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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To take baby to a music festival with camping?

94 replies

sunnysunchild · 21/03/2012 16:53

Just throwing this out there...

My friends have planned a summer boozy weekend in july at the Rewind festival (cheesy 80s music). I was all enthusiastic about it without thinking it through, and they got me a ticket. My baby will be about 7m old by then. Problem is I don't want to leave her at home with daddy. Shes exclusively Breast fed, and has had no bottles or formula at all. I havent even expressed yet. I can't imagine leaving her and pumping all weekend, and to be honest I dont want to either. Ib don't want to introduce bottles just for one weekend, So iabu to take her with me? We'd have our own tent, so i wouldnt disturb my plastered friends. Is this feasable? All I can hear is my mum's voice in my head telling me what a bad mum I am for considering taking her!
What do you think?

OP posts:
YonWhaleFish · 22/03/2012 12:03

I can't see the problem, but I don't have children! I have seen them at festivals.

It does make me laugh though, that there's MASSIVE hooha about sterilising everything day to day, but it seems it's a load of cobblers.

switchtvoffdosomelessboring · 22/03/2012 12:34

We took our (then) 4 and 1 year old to a family friendly festival. Having seen lots of families at festivals kinda had in my head that we would be this cool, laid back hippyish family.

Yeah, my kids never had the same idea. They liked the childrens tent, and the bouncy castle and liked (ish) the kiddy friendly stuff. But they wanted to go back to the tent about 8 pm, they didn't want to stand/sit about while we listened to bands. They didn't want to sit and chill for even ten bloody minutes.

My OH and I end up taking it in turns to sit with them in the campsite (the oldest didn't want to sleep in a buggy) and it was all a bit, well shit. Couldn't get drunk, couldn't relax (wandering off) , couldn't see or listen to much yet was kept awake half the night by drunken people enjoying themselves.

Until they are old enough to go off and do there own thing, never again. If I couldn't get a babysitter I wouldn't go.

TimothyClaypoleLover · 22/03/2012 12:52

Each to their own but I personally would not take a baby or indeed a child to any commercial festival. Over the years I have been to several festivals and they are not the place for children. Drug taking/dealing has been rife, pissed people being sick/falling over. At Glastonbury my friend and I had people falling over drunk onto our tent and on our heads. You may be the most responsible mother in the world but you cannot be responsible for the actions of others. Not to mention the disgusting toilet facilities.

As someone else has said, perhaps a compromise is to get a day ticket rather than camping. However, if your friends are wanting a boozy weekend I don't really think a baby fits into that equation somehow.

It is entirely up to you Sunny how comfortable you feel taking your baby into such an environment and lots of people do but its a definite no-no for me. And I am not a paranoid PFB mother, in fact I think my parenting is fairly chilled out compared to friends but I just would not be happy taking my DD to a festival.

Most commercial festivals are not the hippy chilled out events they used to be.

SmethwickBelle · 22/03/2012 13:02

Ah, I love the idea of doing festivals with the kids but I think it depends on lots of factors - your temperament, your child, the weather...

I have camped with a 9 month old for the Isle of Man TT and I'm not a fan, wouldn't do it again. But that's me! My reasons:

  1. if they are crying at night the noise really travels in a campsite. Family areas definitely a good idea.
  1. Also if your baby is a light sleeper the background noises MAY rouse them more frequently overnight. Despite everyone assuring me the background noises would be comforting DS popped up like a cuckoo clock every time someone walked past.
  1. Also if they tend to chunter and moan after they've been put down to bed (even if much later than normal) then you can't really sit supping a drink and chatting outside the tent whilst they're grizzling else lots of beady eyes will be looking at you as if to say "WHY ARE YOU HAVING FUN WHEN YOUR POOR CHILD IS CRYING? WHAT KIND OF MOTHER ARE YOU?" Well that's how it felt at the time Grin
  1. Not easy to pen them in - he'd just started crawling and I was constantly on edge as he beetled away into the distance. 7 months should be less worrying in that regard.

My nerves were shot, maybe I am just too wet for camping full stop!

DinahMoHum · 22/03/2012 13:18

YABU not only will you not be able to relax, it wont be nice for the baby or your friends

nightowlmostly · 22/03/2012 13:23

I would love to go to our regular summer festival this year but baby will be 3 months and I think it's probably too early. There is family camping and I'm tempted to see how it's going - he's not here quite yet! - and maybe make the decision at the last minute.

We aren't that wild any more, it's mostly a few drinks and early nights tbh, so I'll hopefully be able to go. Dh thinks not but it might be ok. I wish it would be! Next year definitely we'll go, might have to skip it this once.

moosemama · 22/03/2012 13:26

As I said, I don't know anything about Rewind specifically, but I have never seen faeces or anything else disgusting at the festival we go to. In fact its really clean and well organised.

There are teams of stewards that patrol the camping areas making sure the festival rules are enforced and health and safety is maintained and they also impose a noise curfew. The one we go to also has decent showers at a couple of pounds a go and there are plenty of portaloos which are emptied very regularly so never get too bad.

There is a family camping area, but it gets filled up very quickly and we are always in the live-in vehicles area anyway.

