Festival with a 2.5 year old and a nine month old…

[Hiphopopotamonster]

So next month my DH and I are taking our toddler and baby to a festival. It’s a medium size one (a few thousand people I think) and seems family friendly ish although it’s not particularly marketed at families. We’ll be camping in a tent. It’s seemed like a brilliant idea when we booked it a few months ago but im getting a bit jittery now and wondering if it’s just going to be awful.

So - is this a terrible idea? Will it all be ok? And does anyone have any tips to make it more ok…?

Latitude and Shambala!

If this isn’t for you then why on earth didn’t you book a family festival???
They’re great, with amazing headline acts, fat boy slim did camp bestival a few years ago. Regular festivals are not appropriate for children imo as there’s lots of drugs and booze all day. Glasto being the exception as it’s so big you really can keep to the family area.

More absolute nonsense.

Do you really think with all the examples and experience people have given that there are only drug-fuelled, tent-burning pits of terror and Bestival with nothing inbetween?

Tons of festivals are not aimed exclusively at families but have loads for families and are lovely, safe environments. And don't need to be anywhere near the size of Glastonbury for that.

@Dontworkmondays you do realise people drink and do drugs at camp bestival don't you? If they're going to do it, it won't matter where they are.
Most festivals have a family area so you're talking a lot of rubbish. You can keep away from the above too. If you notice it, you move. Just as you would in a normal holiday

You can totally go and have a lovely time if you, like everyone has said, have low expectations and just go with the flow. All these answers telling you it's wrong are being a bit extreme. There's room for all sorts at festivals these days. Yes, you can get drunk and take drugs and dance all night but there are so many festivals that have put money into making events family friendly. As long as you're in the family camping area you're not going to have people sniffing lines outside your tent. Just make a nice camp, do some fun activities, watch some music, look at some weird stuff. Then go back to the camp and chill. What fun. I'm a seasoned festival goer, but now have a two year old. Haven't yet braved it, but thinking about it soon. From the point of view of people without kids who want to get absolutely shit faced, a kid free zone is ideal. But personally I think it's lovely to see families there. As long as they are being properly looked after, not disturbed by anything they see, and tucked up safe in bed. I don't see why a nearly 3 year old wouldn't have fun at a festival- loads to look at, things to see and do! Hope you have fun!

And so what if it is for them and not the children?
We were taken every where my parents wanted to go growing up. Same with all my friends. Whether thats a festival or not.

All my equestrian friends with children take them competing from a few weeks old etc. its just life, its absolutely fine to slot children in to your current lifestyle - i’m quite literally surrounded by people that successfully do that in the equine world and motor world!

I think this is why a lot of new parents struggle, there's this expectation that everything they do has to be for the children, everywhere they go has to be aimed at children. I think children should also fit into your life, it's really not selfish to put ourselves first sometimes and go to places for ourselves.

Haha I definitely wouldn’t bother, but I hope it goes well for you. Could go either way but only one way to find out! Good luck!

i have an 8mo and we ve been at the seaside in our country for 3 days. it is very very very hard to keep the baby entertained at the beach, and i suspect that wont be much different at a festival. you can put a picnic blanket somewhere but all you ll do is tend to the baby, if your is anything like. mine or the 90% of babies i lnow of. you ll probably need noise canceling headphones. and what will you do about bedtime? if you hace a strict routine, this might work, but babies tend to sleep very early think 7 30 pm so one of you will have to be on call at all times. festivals will fome and go and i for one will not enjoy anything if i have to take care of a baby this little. her routine is in the way.
and. i didnt mention the older one, technically with just him it would be possible, kids that age tend to understand stuff and can stay up untill a bit later so i wont weigh in on this. but a 9mo absolutely not. skip this year

oh amd daytime naps? there s at least 3.5 hours divided into 2 naps when you ll have to tend to the baby again.

Yep, headphones required. But otherwise ours slept happily around and about with us. It was easier at 8 months and under 3 in general than last year when they were 6 and 4 and too big for the trolley.

At 8 months DS napped in the sling or in the buggy listening to music or in one of the quieter woods bits. Then was changed into sleep suit and fleece pramsuit after an in-tent washbowl bath then slept in buggy till about 11 when he would usually wake for a feed anyway so back in tent then, feed and then we all went to bed.

