travel abroad...?

[titaniumman]

Hello Members,

Just looking for some input to see if I am over reacting to this situation...Next year my Daughter's school will be taking a class trip, they are in the planning stages now so that is why I am asking.....The trip is to Paris and the surrounding areas. This is the issue....I don't feel comfortable letting her go with the current political climate in Europe. My Ex thinks I am over reacting and we should just let her go, She will be 16. I know that members here at least follow what is going on in the world as do I as best as possible.
The school even went as far as to have a speaker come in and explain the process that would occur if an emergency should happen (politically or otherwise). I personally didn't find it reassuring at all, and explained that just the fact that they had to address such matters is enough reason to pass on the trip. Am I being to PARANOID??? Obviously the decision is mine to make but I can see already that this is going to be a hugh issue I will need to deal with. As I already stated, I do not want her to go, and I can't see myself changing my mind.

 

[SCTom]

$#%& can happen anywhere...even in the US. If I could afford it and I trusted my daughter's maturity and judgement AND I trusted the moral and emotional strength of the adult chaparones, I would let my daughter go. Now, that is 3 big IFs...especially the mature 16 year old one. That's not to say I would be sleeping well at night during her absence but keeping a mature 16 year old in safe lockdown mode doesn't seem like the right approach either.
When my 18 year old little girl told me she was going to Cancun with a girlfriend following her high school graduation I tried desperately to talk and scare her out of it. She went anyway. I had a terrible week, she had a fabulous one. I would have preferred her go to Paris than to Cancun.
Just my $.02. Only you and her mom can decide if she's mature enough to understand the risks.

 

[Treo]

I think I've seen this before in a movie

 

[momstar]

$#%& can happen anywhere...even in the US.

This is my take on it also. Most of Europe is no less safe than the US. Your daughter is more likely to be harmed in a car accident, but I bet she is in a car pretty much every day, right? Do what you can to protect her in all situations, obviously, but there's only so much you can do, regardless of her location.

 

[K7lvo]

I think I've seen this before in a movie

No, I don't think my family would be going. There's enough culture in Hawaii.

I couldn't get the video to run. Is it the one with Liam Neisen - I think it was called "Taken?"

(I wonder if the OP is ex-CIA?)

NOW it runs... Yep, that's the one. Great movie! I loved what happened to the bad guys!

 

[mappow]

Tough call. I would do as your heart feels along with your common sense. What if's won't kill you but BG's will. Is there anyway you could mediate a possible trip to Paris when she graduates College? Just trying to give alternatives.

 

[Kalamity023]

How many kids are going? Who's chaperoning? How structured is the itinerary? Those are questions I would ask. Will they have any free time to explore on their own? Paris has had many issues recently, but in a year who knows the political climate.

 

[titaniumman]

thanks for the input. I am really struggling with this. I trust my daughter 100%, and I could never afford to send her on my own...The school gives the student many options for fund raising to offset the cost (which is substantial). My fear lies in the "going to Europe" thing, not her taking a trip away from home. The whole leaving the "USA" thing is my issue. I know she could be involved in a"political/terror" type situation here in the US also but the whole climate in Europe right now gives me concern. I have done some research online and most info says it is no less safe than traveling here. I know there have been threats on the US embassy in France previously, but there are no travel warnings right now. The problem I face is they need an answer soon, even tho the trip isn't till next school year. Not ready for my little girl to grow up yet i guess....Thanks again for the input I appreciate it, EXCEPT treo, of coarse.
The students will not be allowed to do anything without a chaperone, and everything will be done as a group. Most of the kids will be 16-17 years old. 40 kids in the group.

 

[Purple]

I can certainly understand your concern and believe that you as a parent have the right to be concerned and look out for the best interest of your minor daughter. I can think of lots of parents that don't give en ef and would not have a care in the world if their child went. As others have said, anything can happen to anyone at anytime - here or abroad. You know your daughter better than us and if you think she makes good decisions and has the maturity to understand good from bad and is with quality people, you can probably be assured that she or the group would not cause any issues that will bring problems to them. Don't let your paranoia get in the way of what could be a valuable learning experience for your daughter. You can also register her with the State Department and provide her itinerary so that if anything happens in country, she can be located and protected.

 

[titaniumman]

Thanks purple. Every little bit of advice helps me make an informed decision. In the end its up to me but I have never traveled outside the US, that is why I figured it couldn't hurt to ask here. I have been a member here for over 3 years and I know that there are many members here that could offer useful advice.

 

[Oldgrunt]

My wife and I raised four girls and, to hear them tell it, we were ogres because we wouldn't let them go out of state on school trips or just where ever they wanted. Tough! They were our children and we made the rules, not them. I will never forget the Alabama girl, Natalie Holloway, who disappeared in Aruba. Something like that could have happened to our girls or anyone else's and we didn't want to chance it. I was not one of today's liberal parents, I worried about their welfare and felt responsible for them. They have gotten over their disappointment and understand now how we felt but we will forever be ogres. I can live with that!

 

[titaniumman]

My wife and I raised four girls and, to hear them tell it, we were ogres because we wouldn't let them go out of state on school trips or just where ever they wanted. Tough! They were our children and we made the rules, not them. I will never forget the Alabama girl, Natalie Holloway, who disappeared in Aruba. Something like that could have happened to our girls or anyone else's and we didn't want to chance it. I was not one of today's liberal parents, I worried about their welfare and felt responsible for them. They have gotten over their disappointment and understand now how we felt but we will forever be ogres. I can live with that!

OLDGRUNT...You just put into words exactly how I feel. However my EX doesn't feel the same. That is probably why she is my X. I am more oldschool and she is more, I hate to say it.....liberal! I would love to have her on my side but she thinks I am overreacting. And she is continually telling me to do some research and its safe...yadaa yada yada. I pretty much said no already but she keeps grilling me. Then I said that I will not contribute any funds. My EX knows ZERO about todays political climate, especially in Europe. She maintains that if it wasn't safe that the school wouldn't go. In the end I will be the bad guy no matter what because I think my answer is still no!!!I will take the money and buy her a car she will need for college. I too will gladly be labled an ogar and keep my daughter safe!!! Thanks...

 

[bswartz15]

OLDGRUNT...You just put into words exactly how I feel. However my EX doesn't feel the same. That is probably why she is my X. I am more oldschool and she is more, I hate to say it.....liberal! I would love to have her on my side but she thinks I am overreacting. And she is continually telling me to do some research and its safe...yadaa yada yada. I pretty much said no already but she keeps grilling me. Then I said that I will not contribute any funds. My EX knows ZERO about todays political climate, especially in Europe. She maintains that if it wasn't safe that the school wouldn't go. In the end I will be the bad guy no matter what because I think my answer is still no!!!I will take the money and buy her a car she will need for college. I too will gladly be labled an ogar and keep my daughter safe!!! Thanks...

I have to laugh at it being safe because the school says so. My sister in law is leading a college group next year to Egypt. I can't believe the college approved it in the first place. I fully believe there will be problems on that trip if they go, but my sister in law is convinced that Egypt is the most wonderful place in the world. She is a Marxist though so she might be fine there, but look at what happened to Lara Logan when she had people there that were supposed to protect her.