quote:Originally posted by tickled1: It is not fair that WPinVA was put in this situation to have to choose to withold this activity from her child. The school should be more educated on TBI prevention!
I believe that it is fair. In fact, I can't think of anything more fair. WPinVA was able to take whatever information she had and make a decision that was right for her family. The other parents in the school were able to do the same. What would be totally unfair would be to deny all the children the ability to take this trip because one parent objects (which WPinVA did not do).
If we demand 100% safety for every activity, no-one would ever be able to leave their houses.
Posts: 177 | From Ohio | Registered: Aug 2012
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quote:Originally posted by WPinVA: And we need to drive in cars and go to doctors. We just don't need to go in the woods! There are other ways to live our lives and other safer places to be outside.
Dealing with the risk of Lyme, as with other risks in life, is a risk-benefit analysis. With this field trip, the risks were too high to justify going on the trip, given that what's really the big deal about one foray into the woods? Is it really worth it? Especially when neither of us is going to be having much fun, given how stressed we will be about the fear of ticks..... So, in my risk-benefit analysis, there just weren't enough up sides to this trip to justify going into a high-risk area in a Lyme-endemic area with my six year old.
You made some very good points! The risk-benefit analysis is exactly the point I was trying to make. Knowing the factual statistical risks can provide some perspective, but as you said you don't HAVE to go into the woods. I also like your response that neither you nor your child would really enjoy the trip because of your fear of lyme - so why go? I agree 100%!
Posts: 177 | From Ohio | Registered: Aug 2012
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tickled1
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posted
The other parents don't know any better and are uninformed which is why I'm saying the school should provide the information to the parents that the kids should wear DEET for this field trip and that a thorough tick check needs to take place when the kids get home.
Parents assume schools wouldn't put their kids in a dangerous situation. All it would take is a simple note from the school to parents that kids should take precautionary measures for this field trip. That would be the responsible thing for the school to do but they probably are not aware of the risks as well so it is good that WPinVA made them aware. Maybe from now on they will recommend parents apply repellant for these types of trips and do tick checks. It should be simple and should be common sense but unfortunately it's not.
No one's demanding 100% safety. Just a recommendation from the school to the parents to apply repellant and then for chaperones to keep kids out of brush and tall grass I feel would be sufficient. Also the recommendation to do a tick check at home.
WP,is this an overnight trip? If not, maybe you could go along and take precautionary measures?
Posts: 2541 | From Northeast | Registered: Jan 2008
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quote:Originally posted by tickled1: The other parents don't know any better and are uninformed which is why I'm saying the school should provide the information to the parents that the kids should wear DEET for this field trip and that a thorough tick check needs to take place when the kids get home.
I agree - that is a very reasonable suggestion.
Posts: 177 | From Ohio | Registered: Aug 2012
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