Kirstie Allsop's 15 Year Old Son

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Kirstie Allsop has just posted on X (Twitter) that her 15 year old son has just returned from inter-railing around Europe.

He was accompanied by his 16 year old friend.

AIBU to think this is too young?

These situations may seem OK but at that age they think they are invincible, so they can be impulsive and not make the best decisions, especially when something goes wrong!

Rich people are very privileged in pretty much every area of work, property, education, travel, possessions, food and shelter.
Being rich in itself really doesn’t need special consideration.

I agree it is young (so is 16), many places don’t even allow under 18 to stay unaccompanied for one night in a hotel.

I wouldn’t have agreed to this, but his DM has strange ideas generally, so it’s no surprise.

Absolutely agree!

So judgemental! Why be so nasty and negative. There’s so much jealousy on here, that having a sensible conversation is becoming a rare thing!

As a Society we infantilise our children.
I was working (weekends and holidays) at that age, and had long been capable of travelling up to London from my Middlesex home to sightsee and shop on my own, with friends, and, from the age of 11, with my brother and his friend - 5 and 4 years younger than me respectively, providing childcare in the holidays by visiting the museums there Etc.
At 15, I would wager I was more of a responsible adult than most 15-year-olds today - possibly than most 21-year-olds, if the interns I work with are anything to go by!
Kirstie seems to be a no-nonsense, old-fashioned kind of Mum - so I’m sure that her children are more advanced and capable of autonomy than most others that age now.
What is strange though, is that with the availability of constant contact with parents (mobile phones Etc.) more children aren’t given even more freedom than I had in the 1970’s!

The bit on my X related her answering someone who had said maybe OK for boy but not for a girl of that age to go inter-railing alone and she answered why was it any different for a girl? Astonishment all round.

My BF and I toured England and Scotland on a Brit rail pass back in the summer of 1973. We had just turned 17. We saved our wages from our part-time jobs in a supermarket and our parents paid airfares.We flew from Canada.
We stayed in youth hostels which was challenging and occasionally with relatives of mine. Towards the end of our six weeks away, we scraped together enough money to stay in a bed and breakfast in York. I found the receipt last year when chucking out ready for a house move. £3.00!! Astonishing.
We did have our share of attention from mostly older men, but we could cope with this as we’d been propositioned/shouted at since we were 13 or 14.
It was back to school in the September and I remember feeling so sophisticated 😉 as our other friends had spent the summer at home or camping with their parents.
It was the best trip and I wish I was still in touch with my old friend so we could reminisce.

Are you saying we shouldn't let our daughters do things we would let our sons do?

Is that not like saying they can't wear mini skirts because people will sexually assault them?

Why do we limit our daughters because of men's behaviour? Why not keep our sons at home if we can't trust men?

We let our just turned 16 year old go to Reading festival for 4 nights, and to be honest I would’ve much preferred him to have been Interailing!!

O dear some people love to mollycoddle their kids. I some countries 15 is a full adult with a job responsibilities etc. the same was true in the UK in the past. Sounds like he had a great time.

Every child is different with different perspectives built from the guidance, support and experiences they have in life and every parent is different in the way they approach parenting their children, partly influenced by the child themselves and their capabilities. Kirsty and her son obviously both felt this was within his capabilities and he’s returned back fine with a lot of new experiences, memories and stories.

Personally I remember at such an age I was pretty confident and resilient and I could have managed that. Sadly I do have to agree with some other posters that what I see leads me to believe that children are developing skills less quickly these days and I am a firm believer that the current tech culture doesn’t help!

Perhaps a little bit young for my liking, but he's not my child.
Mine has just been aged 18 (Year13).
And I was nervous but the four of them coped so well.
If he is familiar with travelling I'm sure it was okay. Plus it's pretty easy to fly out and rescue them if something happens.

To let a girl at 15 go interailing by herself would be extremely irresponsible

Private rooms usually.shared with the one over 16

But Kirsty allsop's son wasn't alone, he was with friends.

I think we often don’t give kids enough credit. Recently watched a film with the kids called True Spirit. Based on true story of 15 year old girl sailing solo around the world.
Highly recommend the film - my kids were very inspired.
probably wouldn’t let my 15 year old though!
Are parents too cautious though? Are we raising kids to lack confidence in their own abilities?

Yes most definitely too cautious when travel is concerned. There is far more help directions and contact available at fingertips then ever before. If there is an issue it's now far easier to sort. Ran out of money! Get someone to transfer some. Lost? Use Waze or Rome to rio. Hostel not good? Easy just book another.

i won’t link the article as it’s the DM but WTF, she was referred to social services?
I did think 15 was a little young to be interrailing but no way is this a child protection issue.

She says..

I'm not surprised in the slightest. Shes always been a bit of a div.

Well, someone has referred her to Social Services:

www.thesun.co.uk/tv/30074650/kirstie-allsopp-quizzed-social-services-son-trip-europe/

How embarrassing for social services! It’s so clearly not an issue and they’re always saying how they are stretched for resources. Of course they are if they’re wasting them on a perfectly normal parenting decision.

Bollocks did they.

She’s just posted on her Instagram account that SS are now involved. Upsetting for the family and her Son.
Unbelievable. I see some dire situations in my daily life and SS are nowhere in sight. They should have laughed this, presumably anonymous, complaint made out of sheer spite out of the door.

If she has been it’s insanity. He was weeks away from turning 16 when he can join the armed forces. You can fly alone over the age of 12 and social services don’t seem to give much of a shit re parents letting the whole world into the bedrooms of much younger children with unmonitored tech.