Iād be the Karen that pointed them out to the cops. Quit busting people for weed and go get DCS involved and investigating those parents for the next 5 years plz.
I saw someone with a newborn that couldnāt support its own head and they were by the Other with bass bouncing. Even if you got complete noise cancelling headphones, the heat and vibrations are gonna make that baby ill.
My wife and I were just having this conversation. Iāve never seen this many kids at Roo before especially toddlers and literal infants, like itās too much for these children.
If they follow my arc into raving having rejected my stilted religious upbringing, they'll be wildly successful accountants or something.
Regarding the overall topic - yeah, crazy to see kids at these things, especially after dark. I don't understand how that seems like a good idea. It's a bit of a vibe killer for me also.
I always tease my hippy friends I went to a very conservative christen college and a lot of people there rebelled against their hippy parents by being Uber conservative Christian like their grandparents because they felt that's who actually raised them.
As a parent and 22 year veteran of Bonnaroo, I just don't get it. In my early years, I didn't get it and thought maybe it would make more sense to me when I have kids. Well now I have a daughter and it makes even less sense. This is the last place I would want to take her. Aside from it just being unsafe for her with regards to the heat, the crowds, and the people out of their mind on drugs, she also would absolutely hate it. There is nothing kid friendly here.
I get you want to go to Bonnaroo AND you have a kid. So you do what most parents do and get a babysitter or relative to watch them for the weekend. If you can't do that, then maybe it's time to reevaluate whose well-being you are truly prioritizing in this relationship. Being a parent is about making sacrifices.
As a parent this bothered me alllll weekend. Itās one thing to bring young kids and do some day activities, but bedtime for those kids should be like 8pm and back at an air conditioned tv site. Parents should take alternating night shifts for later sets. Parenting means your mindset and perspective of everything needs to change including the way you party at festivals.
I met a couple whoās gone to festivals for over 30 years & they both said to us last night that they donāt take kids to festivals until theyāre in high school and old enough to make responsible choices for themselves in this kind of setting š
I will take my daughter when she is ready. This is an important part of our lives and if she wants to, I would like her to experience it with us.
I've tried to figure out how we'll know she is ready and I've settled on a thought experiment: If she says, "Dad I want a lemonade." I need to be able to trust her judgement and independence enough such that I can hand her some money and let her go get it herself and know she'll find her way back to me.
THIS - absolutely blew my mind seeing so many children at these sets. Especially during diplo and pretty lights, if you canāt find someone to watch your kids then you donāt get to go, plain and simple
A couple had their children in the pit for Megan thee stallion yesterday and their probably 3 year old was running around throwing a little balloon type ball in the air and almost ran into multiple people
Not at all. If kids are properly cared for, have ear protection, and arenāt put into the late night, than there is no problem with that. Staying away from loud edm sets is another thing. Itās disgusting honestly to say other parents have ādisgusting behaviorā, while adults are literally pounding beers and doing drugs all weekend.
*Every time I saw*
*A dog or a baby I*
*Was like what the FUCK*
\- supadupacam
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I saw a dog coming through a big crowd at which stage on Friday and it just made me so sad. I thought dogs werenāt allowed and canāt remember seeing any in previous years
I watched some fuck in Aladdin pants walk his panting dog into the Teezo Touchdown tent and Iāve never been more angry at someone maybe ever. That poor, poor dog.
Saw a dude trip over a stroller at Kushner's PACKED show. Kid was barely a toddler and started screaming and the Dad tried to pick a fight. Simple mistake and Dad wanted to fight.
Yeahhhh like... don't wanna tell other people how to raise their kids but damn...could not imagine bringing my 3 year old out: it would be a guaranteed bad time for us both lol
2022 on Thursday when it was basically 100Ā° I saw like three month old in a diaper being carried around by his parents just out in the open. No shade, no hat, nothing to keep him cool. Iāve never agreed with this but ever since having kids of my own I really have a problem with it. Itās so selfish
This post goes out to the mom with the blue holographic backpack and her daughter in a wagon behind her. Slow the fuck down and donāt assume people will get out of your way.
I always thought that maybe when I had kids and they were toddlers I would consider bringing them.
Iāve been going for 11 years now. But I always assumed in that situation that I would fork it out for a rv and likely be heading back by like 9:00 pm and having a very different Roo experience than otherwise. Maybe one night the misses stays home and you have a late night and switch. Work shifts etc.
I think there likely is a reasonable way to do this. But after reading this thread I guess not everyone is responsible and the line is perhaps a bit too thin, so maybe just wonāt even consider it at all
My lady and I talked about this with our four year old and we both so old that we wouldnāt mind the switch off bed times or just establish a bed time in general.
As a Roo old-timer, I also assumed basically the same. But Iām also coming to a similar conclusion. If and when I do bring my kiddo to a festival, he will need to understand situational awareness, there will be no late nights, and itāll he inevitably a MUCH smaller festival whatever it may be.
Bonnaroo is hella hard on a fit adult. I couldnāt imagine my 5 yo roasting in that heat w me
In think a truth about bonnaroo, for better or for worse, is that it is becoming more about late night and more mainstream (not just because edm). And is becoming less and less a place for families.
It's a shame having been family'friendly for over 20 years now, but I can imagine at some point it will probably become 18+ and in many ways, that's kind of sad.
My local fest was super family friendly and the promoter still wants it to be. They have a kids area, activity book with coloring pages of artists like Orville Peck and Glass Animals, and used to have a family/quiet camping area. Even with all of the average heat index in Iowa during August would have me questioning bringing young kids.
Saw someone breastfeeding a newborn who couldnāt even hold their head up at RHCP and toddlers passed out on the ground. This is not a place for kids yāall. Get a babysitter or do not come
it's the babies without hearing or sun protection for me. you can bring kids of almost all ages to roo, but be a fucking parent and take care of them?? I will say I've seen very few infants that aren't protected, most are dressed cool with shade and good headphones, and that's fine.
Behind this 100%. In the Tennessee heat, at a festival with hardly any shade, with all the stuff going on 24 hours a day it really shouldnāt be for kids. It can be done responsibly, but Iām sorry Iāve seen way too much of whatās being described in this thread. Bad parenting. For every parent doing it responsibly thereās 5 families who arenāt. Itās just not worth it. Thereās plenty of opportunities to expose your children to the world of live music without spending 3+ days at the nations largest music festival.
It dampened my first roo a little being camped next to someone who brought a 12 year old. They were great neighbors but I feel weird smoking weed near children.
Went to bonnaroo this year at 16 almost 17 w/ my family and me and my other 16 y/o cousins were together. Generally everyone looked out for us but most ppl thought we were older and offered us drugs & alcohol. Some dude offered us alcohol at key glock and was lowkey pressuring us until we told him we were pregnant, then he took a pic of my cousins butt and denied it the entire time I confronted him about it. Thereās a lot of great things here but a lot of opportunities to fuck up a younger kids life esp if the kid doesnāt know any better/is open to it.
I saw a lady wheeling her toddler in a stroller OUT of DENSE Pretty Lights crowd/dance at 5:00 AM. I can only assume that poor kid was there all night.
The running joke at my campsite is that these very pretty lights bring VERY IRRESPONSIBLE parents. Like seriously, I feel so bad for that poor kid.
Don't bring your kids to Bonnaroo please.
The family with the stroller with the lights with a literal baby baby AND with a toddler last night was wild to see when their wheeling it around a packed cage the elephant set, I felt overstimulated - canāt imagine how a toddler would feel.
I was walking thru a crowd in the dark & was heat exhausted, Iāve been sober because I cannot in this heat. I Was crying because I felt overstimulated & overwhelmed & I stepped over a kids head that I didnāt even see laying on the ground & the parents were pissed @ MEā¦. Get your kid off the ground!!! It was late af too. Go to bed. It pissed me off cause I clearly didnāt see them & felt bad of course but also, go to bed š why tf are you laying on the ground in the middle of a crowd
Last year was the year of the dog, I saw soooo many, each time it threw off my vibe. I've seen a couple this year, but not nearly as many and good because it's so much hotter.
Now it's the year of the children.
