Has it become normal to send your 5 yo child

[LibraryLover]

EM-- I have a childhood friend who has lived in Athens for the past 30 years. Her children travel for sports-- they are not 5. ;) never have they left Greece without a parent chaperone. She says she doesn't know anyone who would send a 5 year old off anywhere without a parent chaperone. Her dh is Greek.

[Sahamamama]

I think this is a European question being asked on a board made up of many North Americans. I'm not saying it shouldn't be asked, but there is definitely a cultural divide on this.

 

Then again, all our members in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Oceania, Australia, South America, and the Caribbean have to put up with truly pointless threads like this. :tongue_smilie:I like European questions, and crossing over the cultural divide. :001_smile:

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

Wait, wait, I guess I am not being clear enough.

 

They are European kids, going to another European country. Comparable to the US kids going to another US state, only in Europe the change of those proportions is more drastic (in terms of linguistic diversity).

They are not flying anywhere, the trips are typically organized with a bus, and although they are many hundreds of kilometers away from their parents, the kids are still reachable comparatively quickly if need be.

 

I still don't think I'd send a kid off that young. But--perhaps they have Nanny's going with them? Or perhaps this is just a version of summer camp.

 

I've seen folks send their kids into lots of various activities/child care. I just haven't seen that great a physical separation that young. Family at Club Med using the kids' program yes-being several hours apart, not quite that young. I would have expected it closer to age 10.

[Ester Maria]

But--perhaps they have Nanny's going with them? Or perhaps this is just a version of summer camp.

They go with people they know, with their regular supervisors at kindergarten (I cannot really call them "teachers", where they come from, kindergarten is not school yet), full adult guidance, insurance, everything nicely taken care of. All the kids, presumably, know each other as well since they essentially seem to be from the same kindergarten groups and sports schools for that age. It is not like a parent signing a kid for something random, but a group of kids who know each other and supervisors they know and medical staff going on a ski trip.

 

I still marvel at the AGE though. Those stuff happen at a bit older ages when classmates go as classes together.

[LeslieAnneLevine]

Then again, all our members in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Oceania, Australia, South America, and the Caribbean have to put up with truly pointless threads like this. :tongue_smilie:I like European questions, and crossing over the cultural divide. :001_smile:

:confused:

Sure, but you are going to get different answers here, that's all I'm saying.

[LeslieAnneLevine]

Yep, heer in my trailer park we don't hold with sendin' the kids off to some fancy ski place, we take 'em with us to deer camp!

 

Glad you got my point about you all being bumpkins. Because that's exactly what I meant! :lol:

[LibraryLover]

My friend has spoken of boarding and/or international schools where students do travel to border countries. She says it's not common for very small children to do this, but it is very common for older children to do so.

 

In the US, you might have some young students traveling to border states for field trips, maybe even for skiing. But overnights for 5 year olds in private day schools is not common.

Edited December 9, 2011 by LibraryLover

[Ester Maria]

:confused:

Sure, but you are going to get different answers here, that's all I'm saying.

I appreciated your answer very much, by the way. It is sort of in line with my sentiments - yes, these sort of stuff do begin earlier in general, and school culture is such that children often travel together for such things as classes, etc. (so this is maybe a cultural part that may be hard to get from the American perspective), but I was still a bit shocked at the age.

[simka2]

When I was a child I was sent away every weekend (of the season), by charter bus, to ski school. Looking back I do not know how they managed us. I started in Kindergarten and stopped around 5th grade. ;)

 

I had a blast! :D

 

I do remember one year in Aleyeska they kept me out when I was sick. Eventually, it turned into walking pneumonia and I did not return to that particular school. ;)

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

They go with people they know, with their regular supervisors at kindergarten (I cannot really call them "teachers", where they come from, kindergarten is not school yet), full adult guidance, insurance, everything nicely taken care of. All the kids, presumably, know each other as well since they essentially seem to be from the same kindergarten groups and sports schools for that age. It is not like a parent signing a kid for something random, but a group of kids who know each other and supervisors they know and medical staff going on a ski trip.

 

I still marvel at the AGE though. Those stuff happen at a bit older ages when classmates go as classes together.

 

I will say that it is a brave person willing to take a class of 5yos on a week long ski trip. :D

 

I don't think I'd do it at that age but I'd be willing to bet I know some folks IRL who would under those conditions. I'm also willing to bet that some of those who are trying to raise world class athletes might consider it acceptable.

 

FWIW-I think the no phone calls part is so that the kids don't remember to be homesick. Some kids are just fine until they hear/see mom or dad. That stays true even when they are older.

[StephanieZ]

I guess it sounds like a fancy summer camp . . . but at a ski resort. ;)

 

I wouldn't send any kid to a sleep away camp at those ages. I'm not a fan at all, but certainly not that young.

 

My mom sent me to all sorts of expensive camps and trips, but I pretty much hated them. I can't see spending all that $$ to make my kid miserably homesick, etc.

 

But, that said, I don't see it as any worse than a fancy summer camp. Expensive babysitting, and a poor substitute for family time.

[LibraryLover]

I would love to read the school handouts and guidelines for these trips! Please post! Translation is not an issue! I think it would be fun! I'd love to know how they handle nightmares, bedtime etc.

 

They go with people they know, with their regular supervisors at kindergarten (I cannot really call them "teachers", where they come from, kindergarten is not school yet), full adult guidance, insurance, everything nicely taken care of. All the kids, presumably, know each other as well since they essentially seem to be from the same kindergarten groups and sports schools for that age. It is not like a parent signing a kid for something random, but a group of kids who know each other and supervisors they know and medical staff going on a ski trip.

 

I still marvel at the AGE though. Those stuff happen at a bit older ages when classmates go as classes together.

[mommaduck]

Yep, heer in my trailer park we don't hold with sendin' the kids off to some fancy ski place, we take 'em with us to deer camp!

:lol: All my kin would agree with ya!