If you have a child with an August birthday

[longdistanceclaraclara]

How do you navigate end of GCSE / A level celebrations?

Dts are 31st August and will finish GCSEs next year. They'll be 15 and their mates will all be 16. There is already talk of festivals and YHA trips. Do you let them go? Are they even able to if under 16? What about holidays at end of A levels. I can imagine that being more difficult to navigate if abroad.

The Kirsty Allsop story got me thinking.

Apart from the legal aspects eg drinking, I tend to think of my DC (all August) as the age they'll become in August - it's slightly arbitrary, their friends are all that age and they've been treated that age at school etc.

For most things, it’s not their age that matters but their maturity levels. They need to be sensible enough to go to a festival, and that could be at any age.

For the more official stuff, like flights and holidays, you’ll have to see the booking conditions. But I can’t imagine there are many things that you have to be strictly over 18 to book.

The YHA only let's under 16s if accompanied by an 18 year old in the uk. I can only assume each country has their own rules.

Flights tend to need parental sign off for under 18s.

Festivals, very much about your childs maturity at 15. But I assume after A levels, they are about to head off into the world so very hard to say no..

A lot of campsites also have a no under 18 rule as do other accommodation but I dont know if an over 18 can be a 17 year olds guardian on this for post A levels.

My are both August babies. DD managed a post A'level holiday abroad at 17 as she was sharing a room with a friend who was 18. Clubs didn't check ages at all.

DS did struggle to plan A'level results celebrations as he was still 17. Fortunately, a close friend was in the same position so they ended up with a house party.

Festivals were fine - just an underage wristband so they couldn't buy alcohol

I don't remember it being an issue for DD, born end August. There might be talk of going away, but in reality some won't - they'll have summer jobs, want to go abroad with family as it's a freebie, might not be able to get to festivals easily due to transport.

when the time comes, if i think he has a sensible head on his shoulders, Ill be looking in to fake id for him!

From the UK YHA website "To ensure we provide safe and suitable accommodation for everyone, children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a person who is 18 years or older."

They could at least take a National Express coach to a campsite or festival - you can travel unaccompanied from 14 years old.

It really does depend on the maturity of the child and how they communicate and deal with risk.

There is no way on earth one of my children could cope with festivals etc yet I see so many of my friends children doing so. Personally the GCSE leaving summer is too young for all this stuff. I think end of 1st year of college they have matured enough to start doing stuff.

And I say this as a person who left home very very young. Don’t expose them to the shit that is out there too young.

Most of our DCs cohort did hols and festivals with mates from year 12 onwards. A few of the daughters in the year below had a post GCSE holiday. They went to stay in a flat owned by one of the grandparents. I think it went alright.

Thanks all. Will have to play it by ear! We do have a caravan in France that they could use and could go by train but have a feeling they could be the same with the over 18 rule.

Both me and ds are august!

It tended to be more of an issue at 17/18 than at 15/16 but more so because of the drinking and also some places with age are over 18.

Probably less so for me when they were more lax and you could easily doctor a student card for fake ID