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Chrisp1986
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We don't have tickets yet and trying in resale and this would be my tenth year of going and first time failed in initial sale (!). We now have a three year old and wife does not want to leave her for that long so considering taking her.

 

Obviously seen lots of children there before but does anyone here have any first hand tips/experiences/pros/cons of taking a toddler? Obviously it will be an amazing memory for her but what if its a wash out? Dealing with crowds? Toilet situation? Awful shower queues? Losing her? Missing out on seeing the festival properly ourselves?

Also, what is the situation with parking? With children can you park near family camping or do you have to do the long walk still? Is there any extra facilities in family camping or is it same as other sites but quieter? 

Any advice would be great!

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On 3/23/2019 at 10:08 AM, Chrisp1986 said:

We don't have tickets yet and trying in resale and this would be my tenth year of going and first time failed in initial sale (!). We now have a three year old and wife does not want to leave her for that long so considering taking her.

 

Obviously seen lots of children there before but does anyone here have any first hand tips/experiences/pros/cons of taking a toddler? Obviously it will be an amazing memory for her but what if its a wash out? Dealing with crowds? Toilet situation? Awful shower queues? Losing her? Missing out on seeing the festival properly ourselves?

Also, what is the situation with parking? With children can you park near family camping or do you have to do the long walk still? Is there any extra facilities in family camping or is it same as other sites but quieter? 

Any advice would be great!

I have never taken a toddler, but I have been in the group when they have been with us.

1. kidz field rules, spent an afternoon in there last year with my friends and their kids,. best day of the festival for me , hopefully them also.

2. take a potty,  save walking to the loo's 

3. if the queues are massive when entering see if you can find a nice steward they may let you queue jump

4. ear defenders.. a must

5. take a trolley that you can pull around and put cushions and blankets in, you can lay them in there if they need a sleep. 

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In the blistering heat last year, my mate was allowed to queue jump with the kids and one rucksack to find a shady spot to wait for dad to bring the trolley in. I can't see why anyone would ever have a problem with that - who wants to be stuck in the queue next to crying kids?

The car parking is a lottery and may depend largely on the conditions on the day and the experience of the steward in front of you at any one time. My friends got to the closest parking 1 out of 3 times.

Potty. Though there are/were (I can't say I noticed them last time round) cute kid-sized composters in family camping and they're clean. Family camping affords you a little more space (loads more if you're at Wicket) and quiet and is relatively secure with stewards at entry points to prevent wandering kids etc.

Fit a bike bell or horn to your trolley and always have a banksperson. Crowds appear from nowhere. Lights help a bit at night but not as much as you'd hope!

One of those flexible gardening tubs can be used to carry stuff, store stuff and makes a decent bath when needed. (bring camping stove). There is a bath time at the kids field but I don't know for what ages etc.

I think the kids were tagged with phone numbers in some way but can't remember. There was also one of those lead type arrangements on hand for persistent runners but that was never needed.

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Took our daughter first when she was 4. She had a great time. From our experience don’t expect to see many daytime bands. The kids field and circus tents are very good. We packed all of our stuff in storage boxes that kept everything clean and dry. Also doubled as a bath. Expect a different festival but just as enjoyable. Be prepared for them to rave to teachers about seeing Tallula the greatest Canadian whore

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Eldest son went 3 times before he was 3. Having not got tickets for a few years he will be 6 with his 2 year old brother this year.

The younger they are the easier it is to have a ‘normal’ Glastonbury. We have camped in the masses, near south park and in wickets family. Currently debating where to stay this year. Wickets is great, clean, lots of space, fence round to stop the kids wandering, but is miles from where we spend most of our time green peace, park, Avalon. They do have kids composters in the family fields but best to have a travel potty. Last time we were there our 3 year old strolled up to the toilets, walked in, took one look and said I am not going on that.

other than having some form of wagon plan well in the morning, use the lock ups for strategic placing of stuff for easy access later in the day. Saves trecking  back to the tent.

