Just had to break my 13-year-old daughter's heart, twice.

Just got off the phone with my sobbing daughter. Her school every year has a planned trip to Washington DC for the 8th graders. She was very excited to go, as much for the social interaction as for the actual trip. We went to the informational meeting a couple of weeks ago with full intentions of either myself or my wife going with her. Unfortunately, we found out that the school only uses faculty as chaperones on trips. This did not sit well with either of us at all. The school told us they were going to have a ratio of 15 students to one adult and they would not always be together in a group. Now, they have been doing this for a number of years and thank God they've never had an issue. But my wife and I both decided that without one of us going it just was unnecessary risk to have her gone. The tears were plentiful when we told her this and I told her that I would speak to her teacher that was heading up the trip to see if they were able to make any kind of exception. I explained the situation and I explained our concerns. I also let her know that it was unlikely that they would make an exception just for us because then they would have to make an exception for every parent, so as not to get her hopes up.

And as I predicted after talking to the teacher that wasn't something they were able to accommodate. So I just had to go through another crying spell with her trying to explain that what we're doing is in her own best interest. I told her that I didn't think it was likely that anything would actually happen, but I was not willing to take that risk. I told her I also wear my seat belt everyday not in the expectation of having a car accident but because if something does happen the risk is just not worth that gamble. I really hope that eventually she'll realize we were doing this out of genuine concern and not some sort of malice. It still breaks my heart to see her cry like that though. I can't help but think that I might be being a little overprotective, but the world is crazy anymore. Between the commute and walking around a city like Washington, there's just too many ways that something could go horribly wrong. I guess I don't really need advice, just a sounding board.