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…?

None of us have ever been woken by drunk adults at a festival (or any camp site). I’m assuming you choose not to take your children on holiday as they would be out of routine, not in their own beds, and if you go to holiday resort hotels they could likely be woken by drunk adults in another room.

I actually know of a Nanny business that offers babysitting at festivals.

Get a trolley to put them in ...(also where you can hide your booze in the bottom ) little legs get tired

I’ll get flamed for this comment but I don’t think it’s fair on them tbh. No routine
Routine isn't everything and usually there is routine anyway, just a different one to home.

being woken all hours by drunk adults

Never happened to me in years of taking 8 months olds- 7 year olds

out of their own beds
So like being on any holiday? And in the fun of a airbed and sleeping bag which mine find brilliant fun in and of itself.

No doubt I’ll be told I’m being a neurotic mother and other posters took their newborn to Glastonbury, but i doubt it’ll be enjoyable for any of you tbh, and some things just aren’t suitable for babies.
Hardly any festivals are the size of Glastonbury. Most are much smaller with the campsite easier to access and are basically a glorified camping holiday with more food stalls and more entertainment.

Why wouldn't it be enjoyable? And I'm not remotely cool I'm sure!

I'm not quite sure what your comment means, as guess what, 13 years ago when we started going they were, um, let me check. Yes, 13 years younger! They were baby / toddler 13 years ago. I am talking from 13 years worth of experience.

I have even spoken about this "drunken idiot" experience above - 2 worried 17 year olds waking me up as they were worried about their friend who was v drunk and they wanted my help.

Just so much hyperbole from people who have never taken kids to a festival in this thread that is frankly hilarious!

Is this just to show what a chilled and adventurous mum you are?
It's not even that adventurous so I don't know why you'd say that. It's something thousands of families do every year.

Just so much hyperbole from people who have never taken kids to a festival in this thread that is frankly hilarious!
Agreed!

You asked if it is a terrible idea (your words). 80% of the voters have said it is and not fair on the kids. I’m sure you’ll have a good time though.

Hmm. Hopefully not anyone on this thread but I have seen some shockingly shit parenting at festivals recently with these “oh so cool” parents with very young children in totally inappropriate environments. I used to think it was fine but changed my mind.

I’ve seen some awful parenting at centre parcs, with “oh so Boden” parents in a totally innapropriate environment, clearly drunk with a very young child in the rapids, hitting their child for making noise in the pancake house, screaming in their childs face because they fell off their bike and dirtied their clothes.

I’ve seen some really awful parenting at hotels, parents on sun loungers while their young children are alone in the pool, allowing their children to suffer burns. I’ve seen some really awful parenting in the NHM including physical violence.

Are you not aware that bad parents are bad parents in all settings?

@Simonjt yes but festivals, unless specifically aimed at families, are inappropriate for young children. They’re a place adults go to listen to loud music, drink and socialise. A parent taking their small children to the pub at 10pm would be frowned upon, what’s the difference?

As a non-parent, I've been to festivals where quite a few people have had small children with them, and I have to say that I think lots of the posters on this thread are being ridiculously judgmental and weird. All the 'leave the children with granny' comments are incredibly patronising and presumptuous, and so many people seem to think that just because their own kids are terrified by any change of routine or environment, yours will be too. But it's simply not the case that all kids wither and collapse the moment they experience something new.

OP, do not worry about a thing. You and your DH sound like great parents who have thought this through really well and are putting your kids first. You know your own kids, and you know what kind of environments your toddler enjoys, and they've been camping before. You've chosen a family-friendly camping location and a family-friendly festival and as far as your kids are concerned, they're simply going on a very exciting camping holiday with lots of things to do and lots of new things to see. It will be fine!

Have I seen shit parenting at festivals? Yes, of course, occasionally. But I've also seen shit parenting in literally every other environment where people take small children. Some parents get hammered and leave their kids bored and scared at a family meal in a pub, but that doesn't mean other people who are great parents shouldn't take their kids out for Sunday lunch, does it? I've seen parents being irresponsible feckless twats at theme parks, but that doesn't mean nobody else should take their kid to Alton Towers.

Have a lovely time!

In what way is socialising, or loud music (with ear defenders) innapropriate? A festival is nothing like a pub, its more like a shopping centre, lots of shopping centres are open until 9pm and have places that serve alcohol, so do you avoid ever taking young children to a shopping centre because some limited parts will have adults drinking alcohol?

All the 'leave the children with granny' comments are incredibly patronising and presumptuous

They’re also very sexist as it shows they think childcare is womens work, otherwise they would be saying granny or grandad.

Drinking isn’t part of the ‘shopping centre’ experience, that’s a very weak comparison. Do you think taking a baby and toddler to the pub at night is fine? If there’s a band on?

@Sweetashunni you do know sone kids don't have routines don't you? Mine never have. They've also always loved festivals. My 16 year old went to her first one with friends in June and had a fantastic toem so definitely hasn't put her off.

Not really sure why adults listening to loud music, socialising and drinking at a festival is really any different from them doing that at a wedding reception or a family party, though? But nobody thinks parents are irresponsible or exposing their children to 'inappropriate' things by taking them to events like that.

If the OP feels that there's behaviour around her that isn't appropriate for the kids to see, she can remove them from that - in fact, she's said several times that she will do that, even if that means spending the whole weekend hanging out with the kids back at the family camping area.

Because a pub is one space. A fairly small one. A festival is a huge area, in some bits of which people are drinking, some aren't. You can be in a different field not that near the stages or at the food stalls.

And that's all festivals, not just marketed as specifically family friendly.

It really is much more like a shopping centre than a pub. You're not taking amy account of the scale of it.

You clearly haven’t wandered around meadowhall after 7pm. I don’t know anyone who considers alcohol part of the festival experience, I’ve been going to them for a long time, I’ve never been anywhere near tipsy at one, neither have the people I’ve been with, and I’m yet to see anyone drinking loads either.

Yes thats fine, we recently took our daughter to see her uncle play in a pub at 7pm, she danced on the stage with him in her headphones, no one was rowdy or drunk and the crowd clapped after each piece (I know clapping is a sin on MN!), the majority of people were eating meals as they watched/listened.

Agree that pubs largely only serve one purpose, whereas most festivals offer a much more varied set of activities. It’s not equivalent.

My colleague takes her kids to festivals all the time. They love it and have a great time! They've been going since they were babies (now 3 and 4) She swears by those trolleys though with the sunshade, I'd definitely be investing in one of those. Good luck, I'm sure it'll be great!

I remember very vividly being at my dad's 40th birthday party at a mostly outdoor venue when I was five. Lots of people were, I assume, drunk, although as a small child that didn't really register; I just thought they were being loud and silly because they were enjoying themselves. I had a very late night, the music was very loud, and I really enjoyed myself. Really, no drama whatsoever. So yes there are loads of circumstances were alcohol, a late night and a live band would totally fine for kids.

I think you're missing the point that there are many, many different types of festival and many different types of venue. A family-friendly festival, which specifically has a family camping area, kids' face painting etc (which is what the OP has said) isn't the same as taking a toddler to a death metal gig in a basement club while tanked up on amphetamines.

I mean right now I'm at an outdoor big screen surrounded by good stalls and yes, bars. There are some adults drinking, lots not (I'm not). DC are eating ice cream, watching the cricket and dancing to the music playing over the cricket. Very festival-like and completely appropriate for children despite not advertising itself as marketed to children specifically.

I think you to Google ‘cruel’

Keen to know which festival you think is family friendly