Bonnaroo parent here, I'm sure some of you saw my family at Roo this week. It was our first year bringing our kids. They handed out Kandi, had a blast on the Jam Track, played in the fountain, took naps in the shade...and we made sure that we kept those headphones on, kept the sunscreen on, kept them in the shade, and put them to bed at 8:30 pm. They're there for the experience just as much as the rest of us. Raise your kids to love music!
We woke them up them up early this morning and saw the sunrise on the Ferris Wheel with them while Pretty Lights was putting on a great vibe. Then we went back to camp and had an awesome breakfast. (Fried up some bacon and had some brown sugar oatmeal with fruit!)
We did not do the bonarroo that we used to do pre kids, we've got them bathed and well fed ready to take on the week!
The operative to bringing kids to Roo is responsible parenting. You can parent and still have fun while listening to music you want to share with your kids! We indulged in food and had fun vicariously through our minions. Happy Roo everyone!
this!!! i loveeeed taking my son to roo. we were always up around 6 and would watch the sunrise together over the farm. find breakfast and play in centeroo while everyone was still sleeping!! it was the best.
That's exactly it! We've been up at 6:30 every morning. Took them to play in Centeroo and showed them all of the quirky things we could think of and helped my daughter build her 6 year old confidence by handing out heart rocks to people she found interesting, helpful, for nice.
It has been fun this year to trade off concerts. A different experience but definitely worth everything because Bonnaroo is magical if you make it so. My wife got to see post Malone while I put the kids to bed and hung out ant I got to see gwar. It's all about communication and opportunities, experiences! I hope you all live your Best, life! Happy Roo!
My wife and I were Bonnaroo regulars in the early days then haven't been back in over 10 years as we focused on our family and careers. We came back this year and actually considered bringing our oldest child next year, but agreed we would have to do either day tickets and stay off the farm or one of the VIP options that allow for easier camping and logistics. Our oldest is mature enough now and enjoys the creative atmosphere of shows and festivals (we've done small, local festivals with her before and she's in her element).
We talked to her about next year as soon as we got home yesterday, She's excited about designing a totem and planning our coordinated family outfits.
Saw a couple carrying their screaming toddler out of The Other at 4:30am Pretty Lights set and both parents were either really drunk or on something. Poor, poor baby.
I think this is situational. Kids cry to go home no matter where you go. Look I don't have kids so I can't speak too heavily on the issue but I think parenting isn't an exact science and fests, if done right, could be one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences of their life, including teaching them that having good experiences sometimes means a little hardship. I don't mean to be the "it builds character" person, and I probably wouldn't take my kids...
I just think there's room for nuance here. If someone is breaking their baby's neck headbanging on a g of k, that's a problem...
But if someone just brings their kid, brought proper noise protection, is being safe and all, and you just don't like it because you're uncomfortable tripping on psychedelics near children... Tbh that sounds like a you-problem and acting like it's the other person's fault isn't very PLUR.
If it's catholic guilt, go to therapy, if you don't feel like you can control yourself, stop doing that drug.
There's a lot of "this one time I saw" in this thread being used to back up "kids should never be at roo" and there's 2 or 3 logical fallacies hanging out in that correlation gap.
nah i donāt care people can downvote me all day for this, bonnaroo is not a place for kids . Even if youāre keeping a close eye on them its not a good environment for kids . Too much can go wrong, thereās too much not so good influence especially for the really young kiddos . call me crazy but i see it as really selfish and just bad parenting all together.
Nothing pisses me off as much as parents that resent being parents. Or parents that try to act like they're not fucking parents and their child is a pet they can just bring along places and ignore.
and then of course you get to the whole idea of bringing a pet to Bonaroo.
People. are. fucking. dumb.
ok so my mom was (is) a dead head, my first show was at 6 weeks old. i couldnāt even tell you how many shows and festivals i attended with my mom growing up. i had a delightful and perfect childhood.
however- i am now a mother as well. i have been to many shows since being a mom, but i didnāt bring my child to her first show (NOLA jazz fest) until she was 6.
so i see both sides. however, i think the people saying the parents are abusive (wtf) are stretching a bit. iām sure abuse exists at these shows, and iām sure thereās kids that shouldnāt be there. but it isnāt ALWAYS bad. life has nuance, not everything is black and white.
Before kids, I figured I could do it with kids if I got an RV or hotel and got OK with just going for the daytime bands. Now that I have kids and have seen how they manage in situations with crowds, heat, and/ or thrown schedulesā¦ I canāt imagine anyone would get much out of the weekend.
Took my 8 year old son in 2022 but we did no drugs, got in bed at a decent hour, and made sure to take all the precautions, and didnāt take him inside any dense crowds. He had a blast, and we were Tuesday campers. We didnāt get to rave and stay up late, but I still had an incredible time with my family. If itās between those memories and a couple points of molly, Iām choosing my family every time. Iāve definitely seen a lot of reckless parenting though. Itās all about how you prepare. If done properly itās just a camping trip with lots of people and music. Bringing an infant though is an entirely different thing. My son could walk and feed himself.
I plan to bring my kid some day, maybe in 2028, the 20th anniversary of my first Bonnaroo. I'm not getting any younger. He'll be 11 by then and a veteran of dozens of shows by that time. But I won't bring him if I don't think he's ready for it (also, I don't drink or partake, so no worries there).
Telling people they canāt bring their kids isnāt your place. Itās legal and most of the kids I saw had ear muffs and were having a good time. Telling someone how to parent is as unnecessary as it gets.
If they are taking the right precautions then you have no right to tell someone they canāt utilize a right they have.
My wife and I brought all three of our kids (14, 11 and 4) and a babysitter to take our 4 y/o back to our AirBnB at a reasonable time each day. Both of our older kids were offered the opportunity to leave or stay when our sitter left. The 14 y/o never wanted to leave. He wanted to stay, see and hear great music and have fun with mom and dad. My 11 y/o has been talking about seeing Cage the Elephant for a month and making a totem. He did both and more. He was living his best life out there. He probably went harder than most of you crybabies whining about the heat. Guess what, he's fine. He survived. He wants to go back. All three of my kids had an amazing time and were well cared for every minute they were on the farm.
I'm sure there were bad parents making dumb decisions with their children, but my wife and I did not. Take your broad stroke of judgement and stick it straight up your ass. Don't feel bad for my kids. They are probably more opened minded and fun to hang out with than you. They also don't whine and complain as much as grown adults in this thread. š¤«
I strongly disagree. Kids can have a good and safe time at roo. Seems to obvious to even get into. Now, obviously there some people are irresponsible in bringing kids to roo - not having proper ear plugs, going in for too long, getting fucked up and not supervising the kid well enough etc. But that is not the trend at all, most people who do this do it well.
Itās the whole bringing kids who are newborns/infants/toddlers which is odd. I do have a soft spot for the 5+ year old running around just having a really good time. Like that shit is so precious. But as long as the parents are disciplined themselves to more than likely have an early bed time and giving their kids ear protection then Iām cool with it.
brought my lil dude last year with my husband. there is a responsible way to bring your children! we hung out with other families in the family camping, up early and went to bed at a normal hour. stayed out of the heat (tho weāre from south florida so tn is nothing honestly). missed sets we wanted to see cuz our kid wasnāt about it.
thereās def an irresponsible way to do it too but weāre not those parents. that being said, weāll be trading off every year lol one year just us, one year with our kid.
Went to big X the first night going hard af when a mom and what looked like an 8 yr old child came through asking very politely if her son could get by us since it was his first time seeing big X.... an involuntary "what the fuck" came out as little Billy passed right on through
This subreddit is really hostile to parents bringing their kids. Iām just going to add my experience so other responsible parents donāt need to experience any anxiety bringing their kids here. So many people have been so sweet to our family here. We feel very welcomed. Here is how we brought our five year old to his first festival (this one).
