This is very OT, but my oldest daughter, 13, left this morning for her class trip to Washington D.C. I cried when she left, but am feeling much better now. However, I can't stop thinking about her safety. She is very naive and now I am wondering if it was the best thing to let her go. I know - 'the experience will do her good' and 'stop worrying - she'll be fine'. ugghh

She is only going to be gone for 5 days - what am I going to do when she leaves for college in 4 years???

Signed - Sad, Worried Mommy

Oh, I know . It is hard. But, it is MUCH easier when they are older, and everyone is ready for them to fly the nest. I still miss my babies, though... two have flown. My son, I hear from every few weeks... not a talk on the phone kind of guy. My daughter... she often calls me a couple times a day! .

I am happy to still have one at home for another eight years .

Has she ever been to DC???? I think it is a super place for kids to go. She'll love it! Does she or a friend have a cell phone? That always help to get a phone call or two .


Cara

Speaking as a 60 year old grannie, with 3 grown and married children, and 7 grandkids, it does get better. I can remember how relieved dh and I were when the last of ours married and moved out. Unfortunately, they keep coming back home! Both of my girls had to move back in for short periods, and one of them now has a home right next door. I really appreciate having her so close, now that I've gotten older and more decrepit, but it's always a relief at the end of the day when everyone goes home, and I have my solitude again!
Hugs,

Thanks for the kind words ladies. She called in last night at 10:30. No, she's never been there before and she sounded like she was having a good time already. They got in at 3:30, went to dinner, a cruise on the potomac and a night tour of some of the memorials. It was good to hear her voice. I am much more relaxed today than I was yesterday. I am thinking that I just needed to hear her to make sure she was okay.

I am banking on your words of saying that it gets easier!

OK...I wanna play devils advocate....for me it hasn't gotten easier!
I used to whine, sob, cry when my son left for a few days away from me.
Now he's in his mid 30's and now have my grand daughter....I can't stand being away more than a few days away from her.
Her family was torn asunder when her mommy took off with another guy, leaving this baby shattered to bits.
I stepped in to pick up the peices....but she loves her mommy despite all she's done. My son was broken as well...but is not total innocent.
Now whenever she goes to her moms every other weekend....from the moment she leaves to the moment she's returned....I'm so uneasy and worry myself sick.
I worry when my son travels the freeways, goes scuba diving or goes away on vacation...I always have these "what if" tapes playing.
But I worry about leaving my cats alone for the weekend....its just part of my past fears of abandonment issues.
I am only robbing myself as this worry does nothing to help what ever scenario may play out as it never does.
Here's something that happened to me last summer....we took our grandaughter, Madi along with us for a months long road trip.
We visited my home town and showed her places I'd gone to as a teen. It was an old mining town with a rattlesnake under every rock!
As we walked the paths I insisted Madi stay close to us, warned not to wander for fear of these rattle snakes.
We spent several hours having fun investigating the hills and as we rounded the end of the path our truck was now only 10 feet away.

Madi ran ahead wanting to get a drink....as she did she ran right past a rattlesnake! Her foot came within inches from stepping on it....she had to step right over it to keep from stepping on it!
She didn't see it till it slid past her foot...then she screamed, jumping straight up in the air!
Here I'd spent the entire afternoon holding her back...not allowing her an inch of freedom....then when finally let go, feeling home safe....right there within inches of her was the feared rattler!
Just goes to show that no matter how we try to protect and keep out of harms way.....something out of nowhere crosses our paths!
We just have to let go....we have no way of knowing what our path holds before us.
Before you know it...your daughter will be safe at home and will have loads of interesting stories to share with you!
Blessings, cheryl
I wonder how many rattlers watched us pan for gold at this cool stream side?
More than I'd ever want to know!
Malakoff Diggins Calif Panning for Gold w/ grumpa The ugly rattler!

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I'm not far from DC.
My oldest's 3rd grade class is taking a field trip to DC in June. I don't want him to go. It's a 2 hour drive and they will be walking around the Smithsonian museums (we've been as a family).
My reasons for not wanting him to go are - 1) 2 hour ride there and back on a school bus, not safe; 2) hundreds of kids with only hand fulls of adults, not safe; 3) he does not listen to ALL of instruction, he listens to the first 1/2 and misses the rest; 4) I can't go b/c siblings are not allowed on field trips (country rule, it's why I don't do more); 5) IT'S DC and we see the news from there every night and 6) I fear the worse when it comes to our nations capitol and it's safety on a daily basis.

Oh, I know that didn't help. Schools make DC a field trip all the time, from all over the country and they are fine. I don't think I could have let my child go though.