16 year olds wanting to go on holiday alone

[GrumioEstEbrius]

MY DD and three of her friends want to go on a holiday to celebrate the end of GCSEs. Just for 3 or 4 days, but alone with no adults. When I was their age lots of teens used to go inter-railing around Europe during the post-GCSE summer (DH did this and a couple of my mates from school did it too) but this no longer seems to be a thing for kids this age now.

So their options are to camp, static caravan or AirBNB in the UK.

My issue though is that do any campsites / rentals allow unsupervised 16 year olds?

Does anyone have any good suggestions as to what they could do? CentreParcs maybe?

[TizerorFizz]

@SleepingStandingUp
My DDs both went to numerous festivals. Rite of passage really. I don’t see why anyone getting drunk at a festival is worse then getting drunk in your tent on a campsite? Young people might take drugs anywhere. I don’t think mine did. Some friends might have done. They are all fine people now whatever they did. Sometimes they need to navigate the world without parents hovering. And learn to say no.

[SantiMakesMeLaugh]

@GrumioEstEbrius

There have been some good suggestions. We've booked a youth hostel with a private room for them to share. The girls have all agreed to have Life 360 on their phones, no alcohol (and we just have to trust them on that) and to be back at the hostel by 10pm each night.

That's a very good compromise.
That's great!

[SleepingStandingUp]

@TizerorFizz

@SleepingStandingUp
My DDs both went to numerous festivals. Rite of passage really. I don’t see why anyone getting drunk at a festival is worse then getting drunk in your tent on a campsite? Young people might take drugs anywhere. I don’t think mine did. Some friends might have done. They are all fine people now whatever they did. Sometimes they need to navigate the world without parents hovering. And learn to say no.

I'm not suggesting kids at festivals are not fine people or will grow into delinquent addicts. That isn't actually what I said. Perhaps it's just the bias of working support at Festivals that I seem only to see the kids who are so drunk they can't find their tent amongst thousands and so don't sleep in it for two nights) less likely on a campsite), sexually assaulted in the dance tents (appreciate its equivalent to a night club but easier to get into), bad reaction to drugs and mates lost then somewhere along the way (easier at Glastonbury say that a campsite) , realised that it's costs money for hot water for the pot noodles they intend to live on, had their stuff stolen (statistically more likely).

Anyway, my point exactly was that ots of kids go to festivals and are fine so I'd be fine with camping or yha, not that they shouldn't. Letting my own kids go is a decision for a decade away

[Clymene]

@fyn

@Clymene if you look at the website it classes child as 3-15 and adult as 16+ in the search function.

Ah that's good! I didn't realise 

Glad they've found somewhere @GrumioEstEbrius. Hope they have a brilliant time.

[TizerorFizz]

@SleepingStandingUp
If you work in that field, you see the worst. Most DC navigate holidays and festivals successfully. Lack of sleep was the worst I think but teens away from home are likely to stay up all night anyway. I can honestly say I just let my DDs get on with it. They learnt what was sensible and what was not. Most DC I know, and as my DD1 is nearly 30, that’s quite a lot down the years, are perfectly ok and should be allowed freedoms. I didn’t expect them to check in with me other than arrange a collection time and place. The main thing is that they know how to get help if they need it.

[FamousFrivolities]

I actually do think that parents whose children are in the young teens will have an inkling of how sensible they would be without adult supervision.

Of course teens lie and sensible kids go wild but I think parents need to trust them up to a point especially by age 16.

[frydae]

@FamousFrivolities

I actually do think that parents whose children are in the young teens will have an inkling of how sensible they would be without adult supervision.

Of course teens lie and sensible kids go wild but I think parents need to trust them up to a point especially by age 16.

I think this is really important, they are not all the same or as able. DD was travelling the UK alone at 16 and DS didn't even go to another city until he was 19.

[bridgetjonesmassivepants]

Youth hostel sounds good. I did this with five other girls when I was 16 after we had finished our exams. We went to the Lake District. Can't remember too much about it as it 30 years ago but we all came back intact. Would let both my kids do a similar UK based holiday at 16 but would rather they were 18 before they went abroad.

[mommandme]

"I actually do think that parents whose children are in the young teens will have an inkling of how sensible they would be without adult supervision.

Of course teens lie and sensible kids go wild but I think parents need to trust them up to a point especially by age 16."

Agreed, and if they're sensible you have to give them some trust. My daughter had her first holiday away with friends last year. And I was surprised by her behaviour... at just how boring they all were. None of the trying to sneak into clubs underage that I tried. Instead, they all dressed up and had a club night in their holiday flat. The other nights, meals out and back to the flat to play cards against humanity most nights. And yes, I do know what she got up to, as my youngest gave me a running commentary as everything was plastered over Snapchat and snap maps.

I said to DD when she got back, that I was surprised she hadn't gone clubbing etc... she said there was no point, clubs are so strict these days, they didn't want to waste an evening queuing and failing to get into a club!

Definitely more boring than I was. But she's 18 now and still isn't into clubbing. So they're not all desperate teens ready to rebel when our backs are turned!

You know your child best and how far they can be trusted.

[mommandme]

Ought to add, my eldest is the sensible one. No way would I trust my youngest like that! She's a whole different personality type!

[TizerorFizz]

The big problem with drinks and clubs is the July/August born DC who are nearly a year younger than some. They do want to join in. However some won’t be interested at all. Mine got on with their choices at university but pre 18 is the difficult time. They tend to have friends who want to celebrate being 18 by going to a club. It’s a more difficult time.

[FamousFrivolities]

I have a sensible and not so sensible one! They are not yet teens but I don't see their personalities changing massively in the next few years.

I guess we will see.

I think it's kind of a shame how strict everything is nowadays. None of the excitement/ nervousness of will I/ won't I get into a club/ get served. Rite of passage lost!

[Lordofmyflies]

My DD was 16 last summer. She went off on her own to do a DofE residential with other kids. My friend's 16 year old went to Boardmasters in Newquay and it was carnage. They had their tent broken into, belongings stolen and drink spiked and ended up having to be picked up by one of the mum's 2 days into it. They had been put off doing festivals again for a time, poor girls.

[RampantIvy]

I had heard that Boardmasters was carnage last year.

[SunnyShiner]

Mine all went straight to Reading festival for 5 nights on GCSE results day