Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Original poster

Do you judge kids at a music festival?

152 replies

MonstranceClock · 22/06/2019 08:07

Next year my daughter will be old enough to come with me to a festival that she wants to go to. I went myself this year and saw lots of kids her age, all having a blast. However, a few of the parents had issues with people coming up to them and telling them that children didnt belong there and they should be ashamed.
I personally don't see the issue, it's basically just a huge fair ground with live music.
If you do judge, aibu to ask why?

OP posts:

Magmatic80 · 22/06/2019 08:10

I don’t judge, I think how nice it is to see the parents sharing something exciting and different to do with their children. And that’s coming from a non parent who isn’t that keen on other people’s children!

I’d say totally go for it, I’m sorry horrid people were judgy to your friends.

Morgan12 · 22/06/2019 08:10

I think its great. I was going to take my DS to TRNSMT until the line up was announced. He loves music and is very social so he would have loved it.

AnthonyCrowley · 22/06/2019 08:10

I used to take dd to festivals when she was younger and never had that happen and never saw it.

Maybe it depends on the festival? Ive never been to Leeds/Reading but it has a reputation for being a bit raucous so would some people be worried about small kids there? Saying that a friend took her 10yo to Leeds and had a great time.

Festivals are great for kids.

FourEyesGood · 22/06/2019 08:12

You haven’t said how old your daughter is. But I guess it doesn’t matter anyway. Assuming she’s somewhere under the age of 12, what matters is that you keep her safe and make sure she knows what to do if she gets lost, and that you get her some ear defenders to protect her hearing. (I guess if she’s a bit older than 12, that still applies but maybe earplugs instead of defenders!)
Festivals are a lot of fun and a great experience for children.

Weepingwillows12 · 22/06/2019 08:13

I thought some festivals had age limits? Pretty sure Reading used to be 14 but that was ages ago. If there is no age limit then its fine to take kids. If there's an age limit then probably not.

Original poster

MonstranceClock · 22/06/2019 08:16

They have to be 5, and she will be almost 6 next year when it's on. It's download festival, so friendly metal heads mostly. The kids i met this year were having such an amazing time, even in all the mud!

OP posts:

Weepingwillows12 · 22/06/2019 08:18

I just checked Reading and I am wrong. They say no unaccompanied children but kids can come. If it's like it used to be, I probably wouldn't take a kid camping in Reading but maybe in the day so long as I was way out from the mosh pit.

I think younger kids or teens could be scared in the crush near the front and may not see much being near the back so probably would pick one with stuff to do rather than just watch music.

Justathinslice · 22/06/2019 08:19

It can be nice, but I do wonder how fun it is for toddlers when they are sleeping in a wagon, in the rain, ear defenders on at 11.30 at night being pulled around by half drunk parents.
Some of the family based festivals are fabulous though....

OwlinaTree · 22/06/2019 08:21

We used to go to Leeds festival every year and that is really not family friendly. Nothing for kids there, very adult environment. So I wouldn't take kids there tbh, mainly because I'd be spending the whole time looking out for what they were doing and wouldn't enjoy it myself! Also if it's wet and muddy as it often is, they can't sit down and play on the grass etc, so it's pretty miserable for them.

There are however lots of family friendly festivals, which do have loads going on by all accounts, so I really think it depends where you are planning to go.

user87382294757 · 22/06/2019 08:21

depends on the festival and how family friendly it is. Some like Bestival might be better for younger kids perhaps

dragonway · 22/06/2019 08:23

As long as your kid is within the festival organisers age limits then YANBU. The people who challenge you are BU.

Krisskrosskiss · 22/06/2019 08:27

You might get a bit of that at Downlaod because it very much is one where a certain bunch of people will go to get very very smashed! And I guess those people think they should be able to do that without seeing any kids anywhere.... they are wrong though because the festival does say its suitable for children from 5 up...
I certainly wouldn't judge you... but then I also wouldn't go to download myself because it's a bit too intense. I have taken my kids to music festivals. I took my 1yo to Bluedot and it was absolutely fine, he had a great time. And I took him when he was 3 and my daughter who was only a few months old to Bestival. Again we had a great time.

velocitygirl7 · 22/06/2019 08:32

During the pre school years we took dd & ds to Glastonbury every year. They loved every minute of it and although a very different experience to pre dc festivals, we had some magical times.
Dd is 18 now but can still remember being on my shoulders watching Paul McCartney. She remembers it us being unbelievably exciting and loves that she's seen a Beatle live!

cattypussclaw · 22/06/2019 08:33

We took DD to the Isle of Wight festival when she was 5. She had a fabulous few days, went a bit feral, got covered in mud, had her face painted by a lady who toured with Lady Gaga (who knows if this was true but DD still talks about it), fell asleep halfway through the Foo Fighters, saw more than a few falling-down-drunk people (who she dismissed as having had "too much beer") but also met some incredibly friendly people (including a group of very drunk young men who offered to lay down in the mud so she could walk over a particularly boggy patch), lived on chips and candy floss, stayed up late and slept half the day... I hope it's a memory that will stay with her forever and I don't give a damn what other people think.

