Teenager wants to go to reading music festival

[Reynolia]

My 16yr daughter wants to go to Reading music festival with a small group of her friends in the summer. Apart from the cost (£200) I am uncomfortable with the idea of her being there without any adult supervision. She thinks I'm being unreasonable and tells me loads of girls from her school go each year and to quote her ' have the best time of their lives'. I have voiced my concerns about drunkenness , drugs, sex and she scoffs at me and says she doesn't get involved with this sort of thing. I do trust her in this respect, but still very worried as i am fully aware that this sort of thing goes on.Does anyone have any experience of their children going to music festivals (especially Reading) at this age. I'd really like some input.

Shlurpbop eeeewwww! No wonder my patients were sooo keen for a wash when they came in.

DS goes to Leeds (same as Reading) and has had 'the best 4 days of his entire life'. Not so much in the floods this year

Pretty much the entire post GCSE teenage population of the north are at Leeds while the entire teenage population in London/South are at Reading. Your dd will be missing out on a lot of experiences if you are the only parent in the UK not to let her go.

You should let her go Reading is great but you should get her to promise you a few things first.

1. do not camp in the field (or fields) closest to the arena. The Sunday night does get a bit messy and people have a tendency to set fire to things. For tips on where is best to camp a read of the Reading festival forum pages are worth a look. Loads of experienced people who know which campsite will be noisy or quiet.
   If she sleeps in the quiet area she can always visit the noisy bit and leave when she has had enough.

2. she must sleep in a large tent with her friends

3. always sleep with your valuables stashed at the bottom of your sleeping bag.

4. stay away from mosh pits

I wouldn't worry about booze they are really strict now.

The forum pages could be really useful for her to get some idea of what to expect, don't know if you will have any luck getting a 16 year old to read them but its worth a try.

I went at that age, but my parents would never have paid for me. Can't believe how expensive it is now. But if you trust her, then let her go. Such an amazing experience for her.

I went and paid my own way. I went on my own too and it was brilliant. She'll be safe, especially with friends, especially if you talk through stuff before she goes - falls into the grounds of acceptable risks I'd say, and will help her to become more independent and trust her own judgement more as a fledgling adult.

I went when I was 17 and was fine. As long as she's with good friends she'll be okay.

let her go. bite you nails. she'll be fine

People in Hades want ice water, too. I would never have been allowed, and would not allow my daughter, if I had one. I don't even let the cat outside.

Let her go. At a festival she'll be more interested in going to see the bands. If she wants to get pissed, stoned or shag she'll do more of that when she doesn't take a few hours out to watch bands.

She'll have a brilliant time and come home minging! :)

To all the people flippantly saying don't expect to see your tent again, could you not educate your children that this is a bloody irresponsible thing to do. It's a massive issue at all festivals, where it takes weeks to dismantle all the left over tents. If they don't want to carry it home, at least take it to the Oxfam collection point where it will be donated to a refugee camp. People who can't be arsed to take their tents down are selfish cunts, especially the ones at Glasto who really don't give a shit about the animals who use that field for 50 weeks of the year.

By next summer she must be within about 15 months or so of being an adult and doing what she likes without your permission.
She is already old enough to marry or join the army so I think she can cope with a music festival in Reading! By now she either to be trusted with drink, drugs and sex or she isn't, the groundwork needs to have been done.

My dd17 went this year with a group of boys and girls. She had a great time. I was very worried but trusted her and the group of friends she went with. The only downside was when she came home she smelt, lost her voice and was very tired. Despite it being lovely weather she said she wax freezing at night.

To add she funded it herself I paid for some good to take and buy when she was there

DS who now is a festival regular always brings his tent home and uses the same one each time and also takes a warm top and woolly hat for in his sleeping bag at night as it is usually a bit cold.

She needs to take care of her valuables more than worry about the drugs, drink and sex- there is a lot of theft.

Lisa I think the tent issue at Reading is they are often set on fire. If that happens I don't think you can reasonably take it home. I agree that people abandoning tents at Glasto is good.

I would agree with her going provided she paid for the ticket or it was a Christmas/birthday present. I have always found Reading too full of sulky teenagers for my liking so she'll probably have a great time. I agree with them all sharing a big tent, camping somewhere sensible and not taking any valuables. It's incredibly difficult to get booze into the arena and food and drinks there are very expensive.

I was extremely shocked at people just leaving their tents for other people to clear up.

In my day hardly anyone left their tent although lots of people seemed to sleep in rolled up tarpaulin. Or just not bother to sleep for three days (judging by the people gyrating outside the Joe Bananas stall)

i'd be furious if one of my daughters just casually left her tent pitched like some sort of princess

Oh yes - it does get very cold at night - an air mattress is a really good idea or a thermarest

Even if someone sets your tent on fire, surely you stay and clear up the mess? DS always brought his minging tent home, sadly.

I skimmed and read it as a reading festival and was expecting lots of answers along the lines of "my child does the reading festival but only goes to the tent that has a reading age of 47 because he is so clever"!
It is tough but I think If you trust her let her go. Do not be tempted to go with her and camp next to her, I have helicopter friends who do that and try to get down and groovy with their daughters friends, painfully embarrassing

If she doesn't get drunk and have wild sex at home why would she do it at a festival where she has paid a fortune to see bands?

I was extremely shocked at people just leaving their tents for other people to clear up.

There is a charity that collects them

www.festivalrepublic.com/charity/general/global_hand__fighting_poverty_without_money

May I just add that my ds stopped going to Reading because of alcohol controls and extra security. That may set your mind at rest!

Nooooo I went to Leeds last year with my 23 and 20 yr old son. No way would I let my 16 year old go. It really is copious amounts of drugs. You are touted every 30 seconds. And sex in every tent!
I'm a 'cool' mum. Would never ever say yes. Unless you go with her ... :)

I've been to Leeds, at 22, personally I wouldn't think a whole weekend at Reading would be suitable for a 16 year old, but maybe going for the day?

She is right it is amazing, but it's also very busy, full of alcohol, drugs, sleazy guys that IMO I wouldn't think a 16 year old would be confident and street wise enough to deal with, no matter how streetwise she thinks she is!

It's also ridiculously expensive, you are looking at the price of a weeks holiday for a weekend camping, with food, drinks, souvenirs.