To worry about 14-year-olds alone in Thorpe Park?

[TheFabulist]

My DD's friend is having a birthday celebration at Thorpe Park with about six friends. One of parents will be "on site" but will not accompany the youngsters in an effort not to cramp their style.
I of course am fearing the worst -- kids falling out of roller coasters, breaking limbs, etc. Am I being an idiot? Would you let your 14-year-old go? Please don't judge me; I'm a worrier.

I’m a worrier too so I empathise!

To answer your query: I think around 13 is the right age for this, assuming no additional needs, so yabu.

And it was before mobiles. So no contact with my parents from 4am till midnight.

My 11 year old went to Chessington in year 6, is summer born so was 10 still as were a few others and they were allowed to wonder around the whole day in small groups only checking in for lunch!

My DD did this at the end of yr 7 and 8. I think they had a slip of paper on them with full details.

I have a whole coach thing going on, do don't get as far as worrying about the rides.

YABU. Most schools do trips to themeparks from Y7 with minimal supervision. I was getting the train to London locations and Thorpe Park aged 13 (with friends only) from the South Coast. I did once come down with terrible tonsillitis at Thorpe Park as a teenager but I survived!

Lol, hope this has calmed you down a bit OP.

I went to theme parks alone from 13, so did my DD. She’s going alone with friends in a couple of weeks.

Here they do theme park trips from Y7 and they go around alone.

For my 14the birthday I went on a coach trip alone with friends to Alton Towers. We also stayed in a Youth Hostel on our own for a few days the same summer. We were a rather boring, sensible group of 4 girls though. She'll be fine I'm sure, they're in a group they'll look out for one another if they're good friends.

I think you are being a little over protective but it is natural to worry. We went to Alton Towers a couple of weeks ago and I let DD 11 and her friend go round on their own, with the agreement of her friend's mum. I was on site with DS, we met for lunch and then at the end of the day. She had her phone and kept in regular contact with us about where they were and what they were going on. She walks to and from school with a friend and I am much more anxious about that than her being with a friend at an enclosed theme park!

There’s loads of staff and adults to deal with lost limbs and the like

Some have medical training and any idiot would ring for an ambulance

Plus - if you found a 14 year old in distress wouldn’t you help?

I live very near to Thorpe Park. It's a regular day out for teens here. No parents present.

We went to Drayton Manor on a school trip when I was year 5... and they let us roam the place....

That was in the 80s though.

And that was before mobiles!

My year 7 son is going to Disneyland Paris with school in 2 weeks. They'll be let go off by themselves but have school mobile to contact teachers etc.

School also have reward trip to Thorpe park for year 7 to 10 before school breaks up

Yes sorry, YABU. A 14 year old should be sensible enough not to wander off out of the park. There are plenty of staff members around, they will have phones and a parent on site. They will be perfectly safe!

YABU - I took 13yo Dd and 2 friends over Easter and didn’t stay on site. We were about 15 minutes drive away and they all had my number in case of emergency.

I’m a worrier but they were fine and almost all the other kids coming out were a similar age and unaccompanied. I briefed them on what to do in various circumstances (ie bags / phones stolen/ someone feeling sick etc) needless to say everything was fine xx

Thorpe Parke and Chrssington were my DCs first solo outings without adults. They are very safe, contained environments.

I took Dd for her 13th with 3 friends. Got there early, took them in to diss it out then left them to it. met them inside at 12.30 with a picnic lunch. Then I went back to the car for a snooze/read/radio until about 5pm when they forced me to come back in and go on a ride. I wouldn’t have left them if I didn’t feel they were safe, there’s plenty of staff there too.

She’ll be fine! Glad you feel reassured, OP.
It’s probably worth a reminder about keeping her belongings safe, though. Ask her not to take too much stuff with her, and only a small bag she can keep with her most of the time, or a jacket with a zipped pocket for phone and a bit of cash.

We used to take 5 coach loads to Alton Towers in the Summer term, there was a particular place staffed by teachers on a rota in case of problems. Worked fine, they were not allowed to go round on their own and anyone caught doing that was brought to sit with the teacher on duty for a while.
Never any problems other than being late back to the bus and if you've ever taken a coach trip you'll know that that is nothing to do with age!

I just want to give you an point of view as a 14 year old who has been in this position. My mother wouldnt let me go on a school trip as they werent supervising us around. Then she agreed I could go however i had to be escorted by teachers. Noone I mean noone was with the teachers I had lots of people laughing at me that day and it honestly really was one of my least favourite memories. It was embarrassing and upsetting . Id ask the parent to check in with the kids at certain times and leave them to it with strict rules not to leave and never be alone and have phones and numbers on them. Trust your child to make the right choices as being too overprotective could really hinder your relationship

I did this with DD and some friends when aged 11/12. I sat in the cafe until I got bored and then had a wander round. It’s really small compared to other theme parks so I found them easily.

They'll be fine, I went on a school trip to Paris at that age and we were all released into disneyland by ourselves without even being put into groups, just instructions of what time to meet back up, hours later.

My 12 year old has been on school trips and Guides trips to theme parks where they are allowed to go around in groups. They're good places to start to allow them to have that bit more freedom.

My 13 year old has just been on a school trip to a theme park. Went around in groups with teachers stationed around. It was fine. Your 14 year old will be fine.
I understand the worry though.

As the daughter of a worrier (still alive at 41!) I'd beg you to let her!

I was stopped from everything and I did much worse instead. She just didn't know so didn't worry... worse really as she had no idea where I was had anything gone wrong.

Anyway, yes, worry but do it quietly! 😀