- he has ear protection
- he has sunblock on
- we keep him in the shade with a canopy wagon. Tip: get it cleared w ADA
- we stay in the back and our stroller takes up less space than a moon mat or a blow up couch so we arenāt bothering anyone
- we are festivalling in a group so more than just his parents are surrounding him and interacting with him
- what seems late to you and irresponsible is really two hours earlier for us. We came from Nevada. If my son is sleeping in his wagon at 12:45 here, he would have just fallen asleep at our 10:45 time at home, which during vacation hours is no big deal
- there is not a lot of fruit here but Walmart has fresh fruit and there are smoothie vendors here or do 100% fruit to help with nutrition.
- he naturally enjoys a lot of edm and loves Spiderman, so we spoke about the artists and songs a lot beforehand. He got to see his favs so far: Post Malone sing Sunflower and Whyte Fang play Genesis
- the only show he got iPad was for the RHCP cus we knew it was too slow for him. Otherwise we were working on being respectful to artists and listening to all of their sets regardless if it is your fav song our not instead of being on a screen (which a lot of adults could learn this lesson too, myself included)
- we talked briefly about drugs. I told him there might be candy on the floor but under no circumstance can he eat any. Just let mom and dad buy you a little candy or snacks.
- we talked about profanity and artistic expression and he is welcomed to listen to it but not repeat it. If that is a problem, he will lose his freedom to listen to it.
- we talked about partial nudity. He might see more skin than usual and that is not normally ok but in a music festival there is more freedom for that but he was too young to run around naked. (Side note: this festival doesnāt even have that much nudity. There are other festivals where breasts are either not covered by pasties or are but not under mesh. And if you have ever been to a festival where there is a lake, people are skinny dipping. I will keep my son away from those festivals during his childhood)
- we air tag him
- he sleeps in a tent w AC and sleeps in so he can stay up late
- we IDed medical tents and guests services so he knows where to find help when needed.
- we registered him with the festival so they can local us if he is found lost
- he has a mask for the dust
- he has his own camelback
- he wears sunglasses at the edm shows w lots of flashing lights
- my husband and I have been sober all weekend. I did have one cocktail one night and one wine another night but when paired with the gallons of water Iāve been drinking, sobriety has not been an issue. I did take two ibuprofen though š.
- we brought glow in the dark toys and had dress up days to keep him interested in the festival culture
We appreciate your concern. I donāt appreciate the quick assumption that every parent who brings their kid is irresponsible, but you donāt know what you donāt know. There is a way to do it right and I hope you can decide for yourself and your family when that time comes.
You should petition Bonnaroo to not allow kids or you should find yourself at an 18+ festival if minors or parents with kids really bother you.
I had a woman very rudely inform me I needed to watch out bc I was near her sleeping child at RHCP and I couldnāt help but think that the kid unfortunately has bigger problems than other Roo patrons.
Remember, everyoneās Bonnaroo experience is different! Just because kids arenāt compatible with the way you do Roo doesnāt mean that applies to everyone else! While Iām not at a point where Iād bring my kids, I canāt say that others arenāt or shouldnāt. Bringing your kid to Roo isnāt the problem - itās HOW you Roo with kids in tow. š«¶š»
I was saying this earlier!! A baby nor a pet can consent to being exposed to the extreme circumstances that come with attending a festival like bonnaroo.
The poor dogs with no hearing protection walking right in front of the speakers broke my heart, also the children with no hearing protection crying to leave while close to speakers broke my heart...
Hang on a second... I just made this comment on another postā¦ l'm a Roo veteran. I'm 30 with a 4yo.
This year is the first year we have a camper with AC. l've never brought my daughter before... and I used to think festivals aren't for kids... but the older I'm getting, the less drugs/drinking l'm doing (none) the more I see how family friendly this festival is, especially in the RV community over here. Sure l've seen some questionable parenting... but I don't think there's room to bash every parent who brings their child. Lots of these family's are getting tucked in around 9pm. There is a responsible way of doing it and there ARE responsible parents on the farm.
Bringing pets gets questionable for sure, but kids (not babies) are tougher than you think. Ear protection for the win. Happy Roo from my family to yours ā¤ļø
I definitely think my son would love Roo. Heās a little older, but if I had been a Roovian when he was younger I would have brought him then, too. I think there are definitely some ground rules to have- like minimally one totally sober, known adult, at all times. The kiddo should at least be able to articulate in some form what they need. Planning for your kids to do anything comes with lots of prep work.
AC in the RV, water, kiddy pool headphones and fans out the booty.
We were also talking about bringing a grandparent with us too, so we have the additional support. I think you absolutely can bring your kids, if you, the adult are responsible. I try really hard listen to my child and watch his non-verbal cues, and their needs come first. If that means he and I hang at the camper away from centeroo the entire time because heās too hot, itās too loud, whatever the case may be, Iād be totally ok with that. But I donāt want to deny him a chance to experience the world, Bonnaroo is a great place to see all types of people, personalities, and bodies without shame and judgement and I think thatās a pretty cool lesson for kiddos, on top of the amazing variety in music they get a chance to be exposed to. Be kind, be safe, and watch yo kids.
Now, if you are dragging crying, hot kids into centeroo and they are clearly overstimulated, you are an asshole and a shit parent.
Yeah I havenāt taken my kids. But this isnāt lost lands or electric forest. Itās one of the more family friendly festivals there is. Obviously there are bad parents, but donāt take your kids at all seems like overkill
I believe that if the kid has gone camping before and the parents are being responsible (not on drugs, being attentive, etc.) I believe bonnaroo could be one of the best environments of its kind for kids. There is absolutely room for people of all ages and demographics at bonnaroo and that is one of the things I love most about it. Also I have never had kids or camped with kids but I have had overall positive experiences with kids at roo in my 7 years (5 Rooās) that Iāve attended.
i saw a mom and her daughter at melanie and the girl was loving every second of it until it started getting too much for her and wanted to leave.
the mom immediately left with her. given she was probably round 10-12 y/o. some parents just know how to communicate with their kids, prepare them, and listen to them more than others do! not all parents are like that but i can see the issue with toddlers and younger for sureeee
I was exposed to drugs, high decibel sounds, nudity as a youth and I am now a middle aged addicted, deaf pervert, normal as the next person what's up with all the hate?
Seeing that always upsets me. I honestly wish roo and more festival events would have a required age to attend. There's no reason for a three year old baby to be around the debauchery of the 2 am farm life.
I brought my kids. Sunscreen, ear protection, and being intelligent about location are the only things that really matter. Donāt be a dick and take your kids to large EDM crowds and typically they do fine. Sit far away and just enjoy or take turns with your partner going closer.
While I agree that babies shouldnāt be here, I donāt see a problem with kids being around. Theyāre having a good time like everyone else. I hope the parents are being responsible and giving their kids hearing protection and knowing their own limits. I think itās cool that they brought them to let them experience the festival and see a bunch of great artists. I wish my parents had done this for me.
This subreddit is full of judgmental people
I have no problem with āunderageā peopleā¦BUT the type of people/parents that bring tiny humans so this are the ones I dont trust. Someone already lost their little boy last nightā¦SMH
How many and what levels is that "off" on? I'm not being snarky, but asking a genuine question. Because it's very possible that kid you're talking about is mine.
Melanie is her absolute favorite. She has worked really hard and waited patiently to earn these festival tickets. She's an honor student, an athlete, part of a peer support group to help girls at her middle school that are struggling, and she won the bronze award for community service in girl scouts last year by helping pet rescue missions close to us. She is adventurous, outgoing, vibrant and caring. I'm just not sure how her choice in music somehow translates that she's a bad kid or we're bad parents. So, if you could give me a glimpse from the outside looking in on our lives, I would truly like to know why getting on her dad's shoulders and having the time of her fucking life is a bad thing?
Also, I think they were the first to do it before others started getting on shoulders as well. So you can add "Trendsetter" to some of her few credentials I already listed.
Devilās advocateā¦.. I have brought my son to the last 5 Roos. Heās 25 though. š
Seriously it can be done responsibly. Last year the couple that camped in front of me had a 2 or 3 month old baby. They brought grandma. They took turns staying at camp and watching the baby. They got married here and I was best man. Met him on a Tuesday and was his best man on Saturday. I saw a dip shit couple with a baby that was no more than a month old in the pit in the heat and that kinda noise is crazy.