We've never done any of the big commercial festivals though, so maybe I would feel differently if I had.

bintofbohemia · 22/03/2012 13:34

We've taken ours to festivals quite a bit - I think it makes you a good parent. Wink It is however bloody hardwork and a total ball ache if you are the only one with a baby and all your mates are on the lash, or if your baby is a fussy so and so rather than easy going. We went child free last year which was fab but I think we'll have to take them this year and am a bit gutted. But it's totally do-able.

msbuggywinkle · 22/03/2012 14:02

I love festivals and we do take our DDs (5, 3 and baby) and have done since DD1 was a baby. That said, I wouldn't go in a group where I was the only one with DC, it would be boring and stressful.

In general, festivals with babies are easier than with older ones. Baby sits in sling people watching while you get on with it!

switchtvoffdosomelessboring · 22/03/2012 14:03

Its do- able but is it fun? Personally I didn't enjoy the festival I took my kids too . But then my idea of a good festival is to get drunk, listen to bands and be a bit silly.

switchtvoffdosomelessboring · 22/03/2012 14:04

'Silly' is an all encompassing word for anything that I might do or think is a good idea under the influence of to much wine.

FebreezeYourJeans · 22/03/2012 14:09

I'm going to Rewind and I hope there's not a 7 month old baby in the tent next to me! Blush

It is quite a small festival, tents are packed in very close and you can hear everything in the nearby tents.

SardineQueen · 22/03/2012 14:19

In theory, great.

In practice, can't you take your OH? So you can do shifts with the baby and go and relax on your own? Personally I think it would be really stressful by yourself and I doubt your friends are going to want to give you a hand!

Even stuff like - what are you going to do with the baby when you go to the bog?

bintofbohemia · 22/03/2012 14:45

We went to the Big Chill just before ds1 turned 1, and someone came to see if we were ritually murdering him at night (he was teething and my god did that boy scream!)

SpringHeeledJack · 22/03/2012 14:51

oooh, bint

we took nearly one yo twins to the Big Chill

it was fun...but not the most relaxing of weekends, iirc

Lueji · 22/03/2012 14:53

I don't think YABU.

However, personally, I wouldn't take a baby to a music festival.

They are planning to drink (who will be the responsible adult?)
I wouldn't subject a baby to very loud music, because it can damage their ears.
A 7 month old can survive on bottles for one weekend. That's what I did when I had to travel for work.
I wouldn't want to disturb the baby routine too much. I imagine it won't be easy to nap and it may well be too loud at night.

fussbucket · 22/03/2012 15:04

I took the ddtwins to a festival at 7 months, but that was exceptional, it was in Cornwall for the eclipse in 1999, it was very hard work and I couldn't have managed without other adults. Their dad had said he would have them for the weekend originally but cancelled with only 24 hours notice. I didn't take them camping as a general regular thing until they were well and truly out of nappies.

cheesesarnie · 22/03/2012 16:16

we grew up camping at festivals. i remember being a bit freaked out by a weird man (bearing in mind there were a fair few weird ones) and found out he was the lead singer of the cure when ui was old enough to care.
we used to love our adventures at festivals.

CamperWidow · 23/03/2012 15:41

I have been taking the girls to festivals before they were born! First year 8 months pg, second year 11month old, third year nearly 2 yr old and seven months pg, can't wait for this year with a nearly 3 yr old and a 10 month old! I go to 2 festivals with my parents and we are going to at least 3 as a family with the camper. Can't think of anything better! Grin

Aribura · 23/03/2012 17:36

Wait. So you want to take a small infant to a concert. A concert with loud music. A concert with loud music and people carelessly jammed close to each other to see the stage, dancing crazily. So first of all, you suck the fun out of everyone else's experience because they have to watch what they do round a small baby. Secondly, you can't relax yourself. Then there's the loud music, irresponsible much. Then, tents aren't soundproofed you know. And your friends are planning a booze-up, they are going to act nice but secretly roll their eyes at you. Plus everyone else will be drinking/smoking/doing weed. REMIND ME OF THE GOOD POINTS AGAIN.

Swear some people on here like to think they're cool taking their babies to a concert. It boggles my mind.

SpringHeeledJack · 23/03/2012 17:40

I bet you're great fun at a festival, Aribura

you sound proper chilled out

SkaterGrrrrl · 23/03/2012 17:56

Depends on the festival. I took DD to Womad when she was 10 months old and it was brilliant. The crowd is very chilled - no groups of lads getting off their heads, lots of older people and families. She slept in a travel cot in a tent and bathed in a bucket.

If its a festival with some quiet spaces, I dont see the harm.

SkaterGrrrrl · 23/03/2012 17:58

Oh and you can buy ear protectors for babies and kids.

ifancyashandy · 23/03/2012 17:59

Yup, what Skater said. Not all festivals are mosh pit madness! Some are lovely and chilled and I would image Rewind attracts a slightly older crowd! Just stand towards the back of the action - you know, the bit where you see people dancing round prams!

Camp in the family field as they tend to have a 'no music past midnight' policy. I've been to loads of festivals with kids of all ages and have never had any problems. They've not been my kids but I've been happy to help friends out with holding them, rocking them, taking them for walks etc.