AIBU to think its wrong for a group of 14 year old boys and girls to be camping out unsupervised.

[Remotew]

Ok so its not my problem, thank god but DD has said that some of her class mates are camping out on the hills at 14. I'm glad she didnt ask as I wouldn't let her do this. IABU

oops!

It depends on the exact situation, but I think YAB a bit U as you don't really know anything about these kids or their situation.

We used to do this fairly regularly from about 15 onwards. My mum respected my judgement and sense and let me get on with it. I had an extremely nice bunch of mates and we had some lovely evenings - very few people did stray between the girls tent and the boys tent, there were a few couples who camped together but they had all been "doing it" for ages - camping out was not the reason or main opportunity.

I would try to show the same trust for my DS if the same situation arose - though I might struggle inwardly!

I think if kids are going to be "hormonal" they will find a way to do it, they don't need darkness and a tent to get up to mischief, and showing your dcs that you don't trust them is the fastest way to break down your relationship.

The knowledge that my mum respected me enough to assume I would make the right judgements, was a large part of why I chose to make very sensible choices throughout my teens and twenties.

drinking and shagging.

Can none of you remember being that age????

YANBU. I don't think it is a good idea for 14 year olds to camp unsuoervised.

Gawd perhaps I'm being old fashioned here. I told DD she can go when she is 16. There was not problem for us yet they are her friends. I just felt they were too young. As I say nice kids who are just experimenting with booze, boyfriends etc.

That's the trouble I do remember being that age. I had a steady and the though of a night out on the fells would have been heaven compared to knee tremblers in doorways . But we were never allowed.

yep i think so-cor i used to drink kiwi 20:20,smoke embassy filters and let inappropriate boys fiddle kiss me

i did at 15ish drank, shagged, got stoned,.
there's no way at all my DDs are ever going to do the same.

Oh how odd! My ds asked if he could go camping with his mates in a nearby park the other friday, I had a good think about it but in the end I said no. I just didn't feel comfortable about it. Think it was the drink, possible shagging that may have swung it for me though.

Quite surprised myself as I've always been fairly liberal.

presumably they are a group of friends

so most will be mates rather than looking to shag each other

if they want to shag they will do it rehardless on their own with the one and will say theuy are at a sleepovwerwith best friend

or just finbd an opportunity

I'm going to be different - think it probably is OK and YABU
I train young people in camping skills (DoE) and ahve camped often in supervising such groups.

Yes they stay up all night, yes they'll act like idiots a bit but not likely that hormones will get out of control.

I remember camping at that age (on a supervised trip) - and tent swapping. Far worse happened on evening parties in people's houses

Also 14year olds can be surprisingly sensible when needs be.

Not different Essie - think there's a few of us on here

20/20 !

Yes, I do think you're right about that Zippi and that's what the completely rational side of my brain says. But in the end, I thanked him for his honesty and said maybe another time, tbh he wasn't too disappointed as it was raining.

mmm but camping in hills is an open invitation though isnt it?? at least we had to lie about who's mate we were sleeping at and phone your mum from their house and pretend you were going to bed. had one friend who's mother was very liberal dirtbag who used to lie for us whilst we used to go down the park drinking and snogging...

those were the bloody days

I do remember being that age very well! We used to stagger across the fields carrying our own bodyweight in food, drink and canvas, get fairly drunk, fail to put up the tent properly, cook enormous quantities of slightly burnt sausages, play silly card games and sing indie brit pop very badly, and then generally all fall asleep (usually fully clothed) in a sort of puppyish heap.

A year or so on, when I had a boyfriend I used to make him put up the tent (very expertly I might add) and we would retire early for a night of highly uncomfortable passion with stones digging into various bits - but as I say, we were doing it regardless of camping. Mostly in ten minute snatches in his bedroom with his mum cooking supper downstairs, as I recall.

for most people the world doesnt stop and fall apart if they havbe sex

so keep talking and dont worry excessively

My DD spent the night in a tent with 5 other Guides 14, 15 and 16 in a field just outside the village. Although it was Easter it SNOWED. They spent the night huddled together for warmth in one zipped together sleeping bag and petrified because they kept thinking that someone was outside the tent. In the morning they discovered big footprints all around......

Eventually 1 mum (not me) and 5 Dads (one with a dog) admitted they had crept round in the night to check the Guides were OK. One dad went back 3 times and bumped into another Dad in the dark, fell over a fence, etc. etc.

The Guides all got their hard earned Camping Badges.