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School trip...need some advise so we wont get stuck at the last minute!

tryingtomakeit's picture

I have tried to disengage, but when Im making most of the money then I feel I need to voice my opinion. My sd is going on a trip for school coming up this summer.

I dont have an issue with her going at all, actually I think children should travel and see how other people live and act and just see other things. But, my husband lost job....he DID find another one, but he is not making what he was, so we have had to really cut and watch spending.

I get on the sd school announcement website every day to see what is going on...if I didnt I would not know what to expect because I, for some reason am the last one to know. Well, the deposit is due for her trip in 4 days and I have yet to hear anything about it from my husband? I will give my sd the benfit of sobut and hopefully she just learned about it today onthe anoouncement sheet too. But, when should i bring it to my husbands attention?

Also, there is a meeting next week about fundraising...if the kids do all the fundraising their asked to do then they only have to take spending money! But, the sd ends up not doing crap....I know this becasue she went on the trip year before last and we ended up having to pay money becasue she didnt want to do some of the fundraising.

Should I just tell my husband, look we cant pay for it...SHE IS GOING TO HAVE TO DO fundraising. I know wht he will say, but i am tired of it...she is treated like a princess and we do not have the $$$$ to be treating anyone like that!

Just need to vent and need some advise!!!

Comments

ThatGirl's picture

I don't see anything wrong with letting her know that if she wants to go, she will need to do the fundraising. Being able to afford it shouldn't really be the issue. Working to meet a goal is a valuable lesson for a child. At the very least, she should make an honest attempt, then maybe you can pickup the rest.

If neither one of them even bothers to bring it up, forget about it. No reason you should rush around at the last minute to scrounge up a deposit for something that is obviously not important enough to them to plan for it.

anyha's picture

She'll enjoy the trip more if she earns the right to go through the fundraising. The only problem i see is that usually the kids who are successful at the fundraising stuff are the ones who's parents basically do it for them. (all those girl scouts don't sell the cookies by themselves.. there's usually a parent standing there with them, or hauling them door to door)

My parents probably would have made me a deal. Ask me to fundraise for at LEAST 50% of the cost. Which means i have to TRY. If i didn't make the entire goal they would cover the last bit but i had to make a % of the goal or i wasn't motivated to go on the trip. You could try that tactic?

In addition, it's your husbands child not yours. So he should be the one who's worrying about the deposit. It isn't your responsibility to check up on the website to see what's going on with her. If she misses the trip she misses it. If they need to use money you earn to pay for it then they can have the decency and good manners to let you know in advance.

Otherwise, i think you set yourself up to be put in this kind of situation repeatedly.

Jsmom's picture

My son likes to do the High Adventure scouting and the cost is outraegous. So I have forced him to do every fundraiser that comes up as a way to defer some of the cost. If this is the only way she can go, just tell her that and stick to it...

hismineandours's picture

I agree that you should tell her she has to earn the money herself. If you dont have the money. I am paying for my dd14's trip to washington dc this year-however my ds12's school trip is paid for. They both fundraised (they were selling the same items)and I added it all together on one form and got ds's trip totally paid for.

Why would your dh think she shouldnt have to fundraise? Does he like paying for things even when eh doesnt have to? Surely not. Tell him you think you can swing the spending money if she fundraises the cost of the trip. You could always offer to take it to your work as well to show that you are more than willing to be part of a team effort-however your sd has to be part of that team as well-as should your dh-maybe he could drive her around and do some door to door stuff.

purpledaisies's picture

I agree with everyone else! I did the same to my own kids why should skids be different? Where is her mom and why is she not paying for some of that trip??