The Animals Have Escaped: Field Trips: to sign-up or not to sign-up?

Volunteering to attend a child's school field trip when you have youngsters is rarely met without a challenge. Inevitably,

• your carefully arranged babysitter gets PINK EYE the night before the trip

• a toddler's melt-down is conveniently timed directly before a morning shower

• a healthy baby poops "up her back" on the car ride to the sitter

Bumping along in a yellow box down the highway hearing the delighted screams of frenzied 1st graders releases brain toxins that can cause severe pain. A mother popping pills may not set a very good example, however, neither would popping a kids' head! And then there are the SMELLS in the air that a bunch of elementary students invite-- never pleasant.

"The aim of this research is to observe the subject in its natural state and possibly collect samples". (from wiki)

For me, overcoming logistical set-backs were worth the one-on-one experience with my student and his peers. A parent can observe a child:

• interacting with friends (or not)!

• devoting oneself to an educational task (or not)!

• engaging in hands-on learning (or "licking" in the case of my third son on a 1st grade field trip!)

"The purpose of the trip is usually observation for education, non-experimental research or to provide students with experiences outside their everyday activities." (from wiki)

You tell me WHO is learning more by participating in the "Field Trip"---Mom or child?

--Do whatever you have to that is LEGAL to show up to "research" your kindergartener, 1st, 2nd, 3rd grader, etc!

I guarantee you your teenager won't allow any "educational research" on his first date.

I have plenty of photo evidence of my research observing my children in their natural habitat while on these trips. Behold my evolution as a Field (trip) researcher since the '90's:

Field Trips with oldest son as a 4th and 5th grader