A Glastonbury with kids has to be better than no Glastonbury. It is not going to be the same with kids as without, but life isn’t. What you miss out on by having your child there you gain by having them there.  

Kids don’t mind the mud - far less so than the adults. My 3 year old last time spent many happy hour running through the puddles. Just more of a pain for the parents trying to keep them dry.

I am parking at ashcombe park and ride as can’t risk being parked in the furthest car park on the map like last time. 

Bit of a random order in my post but just putting things down as they come to my head.

 

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Ear defenders are an absolute MUST. Don't bother going otherwise. I would also have some kind of cart that you can pop them in. Fill this f'king thing with treats, colouring, mini ipads etc.

Mrs Wooderson very much of the opinion that Kids at the G is better than no G. Will have a 5 and 8 year old with us in June. We avoided the "out of nappies, but too small for the loos" years. Its the 5 year olds 4th fest and the 8 year old's 3rd.

Im expecting it to be hell.

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Just now, Hugh Jass said:

I admire the bravery of those who take young children, my daughter will be 18 months by the time the festival rolls round and I simply cannot fathom the horror of taking her to Glastonbury.

18mths a piece of cake I reckon. Sling, ear defenders, brolly. I've done it twice. Dunno bout you mate but in Ireland the childcare options are the absolute WORST. We've literally no one that can take our two. So whilst my mates might whine about it either we bring 'em or we don't go.

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8 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

I admire the bravery of those who take young children, my daughter will be 18 months by the time the festival rolls round and I simply cannot fathom the horror of taking her to Glastonbury.

Was going to say the same thing mate, don't have kids myself but occasionally look after my niece and nephew. The thought of taking them to Glastonbury makes me shudder with fear. Needless to say, it would be a very different experience to my normal festival.

In 2016 i remember seeing people pushing their kids buggy/trolley around in the pissing rain, about 2 tonnes of mud stuck to the wheels, it looked like hell. Absolute respect to anyone who does it. 

Just read my post back and it appears quite negative, i'm sure plenty of people on here can tell you they've taken kids and had a great time. It just wouldn't be for me.

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1 minute ago, Wooderson said:

18mths a piece of cake I reckon. Sling, ear defenders, brolly. I've done it twice. Dunno bout you mate but in Ireland the childcare options are the absolute WORST. We've literally no one that can take our two. So whilst my mates might whine about it either we bring 'em or we don't go.

Personal preference I suppose, as selfish as it sounds Glastonbury is the 4-5 days a year where I don't have to feel responsible for anything or anyone. I wouldn't be able to unwind and enjoy myself with a small person constantly tethered to me. If we couldn't get childcare for the weekend we'd probably reconsider going. When she's a little older and she's aware of what's going on around her and can actually understand and appreciate everything that's happening around her then we'll definitely take her.

Fair play to those who do take kids though.

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1 hour ago, cham08 said:

A Glastonbury with kids has to be better than no Glastonbury. It is not going to be the same with kids as without, but life isn’t. What you miss out on by having your child there you gain by having them there. 

 

This. Wise words mate.

 

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Have been going with mine since they were 2 and 5 now 9 and 12, they love it i would recommend a cheap 3 wheel  all terrain buggy we used to swear by them you could get a far amount of stuff underneath and pushed through mud easy...we tied a large umbrella to the side which worked well in sun and torrential rain... Dont go thinking you will see every band it wont happen, just plod and take in what alot of people miss i wouldnt change any year i have been with them one proud moment was my son appearing on the main screens in his dinosaur onesy giving it hell too Metalica on my shoulders....enjoy.....

 

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I can't imagine having my 5 and 3 year olds with me at Glastonbury.  I've too many years of associating it with being responsibility free.

For the last couple of years I have avoided this problem by my wife saying she'll stay at home with them.  

In some respects I'd quite like them there for a bit.  I know they'd love stomping around during the day. Perhaps I can convince my mum to come next year and she can look after them in the evenings! (and mornings) (and when decent bands are on).

