Overnight school field trip vent

[momrek06]

ITA. I went on field trips when I was in school and I didn't have a cell phone. We actually got stranded in a snowstorm (the bus broke down). I'm still alive and my parents did not have a heart attack.

OT

Ahh..my DS was a freshmen in h.s. would have been around 2000. There was a HUGE snowstorm in Ma and school was getting dismissed as I heard it on the News. DS went to a h.s. an hour away. I went to the usual pick up spot and sat there while it snowed and snowed and snowed. Finally, like 3 hours later the school bus is coming down the road.

DS jumps off and jumped into my car. He tells me that only one kid had a cell phone on the bus and that it was so big and ugly, he said he wanted nothing to do with it....even though all the other kids on the bus were borrowing it to call their parents. (DS was such a brat).

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

No. I don't call my husband when I land to tell him I landed safely. I might call home once a day to say hi when I'm on a trip. I didn't buy my first cell phone until a couple of years ago. I don't expect a call when my husband lands or arrives at his destination either.

No one is saying YOU HAVE TO CALL YOUR HUSBAND, nor that he has to call you. But if YOU SAID YOU'D CALL, or HE SAID HE'D CALL, and didn't, that's rude. But that would be an issue between you and your husband. This is an issue of an organization taking a child on a trip, SAYING THEY WOULD CALL WHEN THEY GOT THERE, and NOT calling.

My older son went to Boston in 7th grade (Friday to Sunday)--before he had a cell phone. I didn't hear from him or any chaperones the entire time.

But they SAID they'd call you and they didn't? If that's not the case, then that has nothing to do with this. My kids have done the same...gone away, and there was no plan for phone calls, so I didn't expect it. When they SAID they were going to call, I expected a phone call.

And I was only half joking about kids being on their own. I have a 14 year old. It's only four more years until he's off to college. And I don't expect him to call me every night to check in either.

I don't expect, nor do I receive, any regular phone calls from my DD at college. However, if she SAYS she's going to call for a particular reason, I'd expect her to call.

But if you were that worried why not call the hotel like someone said before?

She could have done that, and she did receive the phone call from her son. The point it...not getting a call from the school WHEN they said they'd call.

Also now that you know the school works like that then don't have your children go on any more trips.
Don't ruin the fun for the other kids because some parents are neurotic.

So what does she now know about how the school works?? Or that expecting a school to do what they said is somehow ruining the fun for the other kids? That's just too .

 

[sassyat30]

I guess I don't see what the OP is so upset about?

Her son called her when they got there.

I don't feel it's the school's responsibility to let every single parent know they arrived okay.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

I guess I don't see what the OP is so upset about?

Her son called her when they got there.

I don't feel it's the school's responsibility to let every single parent know they arrived okay.

OMG, I'm literally now. It IS the school's responsibility IF THE SCHOOL SAYS THAT THEY HAVE TAKEN ON THAT RESPONSIBILITY. The school SAID that they would call. The OP is not arbitrarily getting "so upset" because SHE decided they should have called...the SCHOOL said they'd call.

Insert Twilight Zone music here.

 

[PatsGirl]

Exactly! Her son called her when he arrived. ONE HOUR LATER THAN EXPECTED! If I got my panties in a bunch everytime someone didn't follow through well, well you really don't want to know

I might have been upset with no phone call at all (assuming I was expecting one, refer back to my first post on this thread) but if that was the case, I'd pick up the phone and call the hotel. Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'd get that info before he left but DS has neglected to inform me of pretty important details a few times with re to school/camp/sports trips and both he and I have survived the fallout.

 

[mickeyboat]

OMG, I'm literally now. It IS the school's responsibility IF THE SCHOOL SAYS THAT THEY HAVE TAKEN ON THAT RESPONSIBILITY. The school SAID that they would call. The OP is not arbitrarily getting "so upset" because SHE decided they should have called...the SCHOOL said they'd call.

Insert Twilight Zone music here.

Can't....go....on....

Denae

 

[kimmikayb]

If the school told me, a parent, they would call when arriving at their destination....I would expect that call. I am not a over protective mother, but when someone says they are going to call, they should. Had I not heard from my child, I would have been worried all night.

