I Let My Teen Daughter Go!

[Your Mother]

Soooo.... she left late last night, and I'm glad to report she made it there without getting killed along the desert highway; I was able to sleep.
I don't know what to feel. I can't stop thinking about her. I wish I wouldn't be so worried... will she get lost? will she do drugs (the really stupid kind!)? omg heat stroke, rape, murder, it's ridiculous. I just spiral into a state of paralysis.
Okay, she is a cool kid, smart, Loooves music (only reason I let her go!).
Says she'll drink plenty of water. She is with a friend, staying at a house for the weekend. I have cell numbers, and she is staying in text with me.
When I tried to explain that it was a bunch of half naked, sweaty people, dancing in the blazing sun, out in to middle of a nowhere like desert, she said, "DUH" Coachella the new Woodstock!
But still, someone please give me the DL on what she may experience... the good the bad and the ugly.
She is only 16.
Praying till Monday

[C DUB YA]

Coachella is not quite the new Woodstock. To a 16 year old - maybe it seems that way, but that tells me, she's aware of the drug thing already... hmmmm? The truth is drugs aren't a priority there, like they were at Woodstock - or so my father tells me. I myself have a 1 year old, if in 15 years he asked to go, I'm not sure what I'd say, it's a daunting place for the underaged at times, but of she's going for the music, then all should be well.

The good - lots of great music - great people - organized festival - nice non violent crowds.

The bad - there are drugs - there will always be drugs. Most of which is the grown kind. But you can find everything if you are looking for it.

The ugly - the sun can be brutal, but if you hydrate and keep the drinking at a min. then things are fine, wait a tic - she's 16, prolly shouldn't be drinking anything alcoholic in the first place.

[invisiblerobots]

[Young blood]

hahahaha yup.

[canexplain]

thats funny ... i think the most important thing c dub said was the heat comment .... tell her to drink and drink water and get what little shade there is off and on .... i have been to two coachellas and woodstock for that fact, and i survived fine ....x****

[Young blood]

Mom......Im pregnant.

[canexplain]

with twins, bi racial to boot hey yb ....x****

[JClemy]

with twins, bi racial to boot hey yb ....x****

lol Awesome!

She'll be fine if she drinks a lot of water. Like everyone said. The heat is the hardcore part.

[smoke]

with twins, bi racial to boot hey yb ....x****

hahahaha

[fatbastard]

Why didn't you go with her? My wife is counting how many guys are walking around that are as old as I am. 8 out 10 of them are with their grown kids.

[JussBuzzin]

She loves more than music I'm sure.
Ok, everybody let's see she gets safely home.

[Your Mother]

Gotta say, I am much less stressed now. I get the feeling that my girl is with a group of like minded people.... chill that is. Thanks for all the insight.
Lilly sent me a text saying that she was having a blast, met up with more friends, and was between aphex twin and pendulum. Like I'm suppose to know what that means; bands I assume. Just glad to know she loving life!

I don't know how to do that quote thing, but as to fatbastard's question of why didn't I go with... well that made me stop and do the V8 head smack! She would prob hate me for it, but maybe next time Dad takes her. After all she inherited the "hearts music" gene from him.
Now correct me if I'm wrong, but I didn't get the impression it was a spring-break fratfest/idiot scene, right? However, I did crack-up over that particular post.

BTW bi-racial babies are always so beautiful.

[surfphoto]

If u didnt let her go she would have hated you forever. Stop worrying she is probably having the time of her life. You should have gone too You could have listened to Jack Johnson well she danced topless in the techno tent to Fatboy lol.

[Neutral Milk Hotel]

You're an idiot. I would sincerely hope the daughter is wise enough to understand why her parents wouldn't want to send her off to Coachella, especially at such a young age. Hell, my parents weren't comfortable with the idea of me going up there all by myself (I'm 20), and I don't hold it against them.

[emtgreg]

lawl

there were so many teens there it wasnt even funny...

in fact, there were more people my age there last year it seemed, tons of coked out hipsters (thanks busy p!, btw, nice meeting you today!) and bro's (thanks jack johnson!! good job cranking up the volume so i still heard you next to the fing sahara)

in any case, coachella is harmless, the things that are tough are the environment, heat, expense, general overwhelming confusion...

(mid-day though it was seriously "emptychella")

night time felt like it should though

in any case, the thing that i love about this fest is that the vibe is about the music, not anythign else, tons of couples, tons of freinds, tons of people who only care about the music, wheras at alot of other fests (woodstock) its about OMGLOOKATMEINEEDATTENTIONTOLIVVEEE

[marooko]

If u didnt let her go she would have hated you forever. Stop worrying she is probably having the time of her life. You should have gone too You could have listened to Jack Johnson well she danced topless in the techno tent to Fatboy lol.

This is a very good point. my mom didn't let me go to woodstock in 94. i was 16. I was also mad for a long time. Not mad now, but still feel a little sour about what I missed out.

