Should I let my 16 year old go to a Festival?

FatVonD

My DS went to Reading festival with his friend when he was a similar age, it is a worry but we would only have been an hour away in the event of an emergency.

They are pretty hot on not serving alcohol to under 18 inside but they just went out to the local supermarket and were able to take it back to the campsite unchallenged. They were also offered drugs but thankfully my DS is very anti drugs (won't even take paracetamol.)

I always pack an old PAYG mobile (turned off) with a balance on it in a waterproof plastic bag in a pocket in his rucksack and he knows this phone is for emergencies and not to turn it on until it either is an emergency or he needs to arrange where to be picked up. I also put an emergency £20 note in with it too.

One year he did lose his money a couple of days in but he and a friend went around collecting the plastic cups to get the 5p (or however much it was) return fee on them to pay for food. I didn't even know he had it in him to be so resourceful!

As I said though, all of this is knowing I am only an hour or so away in the case of emergency. Would I have let him go to Cornwall? No way! Unless as another poster suggested I could arrange to take a short break elsewhere in the same area.

Jinx

I'm in Scotland so as a parent worked on the theory that my daughter could leave home and do her own thing at age 16 and worked it back so that by age 16 I knew she could read timetables and travel safely, handle cash and basically look after herself though you can't prepare for every eventuality....

I would have (and did) let her go to the festival with an agreement of a text a day and a codeword to be quoted if you are really needed. It's an experience and life is for living.

OldMotherTucker

My children are no strangers to fesyivals - they grew up going to plenty with me and DS has played at many - including Boardmasters BUT even with all that experience , it didn't stop my youngest getting into a pickle when she went solo to Boardmasters last year.

It wasn't drink or drugs - it was sunstroke and fickle friends that were her downfall!

I had a very frightening phonecall from her to say she had a blinding headache and was vomiting but her friends had left her in the car in the middle of one of 3 huge carparks - she couldn't even crawl to the checkpoint in the distance!

It took at least a dozen frantic phonecalls to contact and coordinate organisers and security to get her help, and a 3 hr return trip by her brother to collect her and bring her home - fraught by low cell fone batteries and bad reception! Try finding a non-descript black fiesta in a festival car park of that scale!!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI77CrVU2q4


Lessons were learnt - keeping hydrated, preserving phone batteries, contingency phone numbers, more trustworthy friends . .

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

You've got a choice - say yes and have the ability to tell him what to do in emergencies, he'll probably listen and will think you are amazing - or say no, he is very disappointed and, as soon as he's 18 and you are unable to say one way or the other, he hightails it off, doesn't listen to you in the slightest, as he's only going because you can't stop him anymore and ends up being one of the 18 year olds who goes daft as soon as they're away from parents.


It's the same principle with any gig - the younger teenager who has been told what to do in emergencies, told what to watch out for, how to look after themselves and where to get help if they're uncomfortable, is a whole lot more capable once they hit 18 and less likely to get into trouble in the first place at the point at which they would have less support laid on for them because they are 18.


I'm more amazed that a 16 year old can afford tickets for festivals.

System

I was 17 when i9 went to my first festival (Leeds fest). There was alcohol involved but i was fairly sensible and had an amazing experience. However, this was in 2004. Last time i went to Leeds fest was 2007 and i have never been back since because the sunday was hell on earth. There were riots left right and centre, someone tried to pick up my tent (with me in it) to throw on a fire and it was basically chaos, and from what i hear Reading is the worse of the two. So going now, i'd be unsure.

I;ve no expereience of boardmasters so couldn't tell you what thats like. I just know i sure as hell wouldn't go to leeds/reading these days.

Onetip i will give you is he will probably need a lot of spending money. Festivals are very expensive. I spent about £250 last time i went to one and that wasn't nearly enough (a burger could set you back as much as £6-7, soft drinks are usually at the £2.50 mark just for a 500ml bottle)

DigForVictory

It is going to come down to the lad & his mates as to what they do, eat, drink, experiment with & fall off.
If he's essentially a sensible lad, then walk through emergency plans with him & stay within reach.
If he's a bit erratic & his mates are no better, then walk through emergency plans with him & stay Close within reach.

Not much of a break for *you* spending 5 days on the alert for a bodysnatch, but it comes with loosening the apron strings & it does mean he should come back a *bit* less bemused by the universe.

martinsurrey

Caroline_a wrote: »

I agree, but the problem is that many of these 16 year olds still manage to get booze and aren't mature enough to handle it. He was one of these, the whole group so I gather were sold a ridiculous amount of booze. And at that age, you're invincible.....

I did that around the corner from my house, at that age, so unless you want to keep your 16 year olds under lock a key until they hit 18, its going to happen if they want it to happen.

I was at a festival the day after GCSE results, my parents knew I'd drink, but that me and my friends we not complete idiots, had a great time!

OP you know your son.

lxpeanut

Having volunteered at festivals for many years I wouldn't let a 16 year old go unless there is someone on site that you trust if they need a responsible adult. I have had to pick up the pieces of what can go wrong at festivals too many times. However some of my fellow volunteers started because they wanted to give their kids the freedom but be close at hand should things go wrong. And for a few friends I have been the responsible adult their kids could turn to on site. If he wants to go to Boardies Oxfam provide stewards. Volunteer and you can raise money for a good cause and be on site without directly supervising them.

gt568

At 16 I was in the armed forces and working full time. Let him go.

Fireflyaway

No matter how well we think we know our kids, they act differerent when parents are not about. Ever seen that TV show where the kids go on holiday and the parents secretly follow them and watch what the do from a hidden room?!
Aside from thinking about how sensible your lad is, how is he under pressure? Would he stick to his principles or be drawn into something silly under the influence of less sensible mates? Does he drink to excess or know when to stop? Would he ever consider a legal high if all his mates did it? Only you can make that judgement. 5 nights seems a lot but I'm probably thinking of the fact I'd miss my bath and bed! As others have said, encourage him to know he can always call you in confidence if something goes wrong. I do think allowing some freedom is a good thing. Better that than he does stuff behind your back. At just 18 kids are suddenly living miles away at uni with a bunch of strangers so maybe 5 days isn't so bad.