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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

255 replies

Hiphopopotamonster · 20/07/2023 13:41

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…?

OP posts:
LittleBearPad · 20/07/2023 21:16

Did he do much bouncing on a bouncy castle?

Did you decide to go on holiday because that’s where you wanted to go and just take him along? NB the OP’s apparently mainly going because of the two year old…

DappledThings · 20/07/2023 21:19

LittleBearPad · 20/07/2023 21:16

Did he do much bouncing on a bouncy castle?

Did you decide to go on holiday because that’s where you wanted to go and just take him along? NB the OP’s apparently mainly going because of the two year old…

She's not said she's going mainly because of the 2 year old but quite rightly thinks the two year old will enjoy it.

Same as I did with my children at all the ages we've taken them to festivals and holidays. It's neither entirely for their benefit or entirely harmful to them. Funnily enough it's, like pretty much everything, a bit for us and a bit for them.

LittleBearPad · 20/07/2023 21:22

DappledThings · 20/07/2023 21:19

She's not said she's going mainly because of the 2 year old but quite rightly thinks the two year old will enjoy it.

Same as I did with my children at all the ages we've taken them to festivals and holidays. It's neither entirely for their benefit or entirely harmful to them. Funnily enough it's, like pretty much everything, a bit for us and a bit for them.

Show quote history

I’m doing this more for my toddler than myself!

This is what the OP said.

DappledThings · 20/07/2023 21:25

LittleBearPad · 20/07/2023 21:22

I’m doing this more for my toddler than myself!

This is what the OP said.

Show quote history

Fair enough. I would have said at the same age it was equally for us and them but given how much time we ended up at the children's bits and not seeing as many bands as we wanted it probably did end up more for them than us. Which is fine. As they get older the balance will shift again.

Pleasedontputthatthere · 20/07/2023 21:27

The people commenting about drunk folk have clearly never been to a proper family friendly festival. Our experience at than has always been great, really good for the kids.

Hiphopopotamus · 20/07/2023 21:28

LittleBearPad · 20/07/2023 21:22

I’m doing this more for my toddler than myself!

This is what the OP said.

Show quote history

That is what I said. And that doesn’t mean it’s all about my toddler. It means that I actually wouldn’t choose to go just with my DH, it wouldn’t be my choice for a weekend with friends. I’m going because I think it will genuinely be a fun family weekend with lots of things my toddler will enjoy. Does that make sense?

Original poster
Hiphopopotamonster · 20/07/2023 21:28

I have to say, the votes are not with me 😂😂

OP posts:
TheaBrandt · 20/07/2023 21:42

Take them to a farm or the park - family fun minus pissed adults.

Original poster
Hiphopopotamonster · 20/07/2023 21:50

TheaBrandt · 20/07/2023 21:42

Take them to a farm or the park - family fun minus pissed adults.

I’m actually going to stop saying the same thing soon but I’ll try again…

They won’t be around pissed adults. I don’t drink. My DH doesn’t drink. I will be removing them from any large crowds of drunk people. There will be kids at family bbqs interacting with more drunk people than my children will at this very tame festival.

When I was asking for advice it really was more in the practicalities of having the kids sleeping in the tent, easy feeding, managing the walking around and the weather etc etc. I don’t need to be told I’m a terrible parent for exposing them to what you have imagined I’m taking them to.

OP posts:
CrazyArmadilloLady · 20/07/2023 22:11

Pleasedontputthatthere · 20/07/2023 21:27

The people commenting about drunk folk have clearly never been to a proper family friendly festival. Our experience at than has always been great, really good for the kids.

The OP said in the OP that the festival they’re going to isn’t particularly marketed for families. She’s not going to the sort of festival you’re describing.

With a 2.5YO and a 9MO, they’re going to be doing a lot of hand-on entertaining to keep them happy.

Original poster
Hiphopopotamonster · 20/07/2023 22:13

CrazyArmadilloLady · 20/07/2023 22:11

The OP said in the OP that the festival they’re going to isn’t particularly marketed for families. She’s not going to the sort of festival you’re describing.

With a 2.5YO and a 9MO, they’re going to be doing a lot of hand-on entertaining to keep them happy.

Show quote history

By not marketed to families I meant that it isn’t specifically a kids festival. But it is family friendly with a family camping area and stuff put on specifically for the kids.

OP posts:
CrazyArmadilloLady · 20/07/2023 22:17

Hiphopopotamonster · 20/07/2023 22:13

By not marketed to families I meant that it isn’t specifically a kids festival. But it is family friendly with a family camping area and stuff put on specifically for the kids.

Show quote history

Good luck!

Finefinefine · 20/07/2023 22:21

Hope it isn’t a certain 80s festival in Macclesfield in 2 weeks 😂

luckily I’ll be in the motorhome field getting lairy.

DappledThings · 20/07/2023 22:26

The OP said in the OP that the festival they’re going to isn’t particularly marketed for families. She’s not going to the sort of festival you’re describing
That just means it isn't Bestival with a CBeebies stage.

