This evening, I attended my son’s primary school for an information meeting about his forthcoming Y5/6 residential trip to London. Led by the Head, arrangements for the visit were patiently and carefully explained to parents. They are going to be travelling by train to the city from Devon with 7 members of experienced teaching staff and assistants – all of which have led the trip before. They are staying in the secure area of a Thames riverside YHA, nutritional meals are arranged, and the itinerary is carefully mapped out after being tried and tested with groups on previous trips.
Whilst I have my own experiences of leading similar meetings and taking large school groups on residential visits, including to London, I was extremely struck this evening by how much parental anxiety there is about the trip.
With discussions transferring to the ubiquitous parents’ WhatsApp after the meeting, it is extremely evident from the comments that the greatest anxiety from my son’s peers’ parents is not about risk assessments, travel, or safety. It is about phones. Children not being allowed to take mobile devices to contact parents directly during the trip, and the school’s reassurance that ‘no need is good news’ really hasn’t been reassurance to many parents at all.
It’s got me thinking… Why does parental anxiety feel sharper today?
Modern parental worries
Parental worry is the most natural thing in the world and by no means anything new, but from my humble observations, I think several factors now amplify it:
Digital habits: We live in an age of “always-on” contact. With children having phones at increasingly younger ages, not being able to reach a child feels unnatural.
Media exposure: Constant reporting of incidents, especially in cities raises perceived risk, and therefore, natural worries increase.
Reduced practice of independence: Sleepovers, roaming, and unsupervised play are becoming less common in childhood, so trips feel like a bigger leap.
Smartphone reliance: Parents and children alike lean on devices for reassurance. This stood out by far for me this evening and that natural parental separation anxiety is now intrinsically interlaced with digital separation anxiety.
Why the trips matter
With my educator’s hat on, I’ve been thinking about how these and other parents can overcome their anxiety challenges about these kinds of trips. Fundamentally, they need to understand why these trips matter and how empowering it is for their children to participate.
There is a wealth of evidence that promote the benefits of residential trips for children’s personal development; to name just a few:
Confidence and resilience: Young people learn to take responsibility for themselves which builds independence.
Friendships and teamwork: Collaborating outside the classroom strengthens peer bonds and allows children to learn from each other in a different context
Wellbeing, discovery and connection: When children are in the real world and stepping away from screens and familiarity, they gain self-esteem, are energised and their mood improves
New teacher insights: In the same way that peers bond and get to know each other differently, teachers often discover hidden strengths in pupils too.
Residentials create a whole other world where children discover capabilities that classrooms alone cannot reveal.
This is a message that parents definitely need to better understand.
The device policy dilemma
The media has been all over this debate lately. Johnathan Haight’s book “The Anxious Generation” has garnered much support in the lobby for schools to ban mobiles.
But in this situation, it really is for practical reasons. The risk of loss, distraction and the desire for children to live in the moment are compelling arguments. There is much research that links reduced screen time with better sleep, lower anxiety, and stronger social engagement.
Ultimately, on this trip, for my son’s school it is just the children who are phoneless – the staff are still intrinsically connected, and emergency contact still provided. But that contact flows through staff, not directly between child and parent.
What can schools do to reassure parents?
Be explicit: Outline exactly how communication will work to reinforce the reassuring message.
Share stories: Use testimonials from past trips to give parents support to trust the team
Normalise discomfort: Acknowledge that unease is expected but growth-oriented for both children and parents
Prepare pupils: Encourage parents to work with their children to practise independence before the trip.
Thoroughly debrief: After the trip, share photos, stories, and outcomes for pupils to reinforce the trip’s value and impact for the children’s futures.
My takeaway
Despite feeling comfortable with the visit myself, my observations tonight have shown me that extreme parental anxiety is very real. As educators we have an even more challenging job to try and endorse the value of residential trips, and it isn’t going to get any easier.
Schools can create transparent systems for safety and communication, and if parents can tolerate a short digital silence, children will return not only safe, but stronger and metaphorically taller than before they left…
I wish my son’s school all the best for their trip and I’m looking forward to hearing about all the wonderful memories he’s going to make with his friend. Oh – and the dirty washing and other children’s socks that will inevitably find their way into his bag…
