MomsTalk: Surviving the First Field Trips

As our children grow and mature they require more freedom and responsibility.  Having a baby on your hip one moment, and then waving good-bye as they drive off to college seemingly the next can be hard on the parents. 

Kathleen Weil, McLean resident, married with three daughters and a sheltie.

My kindergartner went off on her second field trip just a week ago.  It was slightly easier on me than the first field trip this past fall.

 While it’s not really a major separation or big independent trip overseas (thank goodness!), it was hard to see her off at the bus stop both mornings.  She is my oldest so all these experiences are “firsts” with her.  I was worried about her getting caught up looking at flamingos and getting separated from her group.  I worried about the bus driving out Route 66 and if all the kids would sit in their seats.  I worried if there were enough adults, enough food, enough water.  Enough! I told myself, enough!

I had to talk myself down a bit, and remind myself that this was going to be fun for her.  Her teacher is fabulous. Her friends were with her (and plenty of parent supervision), plus, she loves animals.

 I think it’s normal anxiety to experience as children grow and separate, but it’s really nice that these separations begin small.

 I have a sister who let her teenage daughter go to Eastern Europe with a friend to see family.  That seems unimaginable to me now, but I guess I will grow into that level of encouraging independence too.

 Learning to negotiate and take care of oneself in the world is an important task, and there is no way to get the experience other than by doing it. I loved my independent travels and the feeling of being free to do as I liked in the world.  There was much joy in the sheer act of getting on the plane to see a new place for me.

 I want my children to have that too, so my husband and I will have make sure they get to experience all the steps in between a kindergarten field trip and a trip to Europe with friends,  so they will be competent, responsible and maybe even adventurous adults.