None of the festivals I've been to have been marketed particularly as for families but all have had loads for children to do.

ChimneyP0t · 20/07/2023 22:39

So many judgemental and dramatic naysayers here 😅I didn't read all comments but i think anyone who has actually done it knows its fine. I bet you will have a great time! We did one last year with a 20mo and 3.5yo, i have so many happy memories of that weekend and they still talk about it and are excited for this year. Didn't have time for one the year they were 8mo and 2.5, but did do loads of camping that summer which was also fine (and fun!). I honestly think you're giving them a lovely novel experience that they will get far more out of than going to the park/farm AGAIN. And surely since absolutely everyone at a festival is off their face 24/7 they're not likely to be trouble by a bit of crying at night 😉.
Absolute worst case scenario, it doesn't work for whatever reason so you leave early and try again next year.

HAVE A WONDERFUL TIME! x

PixieBigShoes · 20/07/2023 22:44

Have a read of this https://www.festivalkidz.com/advice/taking-babies-to-festivals/?amp and explore the site and see if your festival has been reviewed by a family. I'm so curious as to which one you're going to! I think my two were 3 and 7 for their first festival and they loved it. If they have family camping and have activities on for children then it is a family festival and they'll be well catered for. I bet they'll love it. Just make sure you've got ear defenders for both of them. Most people advise to wear the baby in a sling. Please tell us which festival it is! I'm really excited for you.

Taking Babies to Festivals - Festival Kidz

We took our daughter, Martha, to a festival when she was nine months old. A lot of friends thought we were crazy taking babies to festivals...

https://www.festivalkidz.com/advice/taking-babies-to-festivals?amp=

Guineapigwoes · 20/07/2023 22:46

Which festival is it actually op?

I think this makes a huge difference as to how people will answer and you might get some insight from some people who’ve been before

Guineapigwoes · 20/07/2023 22:48

You know what puts me off most (this depends on if you can camp next to the car) ferrying all the stuff from the car to the campsite with the kids in tow. Sounds like a recipe for a divorce 😂

rainbowlou · 20/07/2023 22:56

We have done this, it was great fun and yes we were out of routine for a long weekend but we managed.
Having young children (1 a baby) we were able to collect a key to change nappies in the accessible/baby changing separate toilets which was very handy.
We took ear defenders for evenings when live music was on.
Showering with a slippery baby was a bit of a challenge but not impossible.
Go with a positive mind and have fun, if it turns out to be a disaster you can pack up and leave!

BillyBraggisnotmylover · 20/07/2023 22:58

Guineapigwoes · 20/07/2023 22:48

You know what puts me off most (this depends on if you can camp next to the car) ferrying all the stuff from the car to the campsite with the kids in tow. Sounds like a recipe for a divorce 😂

If you have a decent trolley and a sling, one takes responsibility for the trolley loaded with gear and the other has the youngest in a sling and holds the toddler’s hand to walk in. You can expect to do a few trips back and forth even without kids to be fair - ours are old enough to walk and carry stuff but we take so much crap we can’t do it all in one go.

Most family fields are friendly enough that people will help each other set up camp - if we saw a family setting up alone with young children we’d all muck in, same for a lone parent with children.

The biggest problem will be extreme heat or pissing rain!

thaegumathteth · 20/07/2023 23:01

Oh Op go and have a great time. If it goes wrong then so what? It's a weekend not a lifetime. If we never did anything that might be a pain in the arse with our kids we'd never leave the house!?!?

Hopefully you'll have a great time but all the outraged comments are really pissing me off. God - parents want to have a nice weekend with their kids - call SS!

All the 'send them to granny' for the weekend comments also piss me off as they always do at the absolute entitlement that people have that they think everyone has childcare on tap. My kids are teen and pre teen and have never spent a weekend away apart from school / scout trips etc.

Anyways I've ranted but go, relax, don't expect too much and if it all goes tits up then so what??

Finefinefine · 20/07/2023 23:17

I stay well away from festivals marketed as “Family Friendly”

is it too much to ask that people leave their kids out of adult spaces? Yes there’s stuff for them to do but it’s the equivalent of a wetherspoons providing some toys. Let adults have fun without grizzling kids hanging around.

CuriositysCat · 20/07/2023 23:19

I think this is bordering on cruel to such young children.

DappledThings · 20/07/2023 23:23

CuriositysCat · 20/07/2023 23:19

I think this is bordering on cruel to such young children.

Actual LOL

PigletTiggerEeyoreAndRoo · 20/07/2023 23:38

I took my 2.5yr old to a festival on my own, meeting friends there, we both had an amazing time. Different to when I was younger and kid free but still really good. I don’t drink, so that was easy. I took her back to the tent for her bedtime and she slept and I lay chilling from the day hearing the music from across the field. We did all the kid’s activities but the atmosphere was still all around us. She absolutely adored it.