Parent Helpers On School Trips

[Guest]

Anyone else suffer from " helpers " who go to wait on their child and tend to be blind to the needs of other children in the group? Any tips greatly appreciated.

[Guest]

Sounds familiar!

No advice really but we tend to choose our parents very carefully to help, and if it does happen they don't get chosen again. (Sounds harsh but we usually have lots of parents willing to help), quite often we put parents in a different group to their child and always give parents and children a briefing of what is expected of them before we go.

[Guest]

Hi I always provide parent helpers with a sheet outlining what I would like them to get out of the trip with their group ie objectives of day, sorts of questions they could ask etc and also talk them through things like counting the children and making sure they always have their group, that they toilet them frequently etc. One thing you could do when you are putting the children in their group with the parent is to say to the children in earshot of the parents something like 'this is Mrs... she is looking after all of you today and she will make sure that you all have your coats on,help you to the toilet and although she is .....'s mummy she will be helping all of you to have a lovely time'

 

The other option of course is to make it a rule that everyone who helps on a trip doesn't get to be with thir own child in a group (my children's school does that! even reader helpers have to be with a class other than their own child) what it does mean is that they only get parent helpers who geuninely want to help not just assist their own child.

[Guest]

think this situation has arisen due to blurring of roles - have had a number of events this year where parents have been invited to spend time informally working alongside thier children to see and promote the learning first hand - the shift to helper hasn't been well enough signalled by me I think!

[Guest lou73]

I do what busybeedebs suggests and it works for us