Alis girls Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 I know I know I have to let go sometime - hes 17 and with GF and mates. Told him to text me every morning. Its raining and crowded and he says he will stink when he gets back - adv him to stand in rain in his underpants and shower I hope he will be ok. He has nut allergy and isnt always responsible enough then theres alcohol - he cant take his drink - I should have gone with him but at £200 a ticket and the fact I'd only heard of Eminem it wasnt to be. I was told Glastonbury is more my scene Uni next year - how do you mums cope? I am not the only one - his mates mum took them and she cried when they walked off without a wave or look back Oh we have clothes pegs at the ready for our noses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 The first time they go off like this is just as bad as that first day at school. Have faith in him, I'm sure he'll come back having learned a lot and hopefully not made too many mistakes! I still worry about my eldest and he's now 40! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted August 22, 2013 Author Share Posted August 22, 2013 Thanks Patricia - never knew being a mum would be so hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluekarin Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 I am dreading all this too! Mine are 16, almost 15 and 13 so a little while yet. I hope I would say try and remember how you felt at his age, about how you'd want your independence. I am sure he will be ok. If his friends know about his allergy and low alcohol consumption they should help him. Most good friends would. Plus he has his GF with him keeping him on the straight and narrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 My daughters first went when they were 15 or so, but they don't camp as we only live 20mins away. It will be fine - there are lots of staff there. He will be grubby,exhausted & probably voiceless when he gets back though! This year is the first year in 7 that I don't have to do the 1am Reading pick-up run, & its just as well, as I have a horrid virus & can barely get out of bed as it is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolaLayla Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 My YS likes to go to holiday resorts that make you want to panic and also to music festivals. I have to agree that the fact that GF is going is a big plus as I have found girls to be the best influence during trips. Also do not worry if you do not get a text. I regularly get told the battery has died or the phone lost etc. I try to get the friends mob numbers incase of an emergency and sometimes have had texts from the accompanying girls letting me know what is happening. Try not to worry too much but I know it is very hard not to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alih Posted August 22, 2013 Share Posted August 22, 2013 Daughter number 2 and friends went off to the Leeds festival this morning. She is 17. My eldest went at the same age and has since gone on to numerous festivals including alone to work at Download and with friends to Benecassim for over a week. The first time is supposed to be the hardest but to be honest I am more edgy this time as my eldest is so organised and no2 is scatty and is likely to come back with half her belongings and no money.. BUT these festivals are full of the very young. They are well-monitored and if with friends they will look after each other. Experience tells me that they will come back absolutely exhausted, very grubby, extremely happy and wary of public loos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted August 23, 2013 Author Share Posted August 23, 2013 Thanks for reassurance and hope you are better Cinammon. hes txted and said hes not getting much sleep (not cos of GF!) but because others go to bed at 2am and get up at 7am. Why goodness only knows. I never went to festivals as a teen my mother would've done her nut. I will remind him of this when hes a dad. Next yr lads holiday - i will be in next resort with a big hat, dark glasses and a dark wig armed with binoculars so he doesnt recognise me No one told me motherhood would age you so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alih Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 My daughter texted this am to say mega storm overnight, tent flooded, everything soaked but very happy and all in the spirit of adventure! I choose not to dwell on how I would feel. They bounce when they are that age! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted August 23, 2013 Author Share Posted August 23, 2013 lovely - have had the flooded tent experience - not one I fancy repeating but at that age they are made of stronger stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAJ Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 DD went for the day aged 16, then camped for 5 nights aged 17, but also did Download before then - we worry for a weekend, but now she is off to Uni, so good they get the freedom earlier on and learn to survive without us! T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janepie33 Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 It is so hard when you let them off on their own. DD went to Japan for 3 weeks with 3 friends two days after she turned 18. We had a couple of e mails to let us know she was alive and she came back so grown up, sensible and ready for Uni. Last year she flew to China on her own to meet a friend for a couple of weeks and at this very moment she is having an amazing time in Taiwan having, again, flown out on her own and met a friend there. All this from a girl who would barely order her own meal in a restaurant until she was about 15!! I think our offspring are far more sensible than we give them credit for. We just have to trust that our wise words were heard when they were growing up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redhotchick Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 I have a niece, a nephew and my boyfriends niece at Leeds this weekend. The niece went to Wakestock last year, so has some experience of Festival camping. She was determined to camp in the Yellow zone, I suggested that with hindsight she might find that she was glad she chose