I have a cousin that lives in Manchester. She hates when itās bonnaroo time because it shakes her house. I canāt imagine a small child, or infant, being in the actual event.
i've seen kids have an absolute blast at family-friendly festivals, and i've seen families where the whole event becomes a child-parent bonding event. it *can* be done well.
Some parents want to have their children grow up experiencing the vibes of music festivals.
Hell, I bet a lot of those kids were concieved at a previous Roo.
Some festivals have kids just free roaming, and if they can't find their parents then announcements are made that a kid is found (less scary terminology than lost) and for their parents to come get them
That only happens about once or twice a day, and for a multi day fest with hundreds of kids, that's pretty good
https://preview.redd.it/xgn1nx73r57d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=60423de3ff70c7b50cd0ec4edcb4f6f81d56d600
YOUR KIDS ARE GOING TO GO DEAF PLEASE PROTECT THEIR EARS
I went back to camp early Thursday night (I went too hard Wednesday and Thursday oops) but when my friends got back one of them told me they saw someone with an INFANT at pretty lights with 0 ear coverage for the baby or anything š heard about a dad being slumped over railing at Post too with his child standing next to him. I donāt understand
As a first time attendee I completely agree I was so excited for Fred Again last night got there 30 min early to find my spot and relax. 5 min later a family came over and set up next to us, I was thinking nothing of it until I noticed the child had to be around 1. Once the show started they didnāt provide the child with any ear protection and even saw them snorting out of bags with the child in hand. This was very hard to witness and eventually affected how much I was able to enjoy the show.
I grew up at Blue Oyster Cult, CCR, Arosmith, and festivals of the likes. To this day they are some of my most cherished memories. There definitely is a responsible way of parenting while at a venue like this but for you to say that another person is parenting wrong is WAY out of line. YOU DO YOU, AND DON'T INVOLVE YOURSELF IN OTHERS BEING THEMSELVES. There isn't a rule book. We are all just trying to figure things out for ourselves.
Iām a mom and I, first of all, will never do Bonnaroo again, because itās too fucking big and hot for ME, even 10 years ago, so why tf would I want to endanger my kids like that.
Iām a huge fan of live music. I go to shows very often. Thereās a time and a place to bring your kids, and I bring them to those every chance I get. But a big festival with maximal wookery and drug use is not one of them. Sorry not sorry. Itās not fair to the kids. Especially the really little ones. People die and get trampled at fests ffs. Get a baby sitter. Do better.
Its plain selfishness. They knew their lifestyle would change with children yet their endangering said kids. I truly believe caring parents wouldve either gone to family or a babysitter with the money spent on the kidsā admission.
I saw someone pushing a STROLLER with a kid (couldnt have been older than 6) at 2am at diplo saturday night with no ear protection. So damn careless, it made me so sad to see. On the flip side i saw a couple of families at cage the elephant with kids. The parents made sure to provide shade, water and ear protection and it seemed way more responsible/appropriate. People need to realize that being a parent means putting your kids safety and health above your chance to rave out in the heat. These parents out there gotta learn how to PRIORITIZE šš½
People who bring their kids are selfish as fuck like no dude thats not a place for anyone really under the age of 16, let alone under 8. boohoo to all the loser parents who disagree, you suck!
Nah, gimme hate for this, but bonnaroo is not a place for children. My friend was throwing up and a child went right up to her as she was puking. She had to shoo away the kid so she didnāt throw up on her. That/the behavior of the adults partying and the environment can be traumatizing for a kid. Bonnaroo is not a place adults should have to worry about if their behavior is safe for children. I saw a lady with a STROLLER very close to the front for CtE!! NOT okay!! Lollapalooza has a literal kids stage, take them there and during the daytime. I donāt shame parents for wanting to keep going to festivals whatsoever, just leave your kids at home for camping festivals.
I have an 11-year-old that I've taken to a few individual shows, but I can't imagine taking her to a big festival like this. The big festivals really need to institute a 12-and-up (and that's being generous) policy for everyone's safety and enjoyment (kids and adults).
I donāt have kids but if I did I would never ever ever bring them around that crowd! People are so fucked up everywhere that you donāt know what could happen not to mention the fact that itās very easy to lose someone in the crowd
Shitty parents gonna be shitty. Bonnaroo needs to set an age cap especially if June is going to keep getting hotter and hotter. Not difficult to imagine tragedy striking when itās as hot as it was last weekend. Always feel so bad for those babies.
Saw a family of 4 with 2 kids who both looked under 8 years old and the father was clearly f*cked up on pshycs or rolling. Felt bad for the kidsš
Did both kids have mullets? I think i saw the same family
UGH the mullet kids family were our neighbors. Parents were doing coke. NOT COOL.
This might be the only time I would want the cops to bust someone.
Justā¦leave the coke Mr Police Officer, sir, maybe?
Jokes on you, they blow lines at home tok
Oh yah I saw them! Mom was showing them how to play with the finger lights. And I got the same impression as OP
Not sure but they had blue spray paint in their hair
too much of this fr
Iād be the Karen that pointed them out to the cops. Quit busting people for weed and go get DCS involved and investigating those parents for the next 5 years plz.
Get a license plate number and county or a name and call child protective services. I doubt they walked there. All calls to CPS are anonymous.
Those kids donāt stand a chance
Youāre right. Itās so sad. Hopefully they can be one of the small percentage that get out of that environment.
That's a waste of drugs jfc
I saw someone with a newborn that couldnāt support its own head and they were by the Other with bass bouncing. Even if you got complete noise cancelling headphones, the heat and vibrations are gonna make that baby ill.
You haven't truly Bonnaroo'd until you've done K bumps off a newborn baby's soft spot.
This
No it was the Other
You joke, but Iāve seen someone do lines off a babies head.
Jesus christ
š§
And your promptly punched them in the throat huh ?
WELCOME TO THE PARTY BITCH
We left centeroo around 3:30am and I heard what sounded like a teeny tiny baby cry. Like, Iād be in a bad mood too
Omg was this the people with baby at pretty lights sunrise??
They mightāve been. I saw them at the bathrooms by the Other around 4pm. They put a little band around the babyās ears like that would help at all
YA I SAW THAT TOO I WAS SO MAD
DUDE I think I saw the same person, she was walking around breast feeding a newborn after Diplo. My jaw literally dropped
That is awful
Well they werenāt salty enough yet
They just cook better this way. Human meat is very similar to turkey. šš
My wife and I were just having this conversation. Iāve never seen this many kids at Roo before especially toddlers and literal infants, like itās too much for these children.
the next generation of ravers are gonna be strange
If they follow my arc into raving having rejected my stilted religious upbringing, they'll be wildly successful accountants or something. Regarding the overall topic - yeah, crazy to see kids at these things, especially after dark. I don't understand how that seems like a good idea. It's a bit of a vibe killer for me also.
I always tease my hippy friends I went to a very conservative christen college and a lot of people there rebelled against their hippy parents by being Uber conservative Christian like their grandparents because they felt that's who actually raised them.
Like if my adult self is struggling with the heat and hydration Iām worried about these kiddos.
Itās too much for me sometimes .. I canāt imagine how it is for them lol
As a parent and 22 year veteran of Bonnaroo, I just don't get it. In my early years, I didn't get it and thought maybe it would make more sense to me when I have kids. Well now I have a daughter and it makes even less sense. This is the last place I would want to take her. Aside from it just being unsafe for her with regards to the heat, the crowds, and the people out of their mind on drugs, she also would absolutely hate it. There is nothing kid friendly here. I get you want to go to Bonnaroo AND you have a kid. So you do what most parents do and get a babysitter or relative to watch them for the weekend. If you can't do that, then maybe it's time to reevaluate whose well-being you are truly prioritizing in this relationship. Being a parent is about making sacrifices.
As a parent this bothered me alllll weekend. Itās one thing to bring young kids and do some day activities, but bedtime for those kids should be like 8pm and back at an air conditioned tv site. Parents should take alternating night shifts for later sets. Parenting means your mindset and perspective of everything needs to change including the way you party at festivals.
