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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

Would you allow your DD age just 16 to go camping at the V festival

13 replies

MoreTeaVicar · 02/03/2011 15:26

There is a large group of them going and she is pleading to join them. I have my reservations, does anyone have experience of thier child going and can offer some advice please?

OP posts:
Prolesworth · 02/03/2011 15:33

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Maryz · 02/03/2011 15:35

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

pinkbraces · 02/03/2011 15:36

I agree it depends on your DD, mine is pretty sensible, she is off to Zante for a week in August (she will be 17)

However I dont think my DH would allow DSD as she is less mature.

I would let her go.

PixieOnaLeaf · 02/03/2011 15:45

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noddyholder · 02/03/2011 15:50

My ds went to 2 festivals in the uk last summer and it was all fine He was 16 and they seemed to have a great time.He seems to have regressed though in terms of behaviour and maturity since then and although he wants to go to barcelona to one this year we have said no

Original poster
MoreTeaVicar · 02/03/2011 15:52

DD is trustworthy and the other girls are all nice, good family backgrounds etc but since I have never been to a festival I suppose I am concerned about anyone bothering them, boys etc, being offered drinks and drugs. I want to let her go but at the same time she is still young and I would never forgive myself if anything bad happened to her.

OP posts:
flow4 · 02/03/2011 16:05

Just remembering that I went to Reading Rock festival and Glastonbury with friends when I was 17... :) We had a fantastic time at Reading, but it was a miserable mud-bath at Glastonbury and we came home early! Festivals are generally very safe places, because they are full of security guards. If your daughter feels unsafe at any point - which is unlikely, because people go to festivals to have fun and the atmosphere is usually great - then there will be people around to help.

flow4 · 02/03/2011 16:06

Oops, sorry - don't know what happened with all that bold text there - think it must have been some stray asterisks!

teaandcrumpets · 09/03/2011 09:10

I work in folk festivals, so my daughter,who is 17, has been going to them since she was small. In recent years she has been bringing friends along. They camp in a separate area to us and get up to - well, the usual stuff that teenagers get up to, plus ceilidhs - but we are the safety net: if she felt unsafe or anything untoward happened, we're at the other end of the field. Plus, most of the staff at the festivals we attend know her and will look out for her and her mates. But generally, they are very safe environments with a whole range of ages attending.

Rock and pop festivals are a different ball game. There are more drugs, more lairy, pissed teenage boys and older blokes, there is more theft, I've heard stories of teenage girls being sexually assaulted...and this year my daughter wants to go to V Festival with her friends. I am not entirely happy about it. I was hoping she wouldn't have enough money (the tickets are about £200), but I think she's asking her father for the ticket as an early 18th birthday present.

Argh.

yasminkate · 13/03/2011 16:25

Only just 16 is very young. My 18 year old went with her boyfriend and a gang of friends to Reading last year - she says she's never going again! Lot of people/crush and she got a lot of hassle despite 6' boyfriend.

dreamworldfullofUNICORNS · 13/03/2011 16:42

I went at 16, didnt even ask my mum, but my brother and his friends were going. On the day they left she randomly offered, wrote the sick note for school, paid money into my bank account and off I went! This was hugely unusual for my mum btw, think maybe she and dad just wanted a dirty weekend! Anyway, I was fine, had a great time and dragged my much older brother out of a difficult situation. First time away like that I was very cautious but still had an excellent time!

Lookign back, my brother paid very little attention to me all weekend, his friends took VERY good care of me...

Anyway, im rambling, I was more than fine, if she is sensible, then go for it! Grin

lubeybooby · 13/03/2011 16:46

I lived in my own place at 16. Providing she is sensible then yes no problem.

LeChatRouge · 13/03/2011 16:50

Yeah - I would, mine went to Glastonbury at that age and loved it. I used to go to all night raves at that age, mum used to just say let me know if you need me and have fun (although she is a child of the 60s herself!)

I would come up with an exit plan if she need you - will you go and collect her if it all gets too much?

Only you can judge her ability to make appropiate decisions, this would probably be the bottom line for me.

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