one of the others. She will have taken this in, but wanted to be in the wide awake zone anyway! It's an age thing. At 17 I wouldn't have cared either! I don't know how the weather at Leeds has been compared to Reading, I hope their tents have stood up to the elements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alih Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 Leeds is underwater. DD2 ill and sleep-deprived in extremis but determined to stick it out. We go on a family break the day after she gets back so I want her to come home and recuperate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 I remember gigging and driving my parents to distraction in the days before mobile phones when they had no idea where I was. I daresay that I'll get it all back when Rosie goes to festivals, although she's not over-keen on camping. I was called a cruel mum the other day when she announced that she was 'going to uni in Oxford' so she could still live at home I said absolutely not, she was to go somewhere far away as it was important that she learned to fend for herself - she is quite capable of this, but born idle when it comes to domestic stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redhotchick Posted August 24, 2013 Share Posted August 24, 2013 Alih - oh dear! I hope that if it was dangerous it would be called off.... And that they all come back in one piece. Dogmother - you are soooooo mean! Ha ha ha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted August 25, 2013 Author Share Posted August 25, 2013 ES is tired but said Eminem was awesome. Wouldve been cheaper to see him in concert and drier Not missed the arguing with my 2 and YS enjoying being an only child. DM - good on ya gal, ES said hes going to uni in London - no way he too needs to wake up and learn how to look after himself. I had too. I learned to cook mighty quick and to wash and iron although washing machines in the nursing home were somewhat outdated. I moved into a flat and got a twintub - hard blooming work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alih Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 had a call from DD2 this morning asking if I could pick them up from the gig at midnight as they were going to watch Eminem but not camp as they had no dry clothes and could not face camping in the rain again...I said yes...then at lunchtime a further call saying they were all feeling better and would be getting the train and could I pick them up at 6.30 from the station.......think she has had 5 hours sleep over the first 3 nights....in some ways I am glad I am not 17 again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redhotchick Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 I bumped into my sister at my mum's today, I'd been nervous to ring her and find out how my nephew had done in his exams. It turns out he has gone to Leeds without finding out his exam results So no one knows! I'm sure they'll all be fine and have had a big adventure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted August 26, 2013 Author Share Posted August 26, 2013 ES and GF are on train and asking for a pick up. We were taking YS for a coffee and ES wants to join us. Says hes not too smelly might have to sit outside Glad its over - sure theres a ruscksack of soggy washing for me. what joy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alih Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 Yup, sounds familiar...picked up DD2 and friend at 7.30 from station, have been washing and tent drying ever since while she slumbers...gather it was a success despite the rain.....that's it for my 2 for this year....between them they have done a fair few this summer so am looking forward to a break from the smelly rucksacks arriving home! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 DM, don't worry that if Rosie went to Uni at Oxford she could live at home. Several youngsters around here have won places (and we are only 7 miles away.) The Uni INSISTS they don't live at home! Mind you, terms aren't very long.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alis girls Posted August 26, 2013 Author Share Posted August 26, 2013 Hes home and safe and washing is in. Despite no shower hes not bad to be near. They found a nice Methodist church which had clean toilets and a good fry up amd went there every day. That made me laugh even youngsters like the finer things of life. One friend drank too much and took "a pill" and ended up in first aid. They were at primary school together I think hes going to end up an alcoholic or worse. Anyway cam breathe again till next time. Glad everyones little ones are home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PurpleTree Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 Glad everyone had a good time at the Festivals. We went to Leeds on Friday, was mostly nice weather & not too muddy despite downpours Thursday night, but then it started raining heavily Friday night and everything got a lot muddier. We slip slided our way through the camping area to the car parks, then spent about 20 minutes trying to find the car I met hubby at Ozzfest 98 when I was 17, while I was waiting to get my nose pierced. My mum was ecstatic about me coming home with that! We then went to Reading 99 which was my first camping experience. I hated it, the tents were too close together & lots of people had campfires going. Don't think anyone got much sleep, people seemed to like banging drums throughout the night. We did find the nearby pub though and made use of their toilets! I felt quite old at Leeds this year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 DM, don't worry that if Rosie went to Uni at Oxford she could live at home. Several youngsters around here have won places (and we are only 7 miles away.) The Uni INSISTS they don't live at home! Mind you, terms aren't very long.... I will insist that too! I think it's essential as well, although Oxford has a terrible drug problem at the moment, which is worrying; I hear all about it from a friend in the police there. I will try to get her working in the hols; she agrees in principle and is usually industrious, but has been rather work-shy this holiday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