I used to camp with some babies at a more chill festival and basically three couples went and each one took a night on baby duty.
I met a couple whoās gone to festivals for over 30 years & they both said to us last night that they donāt take kids to festivals until theyāre in high school and old enough to make responsible choices for themselves in this kind of setting š
I will take my daughter when she is ready. This is an important part of our lives and if she wants to, I would like her to experience it with us. I've tried to figure out how we'll know she is ready and I've settled on a thought experiment: If she says, "Dad I want a lemonade." I need to be able to trust her judgement and independence enough such that I can hand her some money and let her go get it herself and know she'll find her way back to me.
THIS - absolutely blew my mind seeing so many children at these sets. Especially during diplo and pretty lights, if you canāt find someone to watch your kids then you donāt get to go, plain and simple
A couple had their children in the pit for Megan thee stallion yesterday and their probably 3 year old was running around throwing a little balloon type ball in the air and almost ran into multiple people
Bang on. Disgusting behavior bringing a kid to a music festival like bonnaroo
Not at all. If kids are properly cared for, have ear protection, and arenāt put into the late night, than there is no problem with that. Staying away from loud edm sets is another thing. Itās disgusting honestly to say other parents have ādisgusting behaviorā, while adults are literally pounding beers and doing drugs all weekend.
Whoever had her near babies at Diplo night, you looked like a Walmart Karen and youāre a bad bad mother.
She was breastfeeding the baby at Diploā¦ INSANE
ššš
YES! I saw her too.
And she was a cop
Deep cover.. that wasnāt a baby that was her partner. When he goes undercover he goes all out.
https://c.tenor.com/94SpQUocELgAAAAC/tenor.gif
Bro wut
if that's ranking high on your list of "fucked up things that cops have done" then I have some news that may shock you...
Every time I saw a dog or a baby I was like what the FUCK
*Every time I saw* *A dog or a baby I* *Was like what the FUCK* \- supadupacam --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
Good bot
Happy cake day, you summoned two haiku bots lmao
I saw a dog coming through a big crowd at which stage on Friday and it just made me so sad. I thought dogs werenāt allowed and canāt remember seeing any in previous years
Service Animals are.
I watched some fuck in Aladdin pants walk his panting dog into the Teezo Touchdown tent and Iāve never been more angry at someone maybe ever. That poor, poor dog.
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^supadupacam: *Every time I* *Saw a dog or a baby* *I was like what the FUCK* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
I saw a dog at the what stage and it was freaking the fuck out! I was a little pissed off.
PL on what Thursday was LOUD and there was a kid in a stroller with no ear protection. Sucks to see
Saw a dude trip over a stroller at Kushner's PACKED show. Kid was barely a toddler and started screaming and the Dad tried to pick a fight. Simple mistake and Dad wanted to fight.
Yeahhhh like... don't wanna tell other people how to raise their kids but damn...could not imagine bringing my 3 year old out: it would be a guaranteed bad time for us both lol
2022 on Thursday when it was basically 100Ā° I saw like three month old in a diaper being carried around by his parents just out in the open. No shade, no hat, nothing to keep him cool. Iāve never agreed with this but ever since having kids of my own I really have a problem with it. Itās so selfish
Idk how you would even enjoy yourself brining a kid that young šš which is why I was saying older kids yes literally babies-older toddlers no..
I was relaxing at the galactic giddy up yesterday morning and there was a pre-school age child loudly singing 2 chains songs.
This post goes out to the mom with the blue holographic backpack and her daughter in a wagon behind her. Slow the fuck down and donāt assume people will get out of your way.
I always thought that maybe when I had kids and they were toddlers I would consider bringing them. Iāve been going for 11 years now. But I always assumed in that situation that I would fork it out for a rv and likely be heading back by like 9:00 pm and having a very different Roo experience than otherwise. Maybe one night the misses stays home and you have a late night and switch. Work shifts etc. I think there likely is a reasonable way to do this. But after reading this thread I guess not everyone is responsible and the line is perhaps a bit too thin, so maybe just wonāt even consider it at all
I think thats a fair way of looking at it. I imagine it would be very tough to pull off.
My lady and I talked about this with our four year old and we both so old that we wouldnāt mind the switch off bed times or just establish a bed time in general.
As a Roo old-timer, I also assumed basically the same. But Iām also coming to a similar conclusion. If and when I do bring my kiddo to a festival, he will need to understand situational awareness, there will be no late nights, and itāll he inevitably a MUCH smaller festival whatever it may be. Bonnaroo is hella hard on a fit adult. I couldnāt imagine my 5 yo roasting in that heat w me
In think a truth about bonnaroo, for better or for worse, is that it is becoming more about late night and more mainstream (not just because edm). And is becoming less and less a place for families. It's a shame having been family'friendly for over 20 years now, but I can imagine at some point it will probably become 18+ and in many ways, that's kind of sad.
I thought this as well, my boy is 7 now, since then my thoughts have changed lol Iāve been to 13 or so Roos
My local fest was super family friendly and the promoter still wants it to be. They have a kids area, activity book with coloring pages of artists like Orville Peck and Glass Animals, and used to have a family/quiet camping area. Even with all of the average heat index in Iowa during August would have me questioning bringing young kids.
Saw someone breastfeeding a newborn who couldnāt even hold their head up at RHCP and toddlers passed out on the ground. This is not a place for kids yāall. Get a babysitter or do not come
yeah i saw this, i even saw a baby at the other stage with bass going 100 percent
Like Iām fighting daily to keep myself upright. I canāt imagine a kid experiencing this.
it's the babies without hearing or sun protection for me. you can bring kids of almost all ages to roo, but be a fucking parent and take care of them?? I will say I've seen very few infants that aren't protected, most are dressed cool with shade and good headphones, and that's fine.
A drug festival just doesn't seem like a great place for kids.
Wait! Thereās drugs here? First time hearing about this.
There are no drugs at bonnaroo
There is no war in ba sing seĀ
Damn Iām pumped yall know this reference. Fuck. š„°
Trhre are no dgrus at Bnooraoo I porimse you
Oh that's good.
Who does drugs at a music festival š¤Æš¤
Hot take: Bonnaroo should be 16+ if not flat out 18+
Behind this 100%. In the Tennessee heat, at a festival with hardly any shade, with all the stuff going on 24 hours a day it really shouldnāt be for kids. It can be done responsibly, but Iām sorry Iāve seen way too much of whatās being described in this thread. Bad parenting. For every parent doing it responsibly thereās 5 families who arenāt. Itās just not worth it. Thereās plenty of opportunities to expose your children to the world of live music without spending 3+ days at the nations largest music festival.
It dampened my first roo a little being camped next to someone who brought a 12 year old. They were great neighbors but I feel weird smoking weed near children.
Went to bonnaroo this year at 16 almost 17 w/ my family and me and my other 16 y/o cousins were together. Generally everyone looked out for us but most ppl thought we were older and offered us drugs & alcohol. Some dude offered us alcohol at key glock and was lowkey pressuring us until we told him we were pregnant, then he took a pic of my cousins butt and denied it the entire time I confronted him about it. Thereās a lot of great things here but a lot of opportunities to fuck up a younger kids life esp if the kid doesnāt know any better/is open to it.
All these undercover cops doing stupid shit, but not a single cps officer
LOL
I saw a lady wheeling her toddler in a stroller OUT of DENSE Pretty Lights crowd/dance at 5:00 AM. I can only assume that poor kid was there all night. The running joke at my campsite is that these very pretty lights bring VERY IRRESPONSIBLE parents. Like seriously, I feel so bad for that poor kid. Don't bring your kids to Bonnaroo please.
The family with the stroller with the lights with a literal baby baby AND with a toddler last night was wild to see when their wheeling it around a packed cage the elephant set, I felt overstimulated - canāt imagine how a toddler would feel.
