Reading festival after gsce's

[Linneasweet]

Hi all, my daughter aged 16 in the autumn would like to go to reading festival with a quite large group of friends after her gsce's next summer. Without sounding smug, the girls are all good girls: very studious, no drinking, no smoking and not particularly interested in boys. Would you allow your daughter, then shortly to be 17 and just finished her gsce's to go to reading festival without parents supervision? We live in London if that makes any difference so not hundreds of miles away. I normally quite a liberal mum and would like her to be independent, probably more than most, but even I feel a bit apprehensive. Do I have a reason to be or should I trust them?

Mine is going this year, aged just 16. She's going with a group and is dead excited about it. I've drummed in about not drinking too much and how festivals are the worst of all places to try drugs and she assures me she's there to see the music and doesn't want to miss that by getting drunk and won't touch drugs. But she would say that wouldn't she? I don't know, I am a bit nervous about it tbh but they have to try these things at some point don't they? Ask me in a few months whether it was a good idea!

This thread comes up every year - I think I might have started a similar thread or contributed when DS was going 5 years ago.

There are a lot of drugs but there is a lot of security as well keeping an eye.

@Fibbke Oh no !! I've got out of camp duties this year - but ours are under close supervision.

My DS did it last year after GCSEs. Collected his results and jumped on a train. Met his friends there. He had a brilliant time. So much so, he's going again this year. I think a lot of alcohol was consumed, he's very anti drugs, but I know there were lots around. He was very grubby when he got home.

I did pick him up on the Sunday night as I'd heard stories about the tent fires.

My DD did it last year at 17, a group of them went. They enjoyed the music so much.

She was fine til the last night, then they left because someone did a cr*p actually on her tent door and people were setting fire to tents all round, stealing people's sleeping bags and using them to create mud slides - it was complete feral behaviour and as the last afternoon wore on it got worse and worse and worse. She had a few videos on her phone which were just awful.

She does not want to go again.

It hugely depends on the child (and the group of friends). My DD didn't do Reading last year (Yr11) but did go to Sundowne in Norfolk, they were sensible and camped in the "family area" and were glad they decided to do this because the normal area was VERY feral and older late teens/20 somethings. She had a great time but felt she was too young, she got a small cigarette burn and a couple of close calls with moss pits.

DD has decided to go to Reading this year Yr12 (she said no at first but is very keen on the bands - so she has changed her mind). Last years experience has helped, the group know where they want to camp but I'm prepared for a few sleepless nights again.

There are general rules, like ensuring that the group buddy up, so no one is left on their own. Your drink is not your own if left alone etc.

What about the Cream festival? DD thinking about going this year.