If you trust her to go, trust she'll be fine. Like others have said, there will always be drugs, they're even at school and usually easier to find there. Mainly though, people are here for the music. And whenever i have seen people ask for drugs, they were denied because of possible undercovers.

Anyway, i'm sure she'll be fine, and she'll probably give you both a REALLY BIG HUG when she gets home.

[C DUB YA]

the crowd has gotten young in the last 9 years for sure.

A bi-product of Coachella popularity. It wasn't that way in 99 - a very much older crowd.

[vahineinbora]

I am a mother of two sons who also love music and have gone to numerous concerts..
Ultimately, you will have to let go.. College does help.. you'll see..
Communication , trust...
and stay involved... listen to HER music..
I have done just that..

My oldest son, now 24 .. is going..tommorrow
and believe me sometimes there are much more worries at 24 than 16 .. because when they are 24 they are not much you can do or say , as they are adults.

I did mention the WATER.. Hat and water....how important it is to drink lots of water as it is going be 100 degres ..and make sure she does not forget to wear SUNSCREEN

The funny thing is :
My husband and I decided last night to go as well!!!!!!!!
I have not attended a massive concert in over 30 years..
So we are going to drive him there , just because parking is crazy..he will go his own way.. and we will go when at sunset....

[wstsidela]

She'll be fine if you raised her right. Coachella is about the music, not drugs. It's a very safe environment for teens.

[Cheddar's Cousin]

lawl

there were so many teens there it wasnt even funny...

Yeah. It's going to be pretty difficult for me to get around to servicing all of them...but I can try.

[Jakewc151]

You're an idiot. I would sincerely hope the daughter is wise enough to understand why her parents wouldn't want to send her off to Coachella, especially at such a young age. Hell, my parents weren't comfortable with the idea of me going up there all by myself (I'm 20), and I don't hold it against them.

I was going to say this exact same thing.

[JClemy]

And if you already like the bi racial twin babies your all set!

[Your Mother]

Lilly Update:

The phone rang at 11:30 PM.
I yanked it from the cradle when I saw the caller I.D. flashed Lilly's cell number. In the split second that it took to get the phone to my ear, I was hit with a shot of adrenaline and immediately blurted out "Lilly!! Are you okay!??
At first couldn't understand what she was trying to say, then I realized she was shouting "PRINCE!".
For about a minute, as she held her cellphone up to the music, I listened-in on speaker, dancing around my living room and singing... Tonight we're gonna party like it's 1999!

That girl is awesome.

I'll always worry... but it's all good.

She's happy. 'nough said.

[Coachellagirl]

I think it's great that you let her go. My Mom let me go to shows in L.A. when I was 16 (I'm 28 now). I look at that now and think she was crazy...but I never got into any trouble and had a great time. To repay her, I bought her a ticket for yesterday (Mothers Day present) and we had a great time! Granted I owe my Mom for my great taste in music ...not to mention my Mom is cool as ever. Coachella is a very laid back festival. 99% of people are out to have a good time and help out anyone who needs it. But, good looking out Mom!

[Backwater]

You have ABSOLUTELY nothing to worry about mam. In fact Coachella is probably the most wholesome place a child can go to. Even more than church. Sadly, I'm not exaggerating. I, being a 22 year old who likes to party and take a few drugs at shows to enhance the experience, was so disappointed at the lack of drugs I can't even put it into words. There wasn't even hardly any marijuana there. Not only are the crowds safe and non-violent, but they're so passive that they don't even get into the music. They just stand around like robots on their best behavior at all times. If anything you should be worried that your daughter will come back as a hardcore Republican, Bible-thumping Jesus freak.

[sadsappysucker]

my parents let me go up last year when i was 16 and this year at 17. there are drugs and alcohol everywhere. it's actually harder to get drunk at coachella being under-aged then it is to get drunk at home due to beer gardens. i really don't think you have much to worry about.

[shoopdedoop]

she'll be fine. unless she's a bad kid:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrNSjItTfes

[brhodewalt]

As a teacher, I'm hoping you didn't take her out of school for this.

As a Coachella dad (b 17, g 20) and multi-year Coachella veteran, I'm happy you let her go. There is almost no nudity. (And what approaches nudity is usually in a humorous context, like the guy yesterday wearing jockey shorts, a belt, and a mustache.) Drugs are there but are monitored. (I saw Security questioning someone for smoking a joint.)

The big issue is the heat. People should be wearing hats and sunblock, and they should be actively hydrating all day, even after the sun goes down. My daughter passed out in line one year from the heat and learned a valuable life lesson. (Two lessons, actually: dehydration isn't fun, and you can get bumped to the front of the line if you pass out.) GV has gotten much better in recent years about moving the crowds, so my guess and anecdotal observation is there is a lot less of this.

You did something right if she called you during Prince so you could experience a bit of that together.

[Weeping Willow]

I hope she's alright. I saw a young girl climb into that tall weird treehouse thing tonight and this guy followed her. I thought it was kind of sketchy but I for some reason didn't do anything.

[Ciara Christine]

i saw way too many underage girls wearing way too little clothing.