry, your child will likely feel like you’ve finally let their reins loose, and the chances are that they’ll rise to the occasion. Even with something as simple as letting them pack their bags, you can therefore guarantee that this seemingly small trip could become a pretty big life lesson for your child to benefit from.
# 2 – A new way to view their friendships
When friendships are limited to the classroom and playground, it’s all too easy for children not to truly consider one another. By comparison, an overnight stay that requires things like room sharing, or even more extreme examples of teamwork like those offered by the adventure holidays from PGL can really help your child/teen to start considering those around them. This is crucial for the development of empathy and team skills which, before you know it, they’re going to need to securre that dream job..
# 3 – A unique opportunity to learn
Allowing your kids to head abroad or visit historical sites alongside teachers who are specifically trained in these topics also provides a unique learning opportunity that no child should miss. After all, unlike heading for an overnight stay with the family, this more informed insight brings all the benefits of, say, a guided tour, but delivered uniquely for your child’s class by someone who understands exactly how your youngster learns best. In other words, a trip like this could become a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn something that they’re not likely to forget in a hurry.
It’s understandably daunting letting your child loose on a trip that sees them staying away from home, but schools wouldn’t offer these opportunities if they weren’t worthwhile. So, instead of setting that consent form to the side without question, consider these reasons why you might be better off simply signing on the dotted line.
CastlesandTurrets 