Would you let your 12 year old go to funfair alone?

[NervouslyWaiting1]

She doesn’t want me to go with her, she’s going with her brother who’s 10. She’s used to taking buses and using Google maps, but this is a 40 min journey and 2 buses. I’m worried that they would get separated or lost , would you let your child go to a funfair alone?

No not in this circumstance. I’d let her at 12 but not while supervising a 10yr old. I also would only allow it if she was dropped off and picked up.

Ha ha ha ha ha. I was already 'NO' before you said 40 minutes away.

I might let a 12 yo go with a friend to a permanent 'fun fair' (like the sea side ones) but not to take a younger sibling.

but the ones that move from place to place NO WAY, not even at the local green, let alone a bus ride away.

Why aren’t you concerned over the 10 year old?

Depends on the area and how familiar they are with funfairs and the area - and how well they get along. My kids are 13 and 9 and are nowhere near this being an option.

A 12 year old and a 10 year old? Absolutely no way! You know pedophiles/traffickers look out for children on their own right? That’s not wrapping them up in cotton wool either. It’s common sense and your duty to keep them safe!

If you live in London and she’s taken him on public journeys before and they both have phones, yes

I’m the opposite of a helicopter parents, but funfairs are a hard no.

Possibly not with that kind of journey and a younger sibling - as others have said, maybe OK with a few friends of same age. We let out kids go to local fair at about that age without us, but it was literally a 5 minute walk in the park around the corner.

I’d likely let a sensible 12 yo go to a funfair in the afternoon with friends but I wouldn’t be letting a 12 yo and her 10 yo brother go alone .

Not a chance.

No, due to distance and how old they are. You’re burdening your 12yo with a huge responsibility of looking after her younger brother. We had an altercation at a funfair not too long ago and attacker was an armed juvenile. I wouldn’t have wanted two young kids caught up in that.

Why can’t you take them?

I remember my mother telling me I wasn't allowed to go with a friend but I went anyway. She had absolutely no reason for trying to stop me and it was a lovely afternoon.

No I wouldn't, but then I remember Sidney Cooke and his gang of paedos in the 1980s who preyed on DC who went to fairgrounds and none of those stories ended well.

No that would be completely irresponsible of you to allow this. Not taking account the travel time, you also have a younger one.
They should have a parent with them. Also a funfair with lots of kids all in one place- prime place for sick people to hang out too.
just because your Child wants this, you are the parent and you decide.

I let my daughter go to the local small funfair with friends last summer when she was 10 (nearly 11) but that was 5 minutes from home and the funfair is a locally run family business who only travel around about 10 miles- not like my experience of Hull fair as a child!

I wouldn’t allow this though, depending on the fair I’d drive them and sit somewhere where they can walk round alone.

No but I've got a thing about fairs and things like circuses, that I wouldn't let my child go without adults. I don't think they're always safe places and there are gangs etc hanging around.

I wasn't allowed these places when I was a child and that was 30 odd years ago.

Not with her younger brother, no.
With a small group of other 12 year olds, possibly.

I know that paedopholes and traffickers exist but do you have any stats on how common this actually is? I have just been to the shops and because the sun’s out I have seen about 4 groups of kids, age ranging from about 10-15. My 11 year old is currently in the park with friends. I wouldn’t allow the OP’s exactly scenario but kids are out alone every day.

No, I wouldn't and if I did i would be watching the live 360 like a hawk. My boy and girl are same age and she walks him home from school but im on the phone to them most of the time and it's a 15 minute walk that they only started doing end of last year.

There are lots of creeps hanging about at funfair, dangerous rides that they think they could do and come off ill or hurt, so many things to consider....

I was going tp say yes because I'm pretty sure dd did at that age but the funfair was a 10min walk down the road and she went with friends. In the circumstances you describe no.

On his own maybe (def yes with a friend), in charge of his 10 yo brother, no

Not a chance,why would you even consider this? If she doesnt want you to go with her then she doesnt go, end of story

As someone who was addicted to funfairs and whose dad worked on a funfair, absolutely not.
They're dangerous places to be and even when I was a teenager, my dad hated letting me go to the fair despite me being aware of the dangers.
My first worry would be undesirables looking for kids to intimidate or worse but also how dangerous the rides can be if they're not maintained correctly.

I would give them a choice - they either go with me and I'll hang back a bit so it's not obvious that they're with Mum, or they don't go at all.

No, and my mum wouldn’t let me either. And I was very independent at this age and it was 80s when children were roaming streets freely.
I also wonder why they don’t want you to go with them ? It’s suspicious in my book. Especially as she is ok with younger brother going. None of my 12 y.o friends would be excited about it - younger sibling was usually a burden not a joy.

Of course not! Ridiculous idea, way too many things that can go wrong