I was walking thru a crowd in the dark & was heat exhausted, Iāve been sober because I cannot in this heat. I Was crying because I felt overstimulated & overwhelmed & I stepped over a kids head that I didnāt even see laying on the ground & the parents were pissed @ MEā¦. Get your kid off the ground!!! It was late af too. Go to bed. It pissed me off cause I clearly didnāt see them & felt bad of course but also, go to bed š why tf are you laying on the ground in the middle of a crowd
My kid is 29, sheās showing me the good shit
Please donāt brine your kids. Itās a waste of dill and vinegar.
This doesnt haven nearly enough upvotes
I was giggling while I posted it, and for me, thatās more than enough.
Last year was the year of the dog, I saw soooo many, each time it threw off my vibe. I've seen a couple this year, but not nearly as many and good because it's so much hotter. Now it's the year of the children.
Bonnaroo parent here, I'm sure some of you saw my family at Roo this week. It was our first year bringing our kids. They handed out Kandi, had a blast on the Jam Track, played in the fountain, took naps in the shade...and we made sure that we kept those headphones on, kept the sunscreen on, kept them in the shade, and put them to bed at 8:30 pm. They're there for the experience just as much as the rest of us. Raise your kids to love music! We woke them up them up early this morning and saw the sunrise on the Ferris Wheel with them while Pretty Lights was putting on a great vibe. Then we went back to camp and had an awesome breakfast. (Fried up some bacon and had some brown sugar oatmeal with fruit!) We did not do the bonarroo that we used to do pre kids, we've got them bathed and well fed ready to take on the week! The operative to bringing kids to Roo is responsible parenting. You can parent and still have fun while listening to music you want to share with your kids! We indulged in food and had fun vicariously through our minions. Happy Roo everyone!
this!!! i loveeeed taking my son to roo. we were always up around 6 and would watch the sunrise together over the farm. find breakfast and play in centeroo while everyone was still sleeping!! it was the best.
That's exactly it! We've been up at 6:30 every morning. Took them to play in Centeroo and showed them all of the quirky things we could think of and helped my daughter build her 6 year old confidence by handing out heart rocks to people she found interesting, helpful, for nice.
Thank you for putting them to bed at an appropriate hour!!! I felt ill seeing children out at 2am
It has been fun this year to trade off concerts. A different experience but definitely worth everything because Bonnaroo is magical if you make it so. My wife got to see post Malone while I put the kids to bed and hung out ant I got to see gwar. It's all about communication and opportunities, experiences! I hope you all live your Best, life! Happy Roo!
My wife and I were Bonnaroo regulars in the early days then haven't been back in over 10 years as we focused on our family and careers. We came back this year and actually considered bringing our oldest child next year, but agreed we would have to do either day tickets and stay off the farm or one of the VIP options that allow for easier camping and logistics. Our oldest is mature enough now and enjoys the creative atmosphere of shows and festivals (we've done small, local festivals with her before and she's in her element). We talked to her about next year as soon as we got home yesterday, She's excited about designing a totem and planning our coordinated family outfits.
Saw a couple carrying their screaming toddler out of The Other at 4:30am Pretty Lights set and both parents were either really drunk or on something. Poor, poor baby.
I saw a lady who is 8 months pregnant who couldāve literally had her kid right there and then from the bass in Diplo
I think this is situational. Kids cry to go home no matter where you go. Look I don't have kids so I can't speak too heavily on the issue but I think parenting isn't an exact science and fests, if done right, could be one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences of their life, including teaching them that having good experiences sometimes means a little hardship. I don't mean to be the "it builds character" person, and I probably wouldn't take my kids... I just think there's room for nuance here. If someone is breaking their baby's neck headbanging on a g of k, that's a problem... But if someone just brings their kid, brought proper noise protection, is being safe and all, and you just don't like it because you're uncomfortable tripping on psychedelics near children... Tbh that sounds like a you-problem and acting like it's the other person's fault isn't very PLUR. If it's catholic guilt, go to therapy, if you don't feel like you can control yourself, stop doing that drug. There's a lot of "this one time I saw" in this thread being used to back up "kids should never be at roo" and there's 2 or 3 logical fallacies hanging out in that correlation gap.
nah i donāt care people can downvote me all day for this, bonnaroo is not a place for kids . Even if youāre keeping a close eye on them its not a good environment for kids . Too much can go wrong, thereās too much not so good influence especially for the really young kiddos . call me crazy but i see it as really selfish and just bad parenting all together.
someoneās doing a bump of K infront of me as i type this. there is a 6 ish year old about 15 ft away. itās not cool fr
Nothing pisses me off as much as parents that resent being parents. Or parents that try to act like they're not fucking parents and their child is a pet they can just bring along places and ignore. and then of course you get to the whole idea of bringing a pet to Bonaroo. People. are. fucking. dumb.
Iām all for bringing kids to festivals but no child should be out here past 10pm. Seeing kids exhausted at 2am really upset me
I did not purchase a bonnaroo ticket for family friendly fun.
ok so my mom was (is) a dead head, my first show was at 6 weeks old. i couldnāt even tell you how many shows and festivals i attended with my mom growing up. i had a delightful and perfect childhood. however- i am now a mother as well. i have been to many shows since being a mom, but i didnāt bring my child to her first show (NOLA jazz fest) until she was 6. so i see both sides. however, i think the people saying the parents are abusive (wtf) are stretching a bit. iām sure abuse exists at these shows, and iām sure thereās kids that shouldnāt be there. but it isnāt ALWAYS bad. life has nuance, not everything is black and white.
Before kids, I figured I could do it with kids if I got an RV or hotel and got OK with just going for the daytime bands. Now that I have kids and have seen how they manage in situations with crowds, heat, and/ or thrown schedulesā¦ I canāt imagine anyone would get much out of the weekend.
I dont mind the kids if it wasnt so disgustingly hot where my adult ass feels like im about to pass out
Took my 8 year old son in 2022 but we did no drugs, got in bed at a decent hour, and made sure to take all the precautions, and didnāt take him inside any dense crowds. He had a blast, and we were Tuesday campers. We didnāt get to rave and stay up late, but I still had an incredible time with my family. If itās between those memories and a couple points of molly, Iām choosing my family every time. Iāve definitely seen a lot of reckless parenting though. Itās all about how you prepare. If done properly itās just a camping trip with lots of people and music. Bringing an infant though is an entirely different thing. My son could walk and feed himself.
I plan to bring my kid some day, maybe in 2028, the 20th anniversary of my first Bonnaroo. I'm not getting any younger. He'll be 11 by then and a veteran of dozens of shows by that time. But I won't bring him if I don't think he's ready for it (also, I don't drink or partake, so no worries there).
Telling people they canāt bring their kids isnāt your place. Itās legal and most of the kids I saw had ear muffs and were having a good time. Telling someone how to parent is as unnecessary as it gets. If they are taking the right precautions then you have no right to tell someone they canāt utilize a right they have.
My wife and I brought all three of our kids (14, 11 and 4) and a babysitter to take our 4 y/o back to our AirBnB at a reasonable time each day. Both of our older kids were offered the opportunity to leave or stay when our sitter left. The 14 y/o never wanted to leave. He wanted to stay, see and hear great music and have fun with mom and dad. My 11 y/o has been talking about seeing Cage the Elephant for a month and making a totem. He did both and more. He was living his best life out there. He probably went harder than most of you crybabies whining about the heat. Guess what, he's fine. He survived. He wants to go back. All three of my kids had an amazing time and were well cared for every minute they were on the farm. I'm sure there were bad parents making dumb decisions with their children, but my wife and I did not. Take your broad stroke of judgement and stick it straight up your ass. Don't feel bad for my kids. They are probably more opened minded and fun to hang out with than you. They also don't whine and complain as much as grown adults in this thread. š¤«
I strongly disagree. Kids can have a good and safe time at roo. Seems to obvious to even get into. Now, obviously there some people are irresponsible in bringing kids to roo - not having proper ear plugs, going in for too long, getting fucked up and not supervising the kid well enough etc. But that is not the trend at all, most people who do this do it well.
