My Daughter's First Rock Fest?
My daughter, young Galadriel Tanqueray Onassis, is 15.
She really, REALLY wants to go to something called Vans Warped Tour '09.
She earned the $40 for her ticket via babysitting. Several of her friends are going with her.
But she is having a hissy fit over the fact that her mother and I are insisting that there must be a chaperon who is over 21 to act as the Responsible Adult.
She says she's 15 and we need to "cut the cord".
I say she's ONLY 15 and has never been to an all day rock fest in August with thousands of teens with bad judgement.
I don't want someone just dropping a bunch of 15-16 year old girls off in Bonner Springs, in early August, subject to heat stroke and all of the temptations that I know go on at those events without some adult supervision.
I also don't want some 16 year old who just got their license a month ago being the sole means of "safe" transportation to and from Independence to Bonner Springs.
My position so far is that I will go online and buy the ticket, I will take her $40, but I will reserve final judgement on whether or not she can go until it gets closer to the concert date and I know who she is going with, who is driving, and whether or not she has found a responsible adult to act as an escort.
What do you all think? Am I being too permissive by even considering allowing her to go? Or too over-protective by insisting on an adult chaperon?
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Parenting,
Teenagers,
Vans Warped Tour
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11 comments:
I think you're being perfectly reasonable. Why? Because I've done enough stupid shit at concerts to know that goes down.
Thought about buying a ticket yourself and going along? You could hang on your own (or bring a friend) and schedule check-ins with her. The line-up looks survivable...Shooter Jennings (son of Waylon) would be interesting...
Cutting the cord at 15?? LOLOLOL!!!
Tell her she can't say that until she's out on her own, paying her own bills.
Until then, a chaperone is perfectly reasonable.
A chaperon for a bunch of 15/16 yr old girls going to an all day rock fest is perfectly reasonable.
chaperon is ok but it can't be you, she might as well burn 40 bucks
I volunteer to be the chaperone.
Patchcord - "Thought about buying a ticket yourself and going along?"
Umm, no, dude. I took her and her friend to see "Arthur LIVE!" at The Midland.
I took her and her friend to see Brittany Spears at Sandstone. After I got the Soggy Ass in the rain-soaked, blanket covered lawn seats during the warm-up acts, she sat on my shoulders for 45 minutes watching Brittany.
That was 8 years ago. My shoulders still hurt.
I've paid my fucking dues.
No way I'm pulling duty on this gig.
GB - Yeah, same girl calling on me to "cut the cord" called on me tonight to take her to Richmond to pick up her GF and take them back to her mom's to spend the night o they can go to World's of Fun tomorrow.
Leigh Ann - Srsly? You would do that? Why? LOL! I mean, I know you and trust you, but the very thought of enduring potential heat stroke in August while listening to hours upon hours of music I hate is unbearable. Can't imagine why you would want to put yourself through that sort of torture.
I've been to a Warped Tour. You are smart to not let a 15 year old girl go with JUST other teenage girls.
Saying no to your young teenage kid when her friends' parents say yes is one of the hardest things responsible parents have to do. You can let the drama go on for several months or just end it now and by August she will probably have made other plans for something you both are happy with.
My first concert ever was Lalapalooza when I was 15, shortly followed by Warped Tour - both of which I attended with just friends. Granted, that was a long time ago . . . But I wouldn't have gone with a parent - I would have rather stayed home. It was part of the point. But, also looking back, there was some f-ed up stuff going on - around me, among people I was there with - that I would never want to have my daughter around. It's hard - but I think GTO is a pretty cool kid - she's not going to screw some guy in the porta-potty or open her mouth to try whatever drug is being passed around - it's Warped Tour, for goodness sakes - NOT Gwar or Lords of Acid. :). Dorky , stupid teenagers . . . Let her go, but make her send you a text every hour - with threats to come in and pull her out by her ears if she doesn't. And, definitely drop her off and pick her up. Letting her rode in the car with said stupid teenagers is FAR more dangerous than letting her go to a million rock concerts.
You are being very reasonable to insist on a chaperon. Even then you need to know - I mean really know- the person chaperoning. My oldest went to warped at 17 and it was cool and she stayed sober and out of trouble. That was with her friends ages 17-21.
My younger son (15 at the time) went to Rock Fest with his friend and his friend's PARENTS and things didn't go so well. Checking his phone I found pictures of topless girls and of his friend's parents smoking pot.
Now when this kid goes out he gets the joy of checking in via phone and sometimes picture message every hour or two.
Each kid and outing is different, but these events have a lot of temptations and you're playing it smart.
"That was 8 years ago. My shoulders still hurt."
This is at best, lame. My parents went to dozens of shows with me, starting at age 15. It is your responsibility to watch over your child. There are so many lessons to be learned at a live music event, you should be there as the safety net. After a few shows, you will see that your daughter has learned what it takes to be a responsible concert goer. Don't get me wrong, she's still going to do a lot of dumb stuff, but you can show her the ropes. Heat stroke probably won't kill a 15-year-old, as long as her father is there to take care of her...but that experience will teach her a lesson she probably won't learn the easy way.
I almost forgot, "If it's too loud, you're too old."
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