We Kid You Not Childfree Forums

J and I went to a bluegrass festival last weekend. The music is outside - everyone brings their own chairs. We had great seats - about 10 rows back.

Thursday night was the opening night. After the second act (nearly 9PM) a very disruptive group showed up in front of us. It was two guys and a girl who looked about 4 and a boy who looked about 5. The guys were drunk.

The two kids were unbelievably ill-behaved. The boy took a glass beer bottle and was smacking it with a rock repeatedly for about three songs. Then he started throwing it on the ground. Both kids were standing in their chairs and bouncing up and down over and over.

Both kids were talking, wailing, shreiking and laughing at the top of their lungs. The guy who was the father was completely indifferent to all of this. He never once tried to actually "parent", instead acted like they weren't even his kids.

This was all during the Thursday-night headlining act, of course. After about a half an hour I couldn't stand any more and moved to an empty chair a little ways down the aisle.

We actually did have to sit behind these people the entire weekend, but most of the time they were not at the stage (most likely back at their campsite, drinking) and when they did come back they had the mother with them, who at least did some parenting.

Saturday night they showed up at a show that started at 10PM with both kids. Who would bring little kids to a show that starts so late?

Doesn't anyone parent anymore? Actually put their kids to bed at a reasonable hour? Not bring them to a concert where they'll be bored out of their minds with no toys?

I feel your pain. I think one of the problems with those weekend camping music festivals is that breeders treat it like a family outing at a campground. They feel that, because the festival is in an enclosed space, they can let the kids run wild and don't need to supervise them.

There is also a "laid-back" vibe associated with the outdoor festival thing, which attracts people who are not necessarily fans of the performers or even the music! I stopped going to the Philadelphia Folk Festival when it got huge, because it started to attract Deadheads and people who just wanted an excuse to get drunk and party in the campground, rather than actual folk music fans.

This is one reason why I don't like outside events. People think that just because there is no roof there are no rules. Just because you are outside doesn't mean that common courtesy disappears.

Oh yuck!! So sorry Cats. It seems you have some kind of "bad parents and kid" magnet on you.