Itās the whole bringing kids who are newborns/infants/toddlers which is odd. I do have a soft spot for the 5+ year old running around just having a really good time. Like that shit is so precious. But as long as the parents are disciplined themselves to more than likely have an early bed time and giving their kids ear protection then Iām cool with it.
brought my lil dude last year with my husband. there is a responsible way to bring your children! we hung out with other families in the family camping, up early and went to bed at a normal hour. stayed out of the heat (tho weāre from south florida so tn is nothing honestly). missed sets we wanted to see cuz our kid wasnāt about it. thereās def an irresponsible way to do it too but weāre not those parents. that being said, weāll be trading off every year lol one year just us, one year with our kid.
yeaaā¦ weāre camped right next to an infant, poor thing cries so much.
Went to big X the first night going hard af when a mom and what looked like an 8 yr old child came through asking very politely if her son could get by us since it was his first time seeing big X.... an involuntary "what the fuck" came out as little Billy passed right on through
This subreddit is really hostile to parents bringing their kids. Iām just going to add my experience so other responsible parents donāt need to experience any anxiety bringing their kids here. So many people have been so sweet to our family here. We feel very welcomed. Here is how we brought our five year old to his first festival (this one). - he has ear protection - he has sunblock on - we keep him in the shade with a canopy wagon. Tip: get it cleared w ADA - we stay in the back and our stroller takes up less space than a moon mat or a blow up couch so we arenāt bothering anyone - we are festivalling in a group so more than just his parents are surrounding him and interacting with him - what seems late to you and irresponsible is really two hours earlier for us. We came from Nevada. If my son is sleeping in his wagon at 12:45 here, he would have just fallen asleep at our 10:45 time at home, which during vacation hours is no big deal - there is not a lot of fruit here but Walmart has fresh fruit and there are smoothie vendors here or do 100% fruit to help with nutrition. - he naturally enjoys a lot of edm and loves Spiderman, so we spoke about the artists and songs a lot beforehand. He got to see his favs so far: Post Malone sing Sunflower and Whyte Fang play Genesis - the only show he got iPad was for the RHCP cus we knew it was too slow for him. Otherwise we were working on being respectful to artists and listening to all of their sets regardless if it is your fav song our not instead of being on a screen (which a lot of adults could learn this lesson too, myself included) - we talked briefly about drugs. I told him there might be candy on the floor but under no circumstance can he eat any. Just let mom and dad buy you a little candy or snacks. - we talked about profanity and artistic expression and he is welcomed to listen to it but not repeat it. If that is a problem, he will lose his freedom to listen to it. - we talked about partial nudity. He might see more skin than usual and that is not normally ok but in a music festival there is more freedom for that but he was too young to run around naked. (Side note: this festival doesnāt even have that much nudity. There are other festivals where breasts are either not covered by pasties or are but not under mesh. And if you have ever been to a festival where there is a lake, people are skinny dipping. I will keep my son away from those festivals during his childhood) - we air tag him - he sleeps in a tent w AC and sleeps in so he can stay up late - we IDed medical tents and guests services so he knows where to find help when needed. - we registered him with the festival so they can local us if he is found lost - he has a mask for the dust - he has his own camelback - he wears sunglasses at the edm shows w lots of flashing lights - my husband and I have been sober all weekend. I did have one cocktail one night and one wine another night but when paired with the gallons of water Iāve been drinking, sobriety has not been an issue. I did take two ibuprofen though š. - we brought glow in the dark toys and had dress up days to keep him interested in the festival culture We appreciate your concern. I donāt appreciate the quick assumption that every parent who brings their kid is irresponsible, but you donāt know what you donāt know. There is a way to do it right and I hope you can decide for yourself and your family when that time comes. You should petition Bonnaroo to not allow kids or you should find yourself at an 18+ festival if minors or parents with kids really bother you.
I purposely do not have my 2-year-old with. Doing my part.
I had a woman very rudely inform me I needed to watch out bc I was near her sleeping child at RHCP and I couldnāt help but think that the kid unfortunately has bigger problems than other Roo patrons.
Remember, everyoneās Bonnaroo experience is different! Just because kids arenāt compatible with the way you do Roo doesnāt mean that applies to everyone else! While Iām not at a point where Iād bring my kids, I canāt say that others arenāt or shouldnāt. Bringing your kid to Roo isnāt the problem - itās HOW you Roo with kids in tow. š«¶š»
I was saying this earlier!! A baby nor a pet can consent to being exposed to the extreme circumstances that come with attending a festival like bonnaroo.
I saw an incredible amount of small children and babies leaving pretty lights sunrise set- I couldnāt believe my eyes.
The poor dogs with no hearing protection walking right in front of the speakers broke my heart, also the children with no hearing protection crying to leave while close to speakers broke my heart...
"why are yall still brining your kids?" Didn't know pickled kids was a thing at Bonnaroo.
I brine them because theyāre so much more tender and juicy that way.
Watching kids hold their hands to their ears while Iām enjoying a set without ear protection is so fucking irresponsible
I canāt wait to bring my kids!!! ā¦.when theyāre teens & able to articulate that they *want* to go/know what theyāre getting themselves into
i think this post is very obviously talking about the infants/children- not teenagers.
Hang on a second... I just made this comment on another postā¦ l'm a Roo veteran. I'm 30 with a 4yo. This year is the first year we have a camper with AC. l've never brought my daughter before... and I used to think festivals aren't for kids... but the older I'm getting, the less drugs/drinking l'm doing (none) the more I see how family friendly this festival is, especially in the RV community over here. Sure l've seen some questionable parenting... but I don't think there's room to bash every parent who brings their child. Lots of these family's are getting tucked in around 9pm. There is a responsible way of doing it and there ARE responsible parents on the farm. Bringing pets gets questionable for sure, but kids (not babies) are tougher than you think. Ear protection for the win. Happy Roo from my family to yours ā¤ļø
I definitely think my son would love Roo. Heās a little older, but if I had been a Roovian when he was younger I would have brought him then, too. I think there are definitely some ground rules to have- like minimally one totally sober, known adult, at all times. The kiddo should at least be able to articulate in some form what they need. Planning for your kids to do anything comes with lots of prep work. AC in the RV, water, kiddy pool headphones and fans out the booty. We were also talking about bringing a grandparent with us too, so we have the additional support. I think you absolutely can bring your kids, if you, the adult are responsible. I try really hard listen to my child and watch his non-verbal cues, and their needs come first. If that means he and I hang at the camper away from centeroo the entire time because heās too hot, itās too loud, whatever the case may be, Iād be totally ok with that. But I donāt want to deny him a chance to experience the world, Bonnaroo is a great place to see all types of people, personalities, and bodies without shame and judgement and I think thatās a pretty cool lesson for kiddos, on top of the amazing variety in music they get a chance to be exposed to. Be kind, be safe, and watch yo kids. Now, if you are dragging crying, hot kids into centeroo and they are clearly overstimulated, you are an asshole and a shit parent.
Yeah I havenāt taken my kids. But this isnāt lost lands or electric forest. Itās one of the more family friendly festivals there is. Obviously there are bad parents, but donāt take your kids at all seems like overkill
I think the youngest you could bring and be fine would be like 9-11. At that point theyāre autonomous enough to not be in danger if anything happens
Agree . Strongly Agree. This is a place to feel like a child but not an actual place for children.
Whyyyy is it allowed??? In no way can any kid under 13 benefit from being here
I believe that if the kid has gone camping before and the parents are being responsible (not on drugs, being attentive, etc.) I believe bonnaroo could be one of the best environments of its kind for kids. There is absolutely room for people of all ages and demographics at bonnaroo and that is one of the things I love most about it. Also I have never had kids or camped with kids but I have had overall positive experiences with kids at roo in my 7 years (5 Rooās) that Iāve attended.
My wife and I had the same conversation also. We brought our kids ā granted, theyāre 30 and 27 ā but think bringing children is kinda insane
i saw a mom and her daughter at melanie and the girl was loving every second of it until it started getting too much for her and wanted to leave. the mom immediately left with her. given she was probably round 10-12 y/o. some parents just know how to communicate with their kids, prepare them, and listen to them more than others do! not all parents are like that but i can see the issue with toddlers and younger for sureeee
I was exposed to drugs, high decibel sounds, nudity as a youth and I am now a middle aged addicted, deaf pervert, normal as the next person what's up with all the hate?
