Kirstie Allsop's 15 Year Old Son

[ImAFemaleVersionOfRoyKeane]

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!

You allowed it at 18?

Didn't you realise you actually had no choice?

This is amazing! I'd love to know more about this, did he document his experiences anywhere?

All my dsis's kids did this after they'd finished their GCSE'S.
They didn't go to private school but it was in an affluent area. It seemed to be the de rigueur thing to do for many years.

😂

Youth hostels?

I went on my first parentless holiday at 16. It was great.

Good for him.

Inter-railing has changed a lot, you now have to book much of it in advance. My son did it this summer and booked everything in January! Definitely doable by confident & responsible 16 year olds, especially if staying with a network of friends and family plus the occasional hostel.

@FinalInstructionstotheAudience

Gently, it's fazed in this context!

Gently, that's the most arsey and unnecessary comment on the thread.

I agree that youngsters are too cossetted nowadays but if you don’t want people commenting about your dc, then don’t talk about them on X.

The poor lad. I can imagine that he is not overly thrilled that his holiday is being discussed on sm. I do wish celebrities, and everyone for that matter, would be more circumspect and not post about their offspring. It’s unnecessary.

I think it makes a difference whether the 15 year old can speak any other languages. If he has been to private schools he may well have been learning European languages from a young age which would make travelling much less difficult.

Some parents are a little bit suffocating. And some kids just aren’t mature enough even in their 20s. Good on Kirsty for havin faith in her ds.

I did this a month after turning 16 with my best friend (post GCSEs). We went down to Provence for a festival. Our first mistake was misunderstanding the 24hr clock and thinking a train departed at 7pm rather than 7am the next morning and having to spend a night in Gare de Lyon. That was a useful lesson to learn.
We’d both been to boarding school so were very independent anyway.

Im not keen on Kirsty Allsop but I completely agree with kids doing things like this

We really do wrap kids in cotton wool and its not good for them or society.

Having said that Im amazed they managed to get accommodation but perhaps they met up with various friends and relations along the way and stayed there

Mine entertaining at 6the with a friend (both v sensible). They stayed in youth hostel type places and had a ball. They still keep in touch with friends they made 16 years later.

Fabulous! It's a while until we have to worry about that but when our DS is a teen I hope we'll have instilled the confidence and common sense in him to do similar.

I assume he was staying with people they know and is already well travelled. I doubt she sent him off to find his own accommodation.

depends on the confidence of the child… as other have said he rich and well connected. I would have been ok myself at 17 years old interrailing.

So it’s not going to be poor interline and with good internet/roaming he will be connected to mommy.

Two of mine went travelling at 16. They were more than capable.

DD2 didn't go until she was a bit older as she wouldn't have been capable of handling things going wrong.

The point of parenting is to encourage them to live the life they're capable of so well done to her for not overly babying him just because

Both DC did this after GCSEs - one was 15, 16 end of Aug other 16. They loved it and yes, they were old enough.

Again, nasty assumption to make. That green-eyed monster is strong on MN today

Re-read your post. It was sarky and mean-spirited
Clearly you don't see it

This. Far to mollycoddled then can’t cope as adults or need constant help.

DS flying out to an American destination soon and meeting his girlfriend at the other end. He is 17yo. Am I nervous? Yes. Can I stop him? No. I can offer lots of support though.

You have to let go at some point!

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!

My 19 year old told me the other day that he feels invincible. So at what age is it ok to let them make their own mistakes and learn how to deal with things when they go wrong OP?