Travel

[Big Joanie]

How do the parents of the other children in the group feel ??

Are the parents paying for the trip ?  Plus the cost of a passport ....

Seems like a huge responsibility for a school to take a group

of kids this young ....

[ScrapHappy]

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@gizmogal wrote:

The way to help her grow up is for you to let go and for her to have new experiences. If it was my daughter, even a “young” 14 with extra sweetness and less coolness, I’d be scared, but I’d say yes. 

She’ll be chaperoned and guided by teachers or other traveling adults;  the security personnel are there because they are safety professionals. Teachers teach and control children’s behavior and decorum, security folks do the protecting, vetting and escorting. That sounds ideal, not frightening.

Costa Rica is lovely and civilized, and very friendly to Americans. One way to grow up and find your way to being independent, sophisticated, and flexible is to travel with supervision, experience the necessity to look after your belongings and keep to a schedule, stay with the group, make good choices. Your daughter will gain confidence and feel excited and special, no matter how much or little her Spanish improves. All good!

Say yes; start giving her practice with opportunities to make more decisions and to learn to resist peer pressures in case there are kids being silly on the trip.  Share research with her on the culture and facts about Costa Rica, and let her know that you have confidence in her. Your goal is to have a strong, capable, adult woman when your parenting influence wanes in just a few years. It doesn’t happen without practice. 

Examine honestly whether your hesitation to give permission is your concern for her being able to handle it or your fear of letting her grow up from a young 14 to a more competent and confident 14 out of your presence.  

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She has been on 2 class trips that were for 3 days.  One in 5th grade and last year.  But these were both in state.  I felt comfortable about sending her.  A little hesitant on the second trip last year only because she was just getting over a bad episode of asthma.  I told her to check in with me, and she did.  There is an upcoming Savannah trip in November for a couple of days and will be letting her go.  I can say very honestly my hesitation isn't that I fear her growing up.  I know she is growing up and I'm trying to prepare her and we've been actively working on that all summer.  My hesitation is very much being out of the country and all that is associated with that.

[ScrapHappy]

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@FancyPhillyshopper wrote:

I think the opportunity to travel and practice another language is wonderful for a child in a language class BUT...

An eighth grader is still rather young for an international experience like that. Most trips are for high school juniors or older when they can really put the language into practice and see how different cultures live.

Has she ever been out of the country before?

How strong is her Spanish?  

How long is the trip (e.g., is it just a one week tourist experience or will they have a real learning opportunity in the country?)

Will the trip price be overly inflated to pay for security guards (?!!) and the teachers who accompany them? You should carefully compare the proposed prices with current tour company costs.

There are many, many places in the U.S. where you can take your daughter to practice some Spanish if she is still a beginner (Viva Miami!).  Or, you could plan a nice tourist trip to Costa Rica as a family.

Full disclosure--I traveled to Central America when I was 16 to stay for 3 months to practice Spanish, but I was with extended family.  The experience was incredibly culturally enriching, but just going with a bunch of schoolmates on a short tourist trip would have had no major impact on improving my language skills.

I agree, 8th grade seems a bit young.  Her Spanish is not strong.  She is doing better at understanding it (receptive) but her expressive part of it is lacking.  She's been worried about her speech when it comes to Spanish since the first day of school.  Her teacher expects everything in class to be written and spoken in Spanish.  My daughter was born very premature and has had speech issues and in speech therapy.  It's very hard for her to speak it.  She's only been out of the country once, on a cruise with family. 

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[ScrapHappy]

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@Big Joanie wrote:

How do the parents of the other children in the group feel ??

Are the parents paying for the trip ?  Plus the cost of a passport ....

Seems like a huge responsibility for a school to take a group

of kids this young ....

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I plan on talking to some of the other parents and get their take on it.

[Nuttmeg]

@ScrapHappy I have been to many countries in this area. The country is beautiful,but not safe. I would say No!!. Please read the travel.advisory issued by our state department.

[patbz]

One issue about Costa Rica in particular:  they have HUGE crocodiles, so even going with a group, that's something else to be very diligent about!

[Big Joanie]

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@ScrapHappy wrote:

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@Big Joanie wrote:

How do the parents of the other children in the group feel ??

Are the parents paying for the trip ?  Plus the cost of a passport ....

Seems like a huge responsibility for a school to take a group

of kids this young ....

---

I plan on talking to some of the other parents and get their take on it.

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I wish I had more words of wisdom for you .... My children are 49 and 45 and

when they are traveling I still worry... that's being a Mother I guess .....

Good Luck .....

[JudyL]

Yes absolutely!  Nothing like travel to expand our views on the world and other people.  Great experience.  

[wishmoon]

Would it be possible for you to hire a tutor for her to help her w/her Spainish, making her look forward to the trip and enabling her confidence? Since she was born so early, perhaps taking little steps like this will help her. Good luck in whatever you decide.

[reiki604]

Given that there are International cautions about visiting the US, Costaa Rica is probably safer than staying home. You can only helicopter for so long before she starts rtesenting you for it.