Kirstie Allsop's 15 Year Old Son

Interesting the hoards of GCSE celebrating teens the same age or younger at Reading completely alone and surrounded by drugs, alcohol and sexual activity. SS don’t seem to feel it necessary to patrol and follow up there. 🤔

Agree. Mine is 17, went to reading festival at the weekend with his 18 year old sister, had about 10 calls, he lost his sister, I had to buy another train ticket and book it for him, his phone was going flat so I had to transfer money to use a charger there, £15! It was a nightmare 🤦‍♀️

Nothing in particular but back in 2001 which is when my husband joined the army - there had been much smaller deployments of armed forces - the first gulf war, some peacekeeping involvement in the Balkan states and the troubles in Ireland that the British armed forces had been involved in in the previous ten years or so. There hadn’t been anything on the scale of the deployments of the British forces that followed 9/11. The second Iraq war and Afghanistan etc. My mother in law has always said that if my husband had asked for her permission just a week or two later then she might have said no and he would have had to wait until he was older to join the armed forces.

The timing of this event in our lives has always struck me as being important to what followed for us personally even though we weren’t part of events on that day, the aftermath is still felt for us today because of political decisions that followed.

I think I only included it in my original comment to show that people can only make the best decisions they can with the information they have at the time. That you can’t look at things with hindsight. That people who are just a few weeks older make major life decisions with far reaching consequences. Sorry this has become a ramble.

I don’t know all the ins and outs of this story but it doesn’t seem to me that all if the fallout of this will be right up her street.

Wilds/ not woods. Some locations are very remote.

1)There are all sorts of room options in youth hostels.

2. being left to fend for yourself in the woods for 2 nights and 3 days with all your kit is no picnic.There have been deaths Few admittedly but there are likely to be very few youth hostelling. You can get separated on your own and sustain injuries on DofE.

3. rightly or wrongly I’m pretty sure most post GCSE teenagers have shared sleeping spaces with others under the influence of drink or drugs or making out.Have you been to Reading Festival?

4. most 15 year olds will have seen all sorts online anyway. Where are the SS referrals for that?

There are multiple suggestions that it was a reporter form one of the papers who referred it to SS.

Lots of trouble and headlines with Allsopp herself plus SS will be in the crosshairs whatever so more grist to their mill.

But who the hell did report it? No doubt one of the jealous, spineless people on here, who it has absolutely nothing to do with. Maybe spend more time looking after your own children and paying attention to them instead of being keyboard warriors and poking your noses in where they are not wanted!

Who said KA son was sharing a room with strangers? Most hostels don't allow under 16 in form rooms so likely to have shared with friend in private room or stayed eleswhere

I’ve seen a number of people mention DofE, and it’s just not the same at all.

In DofE you’re in a large group with people you know, much closer to home and for much less time.

You’re not sharing a bedroom with adult strangers. No one is going to be shagging in the bed next to you. Obviously this can’t be ruled out, but you’ve got a much much lower chance of having to share a sleeping space with someone under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or get offered any.

It’s just so inappropriate more than anything.

Joining the army isn’t the same either. (Although personally, I think 16 is too young to sign up as well).

It’s gentle teasing at the very most, hardly pejorative. And poshness has nothing to with anything as vulgar as money.

@Manypaws . People like me? The ones who want social services to be resourced enough to deal with actual child abuse?
Not a parent making a judgement call on a HOLIDAY??

I finished my exams at 16 and 2 months and went off to France grape picking and working in cafes and bars - had a great summer - my DC went abroad with friends for post GCSE holidays but were slightly older due to when their birthdays fall

They will have been screening and gathering information. They do t know whether to proceed or not until they have gathered some facts.

If they had ignored this and something had came out of it then people like you would be jumping all over it

They can only investigate what is reported

When my husband was just 1 month older (incidentally a week before 9/11) - he joined the army. His mum and dad signed off on that decision. Just like this mum signed off on this decision. He started service when he was 4 months older than this child.

There are degrees of decisions and responsibilities. We all make them every day.

FFS. Social services should be investigating actual child abuse and neglect, all these children who are being abused. What a waste of time. Privileged parent allows privileged child to go on holiday. Nothing to see here. Meanwhile another toddler is starved and beaten by their step parent but social services are overwhelmed and don't get there in time.

@Calliopespa yes I think her social media posting has been detrimental and lacking in wisdom.
Personally, I feel in this day and age it was an irresponsible action that would not necessarily generate the same NFA result for all families within the context of a SS referral, but her primary mistake was ever bragging about it on Twitter in the first place.

Yes I can see that the social media aspect might have been a trigger for the SS actions. I have no idea about Kirsty’s DS ( and he seems to have fared ok); but I know lots of 16 year olds that have got into scrapes from poor ( though not necessarily age-inappropriate) decision-making. I suppose when it’s been widely disseminated, SS need to make the point this isn’t a “ given” that it’s appropriate- and actually I’d agree with them on that.

The fact that even today KA continues to post on twitter about this, blissfully unaware of the very system she unwittingly found herself in really shows her priorities.
Let's face it, had she never have used her own channels to exploit her child's trip for "likes", she would never have landed in this trouble.
Regardless of how capable her child is, she not only made decisions-she actively promoted them as acceptable for any child, this is her issue.
SS were obliged to follow up on the referral that was an inevitable result of her own self-indulged twitter ramblings.
Whatever your opinion of her actions, it just shows what a privileged position she has lived her entire life-many other families would not have seen NFA, purely from their financial & social status.

Just listened to her on yesterday’s BH. She and her son sound eminently sensible about risk.

Also a trip to Paris ( presumably quite short?) is a step shy of travelling about Europe from place to place.

I wouldn’t say it’s equivalent.

… trying ( and failing) to think of anyone over about 6 who can’t wipe their own bottom…

Its interesting, though, you mention about the global situation as I, in fact, think children are being brought up exposed to vastly more existential angst than we were and in that way are far from molly-coddled.

I went to Paris at his age with a friend after passing my GCSEs. Parents nowadays give children no independence. Children are growing up in a global world with huge risks and they don’t know how to wipe their own bottoms. Life skills are not a thing taught by many parents now.

You see it a lot on here, people constantly othering their children about what they can’t possibly do.

As previously the report to SS is either malicious or mischief making by journalists looking to get more out of the story.

They have no option but to take it seriously but half and hour at the most with Ms Allsopp and her son will see it closed with no further action.