DH goes to Download every year with his son. Not my cup of tea, musically, children go there and it is, by all accounts, an incredibly friendly and welcoming community (despite that racket they listen to).

Good on parents who will suffer the inevitable rain, mud, lack of sleep and hygiene, and the miles and miles of walking that comes with festival. I take my IoW 2011 hat off to them. No judging, just respect.

Original poster

MonstranceClock · 22/06/2019 08:34

My daughter is massively into music. Whenever a song she likes comes on in the car, the first thing she does when we get home is she like to watch a live performance of it on youtube. I know she'll love the festival! Plus she's a real rocker!

OP posts:

Atalune · 22/06/2019 08:35

I think a good rule of thumb is what facilities do they have for kids? Kids field/area? Dedicated family camping? If it doesn’t then I would say probably not such a great idea.

Original poster

MonstranceClock · 22/06/2019 08:36

I won't camp with her, we'll stay locally. The behaviour in the campsites this year was atrocious.

OP posts:

Atalune · 22/06/2019 08:37

I think you’ve answered your own question there op.

RuffleCrow · 22/06/2019 08:38

Er, no! Apparently running about at music festivals as a kid in the 90s watching the Prodigy and Garbage is where Adele fell in love with music. So how could it be a bad thing?

CMOTDibbler · 22/06/2019 08:39

DS went to Download for the first time last year at 12 and loved it. Personally, I wouldn't take 5/6 year olds just because I know that the lack of kids things to do would have been an issue for ds, he would have been too small for the rides, and all the walking would have knackered him before I got to see any of the bands I wanted to.
Now he's a delight to take in his combat boots and kilt, and people are really kind in general. Even if he is a bit tutty over the drunk and stoned people out of their earshot.

CountFosco · 22/06/2019 08:40

We're going to Deershed for the second year running which bills itself as a family festival. There's a science tent, a tent showing disney films, kids yoga, den building, woodland crafts. TBH if I saw someone there without kids I'd wonder why they were there. There are lots of family friendly festivals, Glastonbury has the biggest kids festival in Europe.

On the other hand I wouldn't take the DC to TRNSMT or Leeds/Reading because they are more traditional young adult festivals.

cattypussclaw · 22/06/2019 08:40

Sorry, utterly failed to really answer the OP. I guess some parents will judge as they might consider the whole festival environment (although I do realise it varies) as unsuitable or inappropriate for children. FWIW, my opinion is that you will see adults behaving badly but you will also find kind, friendly (and sometimes v entertaining) folk who help your child have an amazing time. There are two sides to everything and I felt that, for us, the warmth and kindness that was shown to her outweighed any of the silly behaviour that she witnessed.

cloudyinjune · 22/06/2019 08:42

My first gig was The Cure, with my mum and aunt. To this day that is one of the greatest moments of my life. I was 10.

crapcrap · 22/06/2019 08:42

I took my little girl (4) to the Isle of Wight festival this year- I took her on the two quieter days Thursday and Sunday but left before it got too late.
She had an amazing time and people loved seeing her dancing about with me. She got a fair bit of attention because she was "so cute".. it was lovely. Luckily though she insists on holding my hand anywhere we go so I didn't have to worry about her running off etc.
I think if you're happy to, then why not. It changes the experience but I loved it and so did she

Biker47 · 22/06/2019 08:46

I go to Download and usually do judge, as I can't imagine small kids are really that interested in the music, regardless how much the parents protest and insist that "ohh my kids tell me to crank up the Lamb of God and when we're in the car all the time, they're such huge fans, they're favourite song is "More Time to Kill"" but really, the only reason they're there is because you want to be there more than anything and have either decided to bring them along, or have been forced to by having no-one to cover.

That being said, provided they are kept in check and not annoying people, doesn't really bother me, and never has. I certainly wouldn't go up to someone out of the blue and tell them their kids didn't belong there, unless as above they were being dicks and the parents were doing nothing about it.

With regards to the fairground parts, would probably work out cheaper and easier just taking them to a fairground or theme park for a day. Don't think any of the rides are anything less than £5 a pop and 6 years old is probably too small to ride most of them anyways.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6 7