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My son was just about to turn 2 when we took him in 2016 - he's been to Latitude and Truck a couple of times too. Despite 2016 being horrifically muddy, we had a great time.

To be honest, I'd hate to go without him as it's great fun seeing it all through his eyes. My main tip is to play your Glasto playlist constantly in the house and in the car so they know the bands they're going to see and actually enjoy that part of it - doing that means it's never been a problem to get him to go and see bands and enjoy the weekend with us, rather than being stuck in the kids field. Having them dance on your shoulders as they watch their favourite band is an amazing experience.

A wagon with big wheels is a must - this souped up garden wagon has done the trick for us for a few years now - the kid can sit back and relax and you do all the hard work :) . Cover it in fairy lights as night so people don't bump into it. You'll become a minor celebrity as people comment on the wagon everywhere you go, and normally you'll get a hand going up (or down) a steep hill.

You'll need to plan what you carry around a lot more than normal obviously, but there's no real problems with loos or anything else. 

 

 

fest wagon 2.jpg

fest wagon 3.jpg

fest wagon.png

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Our little caterpillar will be 17 months, it’s a case of take her or don’t go at all, so we’ve taken the decision to campervan it to make the camping side as easy as possible.

Hoping for a dryish one so we can use our stroller, it’s a rambler style one with good wheels, suspension, etc so can handle the terrain to a high degree of moistness. In case the ground gets too saturated we have a sling, but closer to the campsite opening, we will consider getting a trolley or one of those back packs with a child seat on top.

We are really looking forward to taking her, she loves music (Metal/R&B/Wiggles) probably because Mrs Moth is a muso and there’s always stuff going on around her. We’ll be getting her used to ear defenders over the next three months. And we’re thoroughly expecting to see a lot more of theatre and circus plus kidz field. We’re also expecting to be taking turns having early nights.

It’s gonna be great :)

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15 hours ago, Wooderson said:

For those leaving toddlers at home, who looks after them? My folks would tell me to do one.

Mrs Jass' parents are taking Baby Jass. They live near Brighton and we have Thursday coach tickets from there (almost like it was planned that way). We're just trying to decide whether we both get the coach on Thursday or whether I go alone and MJ follows on Friday.

If the coach times back are generous we could be home before she wakes up on Monday morning, although trying to negotiate an over-excitable 18 month old whilst dealing with a Glastonbury comedown could prove challenging.

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15 hours ago, Wooderson said:

For those leaving toddlers at home, who looks after them? My folks would tell me to do one.

I leave the wife at home with the child, she would only want me to spend time with her.. it's my Christmas god damn it 

 

 

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20 hours ago, scaryclaireyfairy said:

In the blistering heat last year, my mate was allowed to queue jump with the kids and one rucksack to find a shady spot to wait for dad to bring the trolley in. I can't see why anyone would ever have a problem with that - who wants to be stuck in the queue next to crying kids?

The car parking is a lottery and may depend largely on the conditions on the day and the experience of the steward in front of you at any one time. My friends got to the closest parking 1 out of 3 times.

Potty. Though there are/were (I can't say I noticed them last time round) cute kid-sized composters in family camping and they're clean. Family camping affords you a little more space (loads more if you're at Wicket) and quiet and is relatively secure with stewards at entry points to prevent wandering kids etc.

Fit a bike bell or horn to your trolley and always have a banksperson. Crowds appear from nowhere. Lights help a bit at night but not as much as you'd hope!

One of those flexible gardening tubs can be used to carry stuff, store stuff and makes a decent bath when needed. (bring camping stove). There is a bath time at the kids field but I don't know for what ages etc.

I think the kids were tagged with phone numbers in some way but can't remember. There was also one of those lead type arrangements on hand for persistent runners but that was never needed.

Please don’t do this. I can’t think of anything more obnoxious than someone ringing a bell to get people to move out the way because little Tarquin is throwing a temper tantrum or needs a big shite. 

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