Spending millions on picnics for their children, many parents still stay up all night worrying

At the end of each semester, Ms. Nguyen Anh (Thanh Tri, Hanoi, whose son is in 11th grade) receives notices from the school about organizing field trips and picnics. Unlike previous years, this year, she and many other parents decided to fill in the "disagree" box for their children to participate in the picnic. The reason is because of safety concerns.

She said that it is difficult to ensure safety for 1-2 teachers to manage 30-40 students. “My husband and I are quite busy with work, so we cannot go on picnics with our children. Moreover, our children are at an age of curiosity, and without their parents watching closely, I am only worried that things will happen beyond our control. That is why this year I will not let my children participate in class picnics ,” she said.

The cost of each field trip, which ranges from 1 to 1.5 million VND depending on the location, is not an issue that she considers the safety of her children. She said that once her child went on a 2-day, 1-night trip, and at 10 p.m. that night, she called him many times but he did not pick up the phone, so she was restless. More than 30 minutes later, her son borrowed the phone to tell his mother that he had dropped the phone and lost connection, and she felt relieved. But that night, she stayed up almost all night because of worry and anxiety.

Many parents believe that it is better to be strict with their children's safety than to regret it later. (Illustration: Shutterstock)

Ms. My (Ha Dong, Hanoi) was also shocked when her 5-year-old son got lost during a trip to the zoo with his kindergarten class. Luckily, the teacher found him while he was busy arranging leaves nearby. After the incident, Ms. My refused to let her son join the picnic.

With hyperactive children, when they visit, they are more curious and want to explore everything on their own. Therefore, if they are just a little bit negligent, they will be "out of breath" searching. She sympathizes with the teachers because there are too many students, so it is difficult to keep an eye on them constantly. "Prevention is better than cure, when something happens, it will be too late to regret. Not to mention that every time my child comes home, he gets sick and has to miss school," she said.

To compensate for the lack of an environment for her children to play, on weekends, her family spends 1-2 million VND to go camping in the suburbs of Hanoi. She believes that this is also a useful activity for her children to explore and connect with nature.

Meanwhile, many parents expect schools to regularly organize field trips so that their children can have interesting experiences with their friends. With two children studying at a private school in Gia Lam, Hanoi, every year Ms. Huong spends millions for her children to participate in field trips with the school and class. During such trips, the children always follow the regulations set by the school, such as wearing uniforms, not leaving the common area without permission... to ensure safety.

Parents can register to join the trip, and communication between parents and teachers is also very frequent. Each class consists of about 30 students, with 2 teachers and a tour guide. Activities and schedules are planned in detail, and the safety of students is guaranteed to the maximum.

Ms. Huong strongly supports this activity, because this is a rare opportunity for her children to bond with their friends. Her two children are also very excited to experience it with their friends.

Ms. Nga (Nam Tu Liem, Hanoi) always encourages her children to participate in outdoor activities organized by the school and class. The school will give students a detailed plan, and parents must sign and agree before their children can go. In this plan, parents must fill in their opinions and information about food allergies or health conditions that need attention.

Many parents spend millions of dong to send their children on picnics. (Illustration: Shutterstock)

Each trip usually costs from 500,000 to 1 million VND, depending on time and location. Because parents think this is a reasonable price. According to Ms. Nga, parents should not overprotect their children in a safe zone, do not turn their children into "obedient machines". Breaking out of the world of books, children will have more valuable experiences to grow up.

"When going out with friends, my child can discover another side of himself. He is active, comfortable and knows how to behave properly in a group. I did not have too many expectations that he would grow up, but the results surprised me quite a bit. He often confided in me about new things or stories from that trip ," she said.

Although she agrees with the field trips, Ms. Nga believes that schools need to organize them more professionally. For those units that do not have experience, teachers can hire a travel agency to organize them. Student management should also be flexible, not letting one teacher take charge of too many students, leading to overload and unwanted incidents.

Thi Thi

Useful
Emotion
Creative
Unique

Source: https://vtc.vn/chi-tien-trieu-cho-con-di-da-ngoai-nhieu-phu-huynh-van-trang-dem-vi-lo-ar784661.html