Yeah, that’s why I’ve seen so many pissed up parents in resorts abroad or here with a grizzly kid in a buggy at 2am. Really you should be putting the kid first.

you ll probably need noise canceling headphones
To clarify when I agreed headphones required I didn't mean noise cancelling ones, just the ear defender ones. Mine were used to napping out and about in noise.

Reading this sort of thread really opens my eyes. I’m of farming and horsey stock, and all of my friends with babies (bar the one friend who’s baby was v premature, and the friend who’s little one has a feeding tube) have been to stay away competitions, camping, festivals, driven tractors all evening, travel etc etc.

none of the hand wringing over entertainment and routines that I see here?

We’re from the same blood clearly! My parents lives never revolved completely around me abd my brothers. We literally did what they did, i was at the stables 24 hours old! Ponies still needed mucking out and feeding.

i had an absolutely amazing childhood.

OP you’ll be fine! Sounds like you’re going into it with the right attitude.

I think lots of these tips have been mentioned already

-take lots of small toys/activities that can entertain your 2.5yo to give you better chance of being able to sit down and chill for a bit. Stickers, books, pens, little puzzle toys etc.

-dress the 2.5yo in something bright/distinctive - hopefully you won’t actually lose them but there’s bound to be a moment when they’ve got out of your sight momentarily and being able to spot them immediately saves you those seconds of panic. I found bright “Where’s Wally” style stripes particularly good for picking out in a crowd.

-Even when you’re together, have one adult always consciously in charge of one/both children. It’s easy in these situations for you each to assume the other one has their eye on the children and actually neither of you do. Or equally that you both spend the whole time on ‘alert’ which is exhausting.

Just to answer this point, this isn’t something I’m massively worried about. The baby is pretty good at sleeping in the pram or in the carrier or in our arms. She’s fine to take out and about all day generally. We have ear defenders and the plan is that she can sleep on us/in the carrier in the evenings. Again obviously, if she can’t settle or gets overstimulated one of us will take her back to the tent to put her down properly, but generally our days aren’t ruled by our baby’s nap time or bedtime schedule.

@monsteramom21 it's not difficult to entertain a baby on a beach and at a festival there's even more to do.
Not everybody has routines, I never have had them. Plenty of babies will happily sleep anywhere. Babies are very portable and adaptable

Well I promised I would update so here we go….

We had a brilliant time! Toddler was in her element. Loved the kid’s activities and all the music and the food and just having lots of people around. The baby was a dream - napped fine in the carrier and actually slept brilliantly in the tent. (They both did!)

Some of the concerns that people had…

1. inappropriate environment - could not be more wrong. The vibe was so friendly and lovely and the family camping area was great.

2. Kids sleeping/waking up early/screaming through the night and annoying everyone. Nope. They slept like a dream. Though if you’re on the fence about doing this with your kids and worried about them being noisy at night, we had toddlers and babies in tents around us that were definitely not settled all through the night and did make some noise and really, no one cared.

3. Us as adults having a terrible time Again, nope. We had a great time. Juggled the kids around between us and our genuinely helpful friends so we all got time to do the things we wanted to do.

4. kids being bored and not having fun I really wish I could show you photos and videos of my eldest - she had the time of her life and just loved it.

For anyone who has read through this thread because they’re thinking about doing a similar experience with young kids I would say absolutely go for it. Definitely read all the helpful tips from the people who have actually done it - they were the ones that were all positive in advance and had really helpful advice. We’re absolutely sold on festivals as a family now and plan to make it an annual thing!

Really glad you all had fun! We’re off to our annual festival later this month. We’ve been going since our youngest had just turned 4 and it’s still one of our favourite family weekends each year.

Never ever understood kids at festivals, just so selfish. No your 2 year old doesnt care about a festival.

I am probably hardened by the number of kids I see at Glasto. Out way past their bedtime, unfamiliar surroundings, drunk/high adults, noisy, dark. I always feel bloody awful for them. Leave them at home is my advice!

Love the update! Glad you guys had fun!

Haha I only read the first page and not your update. It is so not for me but glad your kids dont seem traumatised.

😂 thanks! But I really do want to reassure people who are reading this and are in two minds - not all festivals are Glastonbury and Reading. They’re really not. The image you gave of upset, tired and scared kids seems so sad and so many miles away from our weekend.

Nice weather - probably be ok. What if it rains heavy? You’d end up stuck in the tent. I would hate to camp with babies / toddlers but many do and enjoy it.