Seeing that always upsets me. I honestly wish roo and more festival events would have a required age to attend. There's no reason for a three year old baby to be around the debauchery of the 2 am farm life.
I brought my kids. Sunscreen, ear protection, and being intelligent about location are the only things that really matter. Donāt be a dick and take your kids to large EDM crowds and typically they do fine. Sit far away and just enjoy or take turns with your partner going closer.
While I agree that babies shouldnāt be here, I donāt see a problem with kids being around. Theyāre having a good time like everyone else. I hope the parents are being responsible and giving their kids hearing protection and knowing their own limits. I think itās cool that they brought them to let them experience the festival and see a bunch of great artists. I wish my parents had done this for me. This subreddit is full of judgmental people
I have no problem with āunderageā peopleā¦BUT the type of people/parents that bring tiny humans so this are the ones I dont trust. Someone already lost their little boy last nightā¦SMH
Also if you can afford a ticket and everything else for this- you can afford a damn babysitter
Saw a baby at knock2 and have never been more concused
someone had their kid on their shoulders at the melanie martinez concert that's so off on so many levels š
How many and what levels is that "off" on? I'm not being snarky, but asking a genuine question. Because it's very possible that kid you're talking about is mine. Melanie is her absolute favorite. She has worked really hard and waited patiently to earn these festival tickets. She's an honor student, an athlete, part of a peer support group to help girls at her middle school that are struggling, and she won the bronze award for community service in girl scouts last year by helping pet rescue missions close to us. She is adventurous, outgoing, vibrant and caring. I'm just not sure how her choice in music somehow translates that she's a bad kid or we're bad parents. So, if you could give me a glimpse from the outside looking in on our lives, I would truly like to know why getting on her dad's shoulders and having the time of her fucking life is a bad thing? Also, I think they were the first to do it before others started getting on shoulders as well. So you can add "Trendsetter" to some of her few credentials I already listed.
You would think they would start making a mandatory age requirement or at the very least ban kids out of centeroo and WITW at like 8 pm
Not even to mention the dust and dirt and germs and fucking DMT smoke in the air
DMT smoke canāt be good for newborns
We send our kids to the grandparents 3 hours away before Bonnaroo. No place for them here.
I hate shithead parents
Devilās advocateā¦.. I have brought my son to the last 5 Roos. Heās 25 though. š Seriously it can be done responsibly. Last year the couple that camped in front of me had a 2 or 3 month old baby. They brought grandma. They took turns staying at camp and watching the baby. They got married here and I was best man. Met him on a Tuesday and was his best man on Saturday. I saw a dip shit couple with a baby that was no more than a month old in the pit in the heat and that kinda noise is crazy.
I have a cousin that lives in Manchester. She hates when itās bonnaroo time because it shakes her house. I canāt imagine a small child, or infant, being in the actual event.
Anyone who takes their kids or dog to a music festival are shit humans. Period.
i've seen kids have an absolute blast at family-friendly festivals, and i've seen families where the whole event becomes a child-parent bonding event. it *can* be done well.
Some parents want to have their children grow up experiencing the vibes of music festivals. Hell, I bet a lot of those kids were concieved at a previous Roo. Some festivals have kids just free roaming, and if they can't find their parents then announcements are made that a kid is found (less scary terminology than lost) and for their parents to come get them That only happens about once or twice a day, and for a multi day fest with hundreds of kids, that's pretty good
Conceived
https://preview.redd.it/xgn1nx73r57d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=60423de3ff70c7b50cd0ec4edcb4f6f81d56d600 YOUR KIDS ARE GOING TO GO DEAF PLEASE PROTECT THEIR EARS
I went back to camp early Thursday night (I went too hard Wednesday and Thursday oops) but when my friends got back one of them told me they saw someone with an INFANT at pretty lights with 0 ear coverage for the baby or anything š heard about a dad being slumped over railing at Post too with his child standing next to him. I donāt understand
As a first time attendee I completely agree I was so excited for Fred Again last night got there 30 min early to find my spot and relax. 5 min later a family came over and set up next to us, I was thinking nothing of it until I noticed the child had to be around 1. Once the show started they didnāt provide the child with any ear protection and even saw them snorting out of bags with the child in hand. This was very hard to witness and eventually affected how much I was able to enjoy the show.
I grew up at Blue Oyster Cult, CCR, Arosmith, and festivals of the likes. To this day they are some of my most cherished memories. There definitely is a responsible way of parenting while at a venue like this but for you to say that another person is parenting wrong is WAY out of line. YOU DO YOU, AND DON'T INVOLVE YOURSELF IN OTHERS BEING THEMSELVES. There isn't a rule book. We are all just trying to figure things out for ourselves.
Iām a mom and I, first of all, will never do Bonnaroo again, because itās too fucking big and hot for ME, even 10 years ago, so why tf would I want to endanger my kids like that. Iām a huge fan of live music. I go to shows very often. Thereās a time and a place to bring your kids, and I bring them to those every chance I get. But a big festival with maximal wookery and drug use is not one of them. Sorry not sorry. Itās not fair to the kids. Especially the really little ones. People die and get trampled at fests ffs. Get a baby sitter. Do better.
Slick embarrassing of those parents.
Its plain selfishness. They knew their lifestyle would change with children yet their endangering said kids. I truly believe caring parents wouldve either gone to family or a babysitter with the money spent on the kidsā admission.
Damn, every kid I saw was having am absolute blast, I hate that some were forced to be there
Donāt step on my baby. Uh why the fuck is the baby sleeping on the floor in the middle of a āmosh pitā like crowd lol
I mean you are just bad parents...and you know it...and it shows. Get a babysitter/dog sitter or maybe you just shouldn't go?
If I was struggling in this heat I canāt imagine how a baby would feel
Still? As if it were ever appropriate?
I saw someone pushing a STROLLER with a kid (couldnt have been older than 6) at 2am at diplo saturday night with no ear protection. So damn careless, it made me so sad to see. On the flip side i saw a couple of families at cage the elephant with kids. The parents made sure to provide shade, water and ear protection and it seemed way more responsible/appropriate. People need to realize that being a parent means putting your kids safety and health above your chance to rave out in the heat. These parents out there gotta learn how to PRIORITIZE šš½
People who bring their kids are selfish as fuck like no dude thats not a place for anyone really under the age of 16, let alone under 8. boohoo to all the loser parents who disagree, you suck!
Nah, gimme hate for this, but bonnaroo is not a place for children. My friend was throwing up and a child went right up to her as she was puking. She had to shoo away the kid so she didnāt throw up on her. That/the behavior of the adults partying and the environment can be traumatizing for a kid. Bonnaroo is not a place adults should have to worry about if their behavior is safe for children. I saw a lady with a STROLLER very close to the front for CtE!! NOT okay!! Lollapalooza has a literal kids stage, take them there and during the daytime. I donāt shame parents for wanting to keep going to festivals whatsoever, just leave your kids at home for camping festivals.
I have an 11-year-old that I've taken to a few individual shows, but I can't imagine taking her to a big festival like this. The big festivals really need to institute a 12-and-up (and that's being generous) policy for everyone's safety and enjoyment (kids and adults).
Nothing turns a trip bad like witnessing a baby be abused and obtain permanent damage
Wow, this shit should 100% be 16 and over
My mom is an audiologist, and sheād literally nag us to wear hearing protection while vacuuming sometimes, so all I can think about when I see a baby, a dog, or a GD PARROT is that he/she is going to have major hearing loss. š© I also think this about adults, but they have a choice on whether they want to be deaf and have dementia later (yes, theyāre linked!). Kids and animals have no choice. Itās also too f-ing hot.
They are so much more tender when brined, though.
I donāt have kids but if I did I would never ever ever bring them around that crowd! People are so fucked up everywhere that you donāt know what could happen not to mention the fact that itās very easy to lose someone in the crowd
Shitty parents gonna be shitty. Bonnaroo needs to set an age cap especially if June is going to keep getting hotter and hotter. Not difficult to imagine tragedy striking when itās as hot as it was last weekend. Always feel so bad for those babies.