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?

I think I would be more inclined if she was going with a group of friends the same age. For me it’s the fact she’s going with a younger sibling which I personally think is way too much responsibility at 12. Fairgrounds are super busy places generally and it’s easy to get lost, I’d hate to think of them getting separated and struggling to find one another for example.

Absolutely not. And in sole charge of a ten year old? No way.

Absolutely not.

Absolutely not

Absolutely not. Under any circumstances.

Yeah, fairgrounds are notorious for shady people hanging about....

No. Funfairs can have dodgy characters hanging around and they seem way to young to go without adults especially with the travel factored in.

No. I would drop them there, linger somewhere, and let them walk round together though if it was a a small fair.

No way.

Can’t you drive them and stay local during the day I definitely wouldn’t let them go in the dark. Still with Trackers on phone staying together at all times. Every one I’ve been to always had the roughest people in the area causing trouble aggressive, drunks, fighting gangs of teenagers, I wouldn’t let them if they were mine to be honest.

Nope.

Maybe with a group of other 12 year olds, but not on their own at 12 and in charge of a 10 year old, with that bus journey.

Definitely not at night without an adult, under any circumstances.

I'd let my 12 year old go with his mates during the day, but our fair is within walking/cycling distance and in an area he knows very well

I think it's a bit sad at that age that they don't want their mum accompanying them- surely it should be a nice family day out 🤷‍♀️

Nope. My DD is 15 and has only recently started doing this with friends, very locally and she doesn’t have a younger sibling. Too much responsibility, too much to go wrong.

Have you lost your mind??

No chance

No, absolutely not, but because I didn’t trust her but because there is likely to be groups of older teens going about and frankly (and no, not all of them as I’ve met some lovely ones) I just don’t trust groups of teenagers any more. I’d be scared a group would hassle them for fun or god forbid do something worse.

No. DD is 13 and I wouldn’t let her do this. I’d drive them and have a coffee nearby while they go around the fair. In fact, I’d be even a bit unhappy about leaving a 10 y o going around alone at a fair, to be honest, even with an older sibling.

No... too many unsavoury characters at these fun fairs in general. I wouldnt trust them not to be smuggled away into some caravan and raped. Its not worth the risk. You either take her, or she doesnt go would be my response.

No. Mark Tilderly was kidnapped and murdered when he was alone at a fair. That story haunts me to this day. Seriously not worth it

Me too, I was taking younger siblings (aged 9) into town and getting the bus around by myself at age 12/13. Not unusual at the time (90s). But I was a very sensible, parentified eldest daughter; and I now think what was my mum (who was normally very sensible!) thinking! I wouldn’t let my daughter do that now at the same age.

Can you imagine how you would feel if something terrible happened. They are too young to be left I think.

From reading the thread I think it’s worth remembering that all fairs are not equal. A small funfair which is run by one company in somewhere like Bourton on the Water is going to be different to a travelling fair like Hull Fair or the Goose Fair and there will be a lot in between.

Where I live there is a family company who travel round with their fair. They have the same people working for them every year and their reputation would be ruined if their staff did the dodgy stuff people think about when thinking about fairs. A big fair like Hull or the Goose fair would be a firm no for my kids until they’re older.

I did just have a Google about child abductions/ murders from funfairs and the only one I could easily find was from 1984 so I don’t think that’s a huge risk. More kids have been abducted walking to school.

If it was in our town and I was dropping her off and was with pals .
. Probably

Absolutely not with a younger sibling who could row with her and then have to navigate home again

I find it weird how your not concerned your 10 year old is going but concerned for your 12 year old (maybe I'm just reading it weirdly )

Absolutely NO to all of this!

Why are you concerned about your daughter and not your son? 10 is much too young to be left in the the care of a 12 year old to get two buses to a funfair!

My daughter is 11.5 and I would let her go
to a funfair with friends if it was local/short walking distance away or if an adult was dropping off and picking up. I don’t think I’d let her get two buses though, not quite yet. Although some of her similar age friends do go into town a short bus ride away and im
guessing she’ll be asking to soon. We are in Scotland so she’s not at high school till August. She’s not a particular savvy 11 though. You say your daughter is used to getting buses and using Google maps so although that sounds a bit young to me (is she just 12 or almost 13?) perhaps it’s fine for your daughter. Under your circumstances and given she’s used to getting buses I’d let her go with friends, but with her phone fully charged and possibly location switched on! But not to take her brother, no, he’s much too young.