Of course, 99.99% of my DD14's class have their own cell phones too.

Oh and in our family...we always call when we arrive somewhere. I do it, my kids do it, my DH does it and my parents do it. We all travel quite a bit. It's an easy piece of mind. I can't imagine traveling and not checking in with my family.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

If I got my panties in a bunch everytime someone didn't follow through well, well you really don't want to know

I haven't checked, but I'm thinking the OP's panties are just fine. She posted about something that she thought was handled wrong, just like a thousand of others here. Why people feel the need to elevate that to someone getting their "panties in a wad", .

The OP wasn't complaining that they got there ONE HOUR LATE. She was complaining (replay broken record) because the school didn't call as they said they would.

OMG...my DS just called...JUST LIKE HE SAID HE WOULD. How neurotic.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

OMG, I'm literally now. It IS the school's responsibility IF THE SCHOOL SAYS THAT THEY HAVE TAKEN ON THAT RESPONSIBILITY. The school SAID that they would call. The OP is not arbitrarily getting "so upset" because SHE decided they should have called...the SCHOOL said they'd call.

Insert Twilight Zone music here.

So am I because I can't believe anyone would get that upset over not receiving a phone call at the time they said they would.
Stuff happens, they DID call!
Sorry they don't have a crystal ball to see what time they were getting in and getting the kids to their rooms.

I would have been happier knowing they got the kids settled in their room and to bed a decent hour knowing they'll have a long day today.

 

[dcgrumpy]

Maybe they feel it wasn't necessary to call right away since the kids could use their own cellphones to call home.

it's not like you were sitting up worrying about your son. He called you himself and told you he arrived safely.

 

[mickeyboat]

So am I because I can't believe anyone would get that upset over not receiving a phone call at the time they said they would.
Stuff happens, they DID call!
Sorry they don't have a crystal ball to see what time they were getting in and getting the kids to their rooms.

I would have been happier knowing they got the kids settled in their room and to bed a decent hour knowing they'll have a long day today.

I see it much differently I guess. Yes they did call, but not when they said they would. I would expect a reasonable amount of delay from their expected arrival time. But they said they would call when they arrived - not whenever they felt like it after they arrived.

It only took one person to call the automated phone system. The rest could be getting the kids into their rooms. And it's not like they were tucking them all in or anything.

Personally, I think they forgot, and used the tmie of arrival as an excuse as to why they didn't call.

Denae

 

[mickeyboat]

Maybe they feel it wasn't necessary to call right away since the kids could use their own cellphones to call home.

Then why did they say they would call in the first place?

 

[CathrynRose]

Insert Twilight Zone music here.

No kidding.

OMG...my DS just called...JUST LIKE HE SAID HE WOULD. How neurotic.

I bet you feel like this, now....dont you?

 

[helenabear]

I admit, I'd be very upset if I got a call at 11:30 or midnight stating they got there safely. If I woke up in the middle of the night and wondered, I could easily call the hotel and find out. I guess I find it okay that they waited until a sane and reasonable hour to call.

 

[dcgrumpy]

Then why did they say they would call in the first place?

I don't know, maybe they really did think 11:30 was too late.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

heck

my kid went on one of those weekend retreats -

cell phones were packed away and not allowed out and nobody from the school bothered to call us for the whole 2 days.

And somehow, I thought that was ok. I trusted the adults they were with to handle any emergency and I just assumed no news meant everything was fine.

 

[momrek06]

I did allot of parent volunteering back when the DS' were in school. Whoever was responsible for the field trip held parent meetings monthly up until the actual field trip. There is always good intentions when the school says they will call at a certain time or arrive at a location at a certain time BUT that being said they also said that we cannot always promise everything we say. We hope everything will go as planned and if it does not please be advised that we will do everything in our power to make sure there are explanations.

And in THIS case they were delayed in arriving at their location...hence making the calls home delayed.

I am wondering if the OP has had a chance to chat with any of the other parents...are they upset?

