Child safeguarding issue, or not?

[Cousin Jack]

Some TV celeb called Kirstie Allsop allowed her son, a few weeks shy of his 16th birthday, to go on holiday abroad with some mates. Much wailing and gnashing of teeth by the do gooders.

Hang her, or not?

FWIW at age 13 I was put in charge of two other kids, given a rail warrant to Lincolnshire, and told to catch a particular train. I didn't die. At 14 I was sent off for a 3 day walk across Exmoor. No cell phones, no checks until we came back.

I just don't get this pampering, kids have to be allowed freedom or they don't grow up.

[mangocrazy]

It starts earlier than 15 or 16. When I started at primary school aged 5 I was walked to school on the first morning by my Mum to show me the way and thereafter I did it on my own. Later when my sister was old enough to go to the same school we walked together until she decided she preferred walking with her mates.

That woukl have people frothing at the mouth these days.

[weeksy]

I sent mine to Morzine 3 weeks after his 16th. Admittedly he went with parents but he was throwing himself down trails with just him and his 15 year old teammate

[Count Steer]

I was rather cheered by the story. Good for the lad - him and his mates organised it, saved up for it - and good for his parents for bringing him up to be sensible enough to trust to do it. So...

[Skub]

There are different levels of maturity at 16 years old. Unfortunately the system isn't able to process this by anything other than chronological age. Any safeguards are a catch all.

[Rockburner]

I was sent off to New York, then Washington, Dallas and back aged 13....

And again New York, Idaho, San Fransisco and back aged 15.


Ok i was staying with family and friends each time, but i did all the travelling solo.

This was... Errr.... In the 80s (i think)

[Cousin Jack]

Seems we all survived, not sure that the next generation will even get the chance. Wife was watching a program about kids the other day, and 1 nine year old said he was never allowed out of the house on his own. How the he'll will they ever become adults unless they are given (graduated) freedom as they grow up?

[Count Steer]

When I was at junior school we moved house from one side of the town to the other. My parents decided I should stay at the same school. I'd go and catch a bus, change buses in town then walk 10 mins at the end to get to school. Same in reverse at the end of the day.

At 15 or 16 me and mates would go off on camping trips to places like Buxton (and hitchhike back to save money )

Mind you at 16 I was standing on the bar rail saying 'pint of bitter please' in as baritone voice as I could muster.

[Yorick]

When I was 13 my parents sent me off camping to The Lakes with some pals.

When I came home, they'd moved house

[DefTrap]

No complaints here.

It's possibly 'a thing' because iirc Allsopp is a bit of a bellend herself.

[KungFooBob]

I'd shag Kirstie Allsop.

Not her 16 year old son.

I bet she takes it up the bum.

Not her 16 year old son.

[Yorick]

I'd shag Kirstie Allsop.

Not her 16 year old son.

I bet she takes it up the bum.

Not her 16 year old son.

She's a minger

[KungFooBob]

I'd shag Kirstie Allsop.

Not her 16 year old son.

I bet she takes it up the bum.

Not her 16 year old son.

She's a minger

Id take her over you every day of the week.

[Yorick]

I'd shag Kirstie Allsop.

Not her 16 year old son.

I bet she takes it up the bum.

Not her 16 year old son.

She's a minger

Id take her over you every day of the week.

She must be really hot

[Cousin Jack]

When I was 13 my parents sent me off camping to The Lakes with some pals.

When I came home, they'd moved house

I can understand that. They ought to have emigrated.

[Noggin]

Surely we lived in an age where people were less aware of the dangers that 'might' be around every corner, under every stone etc etc and without the social media battering that happens to anyone that is outside the 'norm'

From the age of maybe 10 (my sister is almost two years younger) we were allowed out on horses to ride all over the local area - woods, fields, roads, through villages. The only thing that happened that raised concerns was when a lorry driver stopped his vehicle to talk to us (I was maybe 13/14 at the time but looked a fair bit older, downside of being an early developer ) and I wasn't comfortable about the conversation - don't think it was what he said, just that he didn't want us to ride on and kept talking (and probably 'that' sort of looking). Got home and told my mum and SDad and the next day SDad went off to 'chat' to the company who's lorry the guy was driving and probably find out who the driver was!! My SDad isn't a fierce chap - but I reckon that day he was.


I guess the difference is that people weren't expecting bad things to happen, they weren't publicised like now and if bad stuff happened, only that community knew, not the whole world.

Most parents now are totally into protecting their kids. And I can see that it's a reaction to social media/available news etc, but also that they are held accountable in the news and social media in a way our parents never were. That has to be the biggest fear and must affect how they parent?


Little things like - I was waiting for my sister and SDad with my niece and nephew. We were meeting in a pub. Now, when we were kids at a similar age, we were allowed small amounts of various alcohols (usually cider or beer - I was a Babycham girl!). I offered the kids a bit of some cider I was drinking and they both said they weren't allowed. So I left it. But asked my sister when she arrived only to be told that if the kids go into school and mention that they had alcohol over the weekend, the parents can be reported This for just a sip or small glass, not getting shitfaced at 12 years old.


TBF, whilst all the comment on here is about the kids, I feel really sorry for the parents too as they are so restricted - even if they want to let their kids do what we did, the backlash is horrific (as per Kirstie Allsop)

[Nordboy]

The one sentence that caught my eye was the council saying that they had a statutory responsibility for all persons under 18 (or similar). Like fuck you do!!! I wouldn't want the council within 100 miles of bringing up my kids, that's been my responsibility, not the councils. And therefore, any decisions I make regarding what they can and can't do, within the law obviously, is mine and mine alone, well, the wifes as well. Is it illegal for a 15 yr old to get on a train, no, so the council would have been told to fuck right off.

Should have been in the boils my piss thread )

[weeksy]

TBF, whilst all the comment on here is about the kids, I feel really sorry for the parents too as they are so restricted - even if they want to let their kids do what we did, the backlash is horrific (as per Kirstie Allsop)

Not even remotely. Kirstie is the product of her fame and this scenario is 99.9% on her. If it was a random kid, no-one would have ever been involved. The parents of the majority are not restricted in any way.

[Cousin Jack]

I agree that all the meeja interest is because of who the Mum is, but it seems to me that the world is becoming ever-more polarized.

There have always been over-protective parents who won't let their kids grow up. Similarly there have always been parents who let their kids run feral. Fortunately in my day both of these were in a minority, most parents avoided either excess, and kids had a 'normal' childhood, with graduated freedom starting with little things and ending up as adults. Mostly depending on the environment and the child, but a clear progression from little things at age 4 or 5, up to near-adult freedom by 15 or 16.

Now it seems that the extremes are taking over, many kids don't walk to school, they are delivered and collected by car, even for a 200 metre walk in good weather and in a safe environment. Many other are abandoned, get your own breakfast and go to school, or don't, I don't care.

We are doomed I tell you, doomed!

[Yorick]

I'm not a parent so can't offer a subjective opinion.

But if a 15 year old was seriously injured while on an unsupervised jolly in Europe, the reaction might be different?