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Post by dreamingtree on Jan 28, 2009 9:16:51 GMT -5
I think that is a good plan I took mine for the first time when she was 14, but did not let her out of my sight. I think that is a good age if they have already been exposed to these kind of festivals. This year she will be 17 and she is still coming with me but with less restrictions
I have been taking my kids to roo since the first one. they are going to be 16 and 14 this year, but theyy were 9 and 7 the first year.
all I can say is keep them with you at all times and be aware. I have it a bit easier because we live right here within walking distance, but I plan on taking my daughter to all good next year @ 15 y/o. so we shall see.
Good luck, I know you will make the right decision for your particular situation as i think it is foolish to make a blanket statement that kids under age X should not be at roo. All kids are different and all families have different situations.
I think that at Bonnaroo there are so many people there who will help out if they see teens and kids that are in some kind of trouble. They're on their own, but to a certain extent. I think 15 or 16 is an old enough age to let them go off on their own for certain amounts of time. Just make sure you meet up a lot through the day, because if they know they're going to see their mom or dad at a certain time then they're less likely to drink or do no no words; IF they're tempted to experiment.
Hi gang, I wanted to jump in here to comment on a couple of points...
First off, there is one very important point to remember when you're seeing families with children at Bonnaroo:
They could have gotten a babysitter. There is always Grandma, Aunt Betty and even Sally down the street that will watch the kids for the weekend.
Chances are that the parents you're looking at brought the kids because they have prepared for a full weekend of dedicated family fun. An event like Bonnaroo can be a very enriching cultural experience. With responsible parents steering the weekend for the children, they are going to discover music, art and an entire subculture of people. You should do what you can to salute these parents who have taken time out of the party scene to show their kids the playful and enriching aspects that a music festival has to offer.
Another note I want to make that I can NOT stress enough, which I'm going to sticky in another thread:
Just because you are at a music festival, that does not make it a safe place. Bonnaroo policy is that all children should be attended by parents at all times. This is for your child's safety as well as for insurance purposes.
Anyone can overpower a 12 year old kid, and 12 year old kids, no matter how 'mature' you think they are, can find themselves in very scary situations. While I don't want to insult or demean the personal discretion of the parents on this board, I DO feel like this should be said.
ANYONE can pay a ticket price to get into Bonnaroo. Leaving your child alone means leaving them in a sea of 100's of thousands of people. People that you don't know. People who may be drinking (among other things) and may not be in full control of themselves.
A 12 year old is a child. If you do not want to be bothered to watch them, then DO NOT BRING THEM.
Take that advice however you would like to take it.
If I see any 12 year old's wandering around by themselves, then you will be getting a call and find yourself picking them up at the Sherrif's tent. I am in Bonnaroo running Kidz Jam all day every day of the festival, so you can bet that I'm going to run into them. Trust me, you don't want to explain yourself to the Sheriff.
I took mine for the first time when she was 14, but did not let her out of my sight. I think that is a good age if they have already been exposed to these kind of festivals. This year she will be 17 and she is still coming with me but with less restrictions 
