Reading Festival Drama

[Susue999]

DD 17 is at Reading for the first time has called us to say tent has leaked all bedding and all clothes are soaked. We are 2.5 hrs away and debating driving to take her to a launderette and give her dry bedding to then sleep in her mates tent. She has been hyped for months so feeling bad for her. Any seasoned Reading parents have any other brain waves?!!

I got knocked unconscious in a mosh pit at Reading when I was only just 16 in the late 90s. Would not have occurred to me to try and contact my mum. I’m sort of torn between thinking it’s quite nice that young people today feel they have loving backup on hand whenever is necessary (although I think I felt this, I just would never have called upon it unless it was a true emergency) and worrying about what kind of life skills it gives you. For the record there have always been anxious mums - my best friend’s mum really didn’t want him to go.

I think you might mean Gen Z. I’m part of Gen X & I’m 51

It could be worse. She could be wet, AND have bears outside the tent (me at 19 camping with my best friend). Ask her, "Are there bears?". If the answer is, "No bears", then tell her, "You'll be fine." If the answer is, "Yes, there are bears!", then as long as they are OUTSIDE the tent, she will also be fine. If wet.

It is absolutely bucketing it down in Reading at the moment. There are 'safe spaces' run by Soulscape though (someone I know is volunteering there) where you can get warm (ish) and dry (ish): https://www.facebook.com/soulscape/posts/-reading-festival-has-officially-started-weve-got-4-spaces-this-weekend-3-air-hu/1539694521531032/

I love a festival and I've been to quite a lot - including Reading - but I also know how bloody miserable it can be when you're cold and wet!

Looks like the rain has now hit lol Florence seems to be embracing it!

Lucky fans too

If she's old enough to go to Reading without a parent, she's old enough to fix the problem without a parent.

Photo here from the bbc. Fans were loving her!

My ds is at Leeds with a similar issue and has just been kipping in a mate’s tent. She will survive!

Agree. People often ‘brag’ about how little help they got from family and how well they have done financially etc. I work in mental health, and no money in the world can make up for an unhappy childhood.

You'll drive 2.5 hours twice to take someone to a laundrette in a town that's 15 mins walk from the festival site?

Absolutely preposterous. You and your daughter really need to use some common sense.

Poor love. It's bad luck but she will survive and laugh about it in years to come.

There was so much that went down at festivals in the 90s, you went as a teenager and came back as a fully grown adult.

I feel a bit sad that teens now are calling their mums for advice mid festival.

We need to stop babying our teens!!!

lol watching chase and status now.

I am mid 30s. So this is my youth.

So pleased to see these Gen Z’s actually partying. Thank the lord and my faith in the joy of youth is restored!

Make the most kiddos 👌 What a time to be alive 😂

By 17 she should know how to put up a tent properly and get through this situation on her own! My kids certainly would know and my youngest is 14! Old enough to go to festival, old enough to sort herself out without her helicopter parents

The best part was when Florence told everyone to put their phones away and experience her last song! Then they actually did!

Chase and Status though.. I must be getting old. Bring back the rock!

I love Florence. Will watch that later!

Your not going to like the chase and status set probably 😂

But it was darkness. Barely a phone in sight. Kids actually dancing and having fun. Lame but it nearly bought a tear to my eye. I have actually been really worried for this generation because I have never seen them actually have fun before like that. We used to do that every weekend and multiple weekdays at uni and I wish that kind of joy for every young person. Some of the best moments of my life.

I went to V festival when I was 14 and lost my friends for a whole 24. It was great 😁

I watched some of it and turned it off haha! I could hear the bass in my living room even with the tv on, usually its not that loud but the wind direction must have been the right way for us to hear it.

But yes I agree, probably as close to what we did in clubs as they'll get!

Why are you even considering doing this?
how is your daughter going to grow and learn to fix her own problems if you rescue her situation? She will leave home soon and need to be able to adult. Send money if necessary but she is surely capable of drying out her own kit at the launderette or buying extra/new kit at Argos or the on-site shop. As others have said, this is all part of the festival experience and learning. Don’t even think about driving there unless she is sick or there is a real emergency. This, is not that.

My daughter is nearly 16...I'll be asking no questions 😂

My 16 year old was at Leeds for the day (dropped off and collected by us and friends parents). They were talking to some very drunk women at one of the gigs whose dad was collecting them - they were 26! It just seemed really odd to me, it would never have occured to me to ask. I couldn't imagine my parents seeing me drunk for one thing.

I kind of meant it's not a Rock festival any more 🫤

I guess when download became so big, they couldn't get the decent rock acts to headline any more

A lot favour Europe now too (Not the band 😂😂😂)

Love a bit of Chase and Status..do feel sorry for all festival goers young and old this weekend

Reading has never just been rock, I saw Cyprus Hill and Beastie Boys in the 90s there, and Eminem a few years back they’ve always had a mix of genres depending on what’s popular, it’s never been a purely rock festival like Download or dance like Creamfields.