OP, despite this incident, I hope your DS has a blast in DC on his field trip. :

 

[va32h]

OMG, I'm literally now. It IS the school's responsibility IF THE SCHOOL SAYS THAT THEY HAVE TAKEN ON THAT RESPONSIBILITY. The school SAID that they would call. The OP is not arbitrarily getting "so upset" because SHE decided they should have called...the SCHOOL said they'd call.

Insert Twilight Zone music here.

Maybe the school KNEW the son had ALREADY called his mother and therefore KNEW that his mother KNEW he had arrived safely and thus there was no NEED to call AGAIN.

Although of course "the school" being a building, didn't know anything. Perhaps the teachers chaperoning the trip realized that the kids had called their parents or that the parents had called the kids.

Either way - the kid arrived safely so I'd just get over it.

 

[Bichon Barb]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bichon Barb
No. I don't call my husband when I land to tell him I landed safely. I might call home once a day to say hi when I'm on a trip. I didn't buy my first cell phone until a couple of years ago. I don't expect a call when my husband lands or arrives at his destination either.

No one is saying YOU HAVE TO CALL YOUR HUSBAND, nor that he has to call you. But if YOU SAID YOU'D CALL, or HE SAID HE'D CALL, and didn't, that's rude. But that would be an issue between you and your husband. This is an issue of an organization taking a child on a trip, SAYING THEY WOULD CALL WHEN THEY GOT THERE, and NOT calling.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bichon Barb
My older son went to Boston in 7th grade (Friday to Sunday)--before he had a cell phone. I didn't hear from him or any chaperones the entire time.

But they SAID they'd call you and they didn't? If that's not the case, then that has nothing to do with this. My kids have done the same...gone away, and there was no plan for phone calls, so I didn't expect it. When they SAID they were going to call, I expected a phone call.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bichon Barb
And I was only half joking about kids being on their own. I have a 14 year old. It's only four more years until he's off to college. And I don't expect him to call me every night to check in either.

I don't expect, nor do I receive, any regular phone calls from my DD at college. However, if she SAYS she's going to call for a particular reason, I'd expect her to call.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MUFFYCAT
But if you were that worried why not call the hotel like someone said before?

She could have done that, and she did receive the phone call from her son. The point it...not getting a call from the school WHEN they said they'd call.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MUFFYCAT
Also now that you know the school works like that then don't have your children go on any more trips.
Don't ruin the fun for the other kids because some parents are neurotic.

So what does she now know about how the school works?? Or that expecting a school to do what they said is somehow ruining the fun for the other kids? That's just too .

Wow! That must have been a lot of work. I like the emphasis you put in. Shows a lot of passion.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Maybe the school KNEW the son had ALREADY called his mother and therefore KNEW that his mother KNEW he had arrived safely and thus there was no NEED to call AGAIN.

Although of course "the school" being a building, didn't know anything. Perhaps the teachers chaperoning the trip realized that the kids had called their parents or that the parents had called the kids.

Either way - the kid arrived safely so I'd just get over it.

Well, if the "school" knew that the son ALREADY called his mother and therefore KNEW that HIS mother KNEW he had arrived safely and thus there was no NEED to call AGAIN , did they ask EVERY child if they had called their mothers and therefore then PROGRAMMED the automated system that actually MADE the phone call to only call the ones who DIDN'T call their mothers?

Who says the OP isn't over it?

Wow! That must have been a lot of work. I like the emphasis you put in. Shows a lot of passion.

Not much work, really. Let me know if you need any help. Actually, I'm sitting here waiting for a Dr's office to call back ; said at 10:30 they'd call as soon as he was done with the patient he was with. Eh ...what's the big deal...mom (85) can wait another day or two or whatever to find out the irregularities on her CT scan. She's old...it's not like she's going to live forever, right? Now...do I EXPECT a Dr's office to call me right back? I always knew MY doctor made phone calls well after office hours, and I expected that. But, this Dr's office (or actually, we all know offices can't REALLY make phone calls, so it was "the girl") said "he's with a patient...he'll call you back as soon as he's done." So...silly me...I expected him to follow through.