Letting 15 year old Son travel to Europe by rail

Probably different for Kirstie than Katie Price, I'd imagine.

I suppose lots of teenagers travel across Europe to stay with family during the summer? but this sounds like they went interrailing, which is catching trains across Europe and staying in hostels. As they are quite well off though he may have been able to stay in hotels which would have made it safer. She inhabits a different world to me after her comments about washing machines in kitchens. I have no idea how she lives her life

MissAdventure

Probably different for Kirstie than Katie Price, I'd imagine.

Quite

I think it's caused a storm because he was under 16 and not accompanied by an adult. The law has changed about marriage now and they can't get married at 16 any more - even with parental consent. They have to be 18.

I think most kids after GCSE's would love to go on holiday with friends, but the only place they can do that in the Uk is at a youth hostel. Under 18 year olds need an adult with them in hotels and B&B's etc. Most parents don't let 16 year olds go abroad on their own. Most accommodation expects them to be accompanied by an 18 year old and I'm surprised she got travel insurance.

It's one thing to go abroad at 16 accompanied or chaperoned, but another to have them go alone.

The generally accepted view is they need to be 18 to travel abroad without an adult. She is lucky nothing happened to him. Suppose he had had a few drinks and fallen off a balcony and died! She would have been in really serious trouble.

A parent is still legally responsible for a 15 or 16 year old until they're 18. Technically a 16 year old can leave home and live somewhere else, as long as it's a safe place, but the parent is still legally responsible for them until they're 18.

JaneJudge

I suppose lots of teenagers travel across Europe to stay with family during the summer? but this sounds like they went interrailing, which is catching trains across Europe and staying in hostels. As they are quite well off though he may have been able to stay in hotels which would have made it safer. She inhabits a different world to me after her comments about washing machines in kitchens. I have no idea how she lives her life

I never could work out her disgust to washing machines in kitchens. A location quite logical, really. First world problem.

Her son having access to the best - will probably be fine.

Maybe he wasn't the type to stay in a dodgy hotel in Ibiza where drunken teenagers occasionally fall off balconies. I read he and his friend went to Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Munich, Toulouse, Barcelona. City visiting.
KA and the other parent would know their own kids well enough.
How did social services find out anyway?

Social services will have contacted her because someone reported her, they're obliged to investigate, which in this case will I imagine involve asking a couple of questions.
There is no way I can comment without bias as she drives me up the wall.

Cities have balconies.

I would be horrified if my 16 (nearly 17 year old) GS were to do that. Perhaps KA had family or contacts abroad who kept a discreet eye on things, or maybe they were accompanied by a film crew and we shall see it all on TV quite soon.

Incidentally, Kirstie Allsop's parenting has been called into question before when she, reportedly, smashed up all her children's electronic devices because they were spending too long on them. (Understandable but a bit extreme IMO)

KA will be volubly outraged at anyone disagreeing with her about anything! Good luck to those investigating SWs.

I wonder who reported her?

Well done to her, valuable lessons learnt by him, far more danger online in my opinion. Out of order for someone to report it, I bet SS moved quickly to act as KA is ‘famous’, their time would’ve been better spent elsewhere.

She was outraged at being kept on the social services register for a further six months after this episode was my understanding.

I was heavily criticised for leaving our 16 year old home alone while we went for a weeks holiday.

I saw no issue with this, friends of mine were quite shocked.

He is sensible and everything was fine.

Hotels are going to be a problem for unaccompanied children, overseas even youth hostels minimum age is 18 unless accompanied, some are 21+
So no it is a bad ideal to set a 15 yr old adrift.

My two went to Tenerife after gcse, along with 4 friends and the parents of one of the group. We all met at the house of the parents who volunteered to escort and supervise the gang of giddy girls who’d been close friends many years. So we parents were familiar with each other and easily agreed ground rules. Ok, it was Tenerife not a tour of city art galleries but - I wiukd t have wanted my 15 year old travelling Europe with a 16 year old friend.
Someone referred it to children’s services. I can imagine the team manager thinking, well I saw this in the news. I wonder who made this anonymous referral, if it was a tabloid and we don’t respond I’ll be on the front page of the DM. If we do investigate - I’ll be on the front page of the DM. Maybe least worse is to phone her, let her know we’ve been alerted, so recorded it (our legal duty), good to hear it all went off well. Close case
Honestly ! It was the DM front page. Faux outrage that they’ve nothing better to do, intruding into the lives of decent families yadayada

I agree that a 15 year old should be accompanied by an 18 year old, because any kind of accident could have had serious legal repercussions. It's just not worth the risk. I'd be wanting them to travel after A Levels at 18 years. Much more sensible and they can go anywhere in the world. What's the rush?

Why not make everything 18? People can drive at 17. It's ridiculous. IMO, even 18 is too young. It should be 21.

It’s all about risk. Most 15/16 year olds are still a bit naive. They, I believe, live in rural Devon. If so then he really won’t be streetwise. Most travelling youngsters come back in one piece, some don’t. The world is less safe now than ever. Some are attacked or even killed. Personally I think 15 is too young but at the end of the day it’s down to personal choice - are you willing to take the risk that your child (who would be easy prey away from home) may not come back or suffers some attack? Is that a risk worth taking?

We don't know the boy. He could be very sensible and mature and may have been brought up to be independent.
Some children are very immature at that age. Look at the children who are carers.That is something no child should have to do, but they do and they get on with it.

I should have started a new para for "look at the children.....
I do wish there was an edit.Sorry.

Jaxjacky

Well done to her, valuable lessons learnt by him, far more danger online in my opinion. Out of order for someone to report it, I bet SS moved quickly to act as KA is ‘famous’, their time would’ve been better spent elsewhere.

I agree, but it is hard not imagine the worst that can happen, and I tried not to let this affect my judgement when I agreed to let my 16 year old son go on a cycling holiday to France with two school friends of the same age.
The trip was well planned, the boys were sensible and well briefed, staying in youth hostel type accommodation , and they all spoke French
The other boys parents were relaxed about the trip and thought it would be good experience for them which it proved to be.
They returned safely, had adventures and a great time in which they learned a lot.
I don’t consider myself an irresponsible parent.

Good luck to her son, I hope he enjoyed every minute of this experience.
Reporting her to social services was ludicrous. There are children who are in real need. I read Kirsty was at first upset, and then angry. I would be annoyed to recieve a call like that to.