To let my 15yo son inter-rail around Europe for 3 weeks with his 16yo pal?

[Carebearsonmybed]

They will visit Paris Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Munich, Marseille, Toulouse, Barcelona & Madrid.

It's perfectly safe, right?

Does KAs son have 2 parents? How come it’s only the mum being criticised for this decision?

'Stupid hair and silly voice'? Really? We're debating this subject and using the method of pulling apart someones physical features to get a point across. Hmmmm

I travelled to France at the age of 16 (just) to work for 6 months. All on my lonesome. Used the ferry and train. No mobile. No access to any money other than the cash I carried.

Oh come on...this is a fake post.

No you shouldn't allow him to go and enjoy himself. Children need to be cosseted until they are at least 45. It would be very unsafe to let them have freedom before then and even the you must only let them out if you have constant contact.

My dad was hitchhiking through Europe and the Middle East at that age, and had amazing experiences, but I can't imagine my kids doing the same thing. Eurorailing seems very tame in comparison, so I didn't find the KA particularly shocking. For a 15 year old who is an experienced traveller, has enough money to avoid risky situations and had reasonable language/communication skills and some family/friends around Europe, I didn't think it's a particularly big deal, especially for a parent who has the money to come to the rescue. Honestly, hanging around the park is probably at least as dangerous.

There are already loads of threads about KA. Why not join one of those instead of trying to be a clever dick about it.

@Carebearsonmybed

why did you want your very own thread about KA?

couldn't you have just bitched along on one if the existing threads?

or started something worth talking about?

The thing that I find strangest is that Social Services sent a text.....is that standard practice? I find that so weird! Unless they've been calling constantly and she's just been ignoring it.....

dd could potentially have done this at 15 I think but she's just dine it at 18 and said she met some younger people who got quite stressed and needed quite a bit of support from older travellers so I'm quite glad she didn't. She said there were times she felt unsafe in Berlin and Venice Mestre and was glad to get back to the hostel. She and her friend were also on a train going through rural Slovakia which suddenly stopped without much explanation and they all had to get off and walk along beside the track to the next station!

When I did it I got refused entry to Turkey ( long story to do with a visa issue) and kept In a waiting room for about 8 hours until we could be sent back to Greece.. actually border guards were lovely and fed us and even took is for a presumably totally forbidden walk to buy supplies in nearby shop.. but it was stressful even at 19. A couple of women were in tears.

Overall so much potential for things to go wrong I'd prefer my child to be older than 15 before crossing multiple international land borders unless they have to.. I think flying is different as generally even changes keep you in the confines if an airport were there isare usually plenty of security staff and police.

Probably safer than the U.K. due to knife crime. Much less in Europe

No

I'm 57 and would have loved to do this, and still would!
I didn't don't have the maturity or confidence. I was let down by the adults in my life in not giving me chances to grow. I struggle even now as a result.

Its totally fine.
Its obviously not perfectly safe.
But what is? Raise responsible and confident children then let them go. They'll thank you later. And you won't be stuck with them at 30+ y/o unable to hold down a job...
I'm team Kirstie all the way on this one.

Could be worse. Could be sending the poor sod to boarding school.

Oh, leave the woman alone! I bet a man wouldn't be getting this amount of crap if he'd tweeted about his 15 year old son inter-railing.

Yeah, of course you should let them go for it. What could possibly go wrong?!
😂

WhistPie · Today 10:01
If a person who will be 16 in a week's time, and who up to a couple of years ago could have got married, and who in Scotland could vote, wants to go on holiday with their friends, then let them.
**
If however the person has been wrapped in cotton wool by a parent and not even been allowed to catch public transport on their own to school, and doesn't know how to use a washing machine, then it's probably not a good idea.”

This. Everyone is different. Some very nearly 16 year olds are highly competent. Some are hopeless. Presumably this young man’s parents are more aware of his strengths and weaknesses than anyone commenting here.

Well nothing did in this case, apart from the mother making the mistake of tweeting about it!

If a (healthy, physically abled, neurotypical) 15 year old isn't capable of getting a train to the town centre by themselves I'd say there was something quite wrong with the level of independence they've been given to that point.

The fantastic thing is you don’t have to let your 15 year old do it - because that’s YOUR choice. But Kirsty can do decide to given it’s HER child & HER choice.

I think it entirely depends on the child. I would have been absolutely fine at 15 (and did travel internationally without an adult a couple of times - not for holidays but I navigated airports and transfers including long distance trains at the other end by myself) but my sister wouldn't have.

The vast majority of 15 year olds should be able to read a bus or train or flight timetable and navigate a signposted transport hub. They should know how hotels work. They should know about not talking to random strangers or not to go places that seem sketchy at night. They should know about keeping an eye on their belongings to avoid the risk of being pickpocketed, etc. All of these things are not inherently unsafe in the UK, I don't know why they'd be any less safe elsewhere - if the kid is confident enough to do it, knows what to do in an emergency (i.e. how to call the police or locate an embassy if they're stuck) and is reasonably sensible, I really don't see the issue.

To be fair to the OP she did start this almost a week ago, it's not her fault that someone started it up again

I would. My DD is 16 and would perfectly fine. She flew to see a friend in Spain at 11 and regularly gets the train and tube to London to catch up with friends. She rarely gets stuck and if she does, she knows how to deal with it.

If you have confident, independent young people who know what to do in a sticky situation, then yes. If you have never let your child even get the train on their own, then no, they're not ready for the outside world.

Nope.

I continue to be amazed at what boring, insular little lives people want for their children. How are there teenagers who can’t read a bus or train timetable, book youth hostels or camping sites (ensuring that their ages aren’t a problem) and go sightseeing.

My son went off back packing round Europe after GCSEs with a friend and had an absolutely amazing time. I did the same when I was his age as did almost everyone in my year group. That is what summer holidays when you are young and carefree is for ….. explore, adventure, fun