13th Birthday - Would You....

[2chatter]

DD turns 13 in March. For 12 we took 4 girls to a zip lining course. 16 will be a car. 13 was kind of stumping me. We discussed and the two ideas that appeal are a concert and a mall scavenger hunt. The latter appeals to me not at all - on a team building thing and despite having permission we were kicked out of a mall...which would ruin things quickly.

So...a concert. We looked and the only artist that really appeals to her is Bebe Rexha (and I am down with that). She's playing a club that does tons of all ages shows, it's where I went to concerts in the 90s and 2000s.

My niece (24) will come with us. DD will invite 4 friends (parents welcome too). Dinner (in a cool part of the City, hopefully on a rooftop patio) before an 8:00 show (doors open at 7:00 so music should really start at a decent time? I no longer know the answer to that?).

The catch? It's on a Wednesday night the week before Spring Break.

Would you permit your child to attend?

[jlaok]

I would assuming homework would be done and that there weren't any tests the next day. A 13-yr-old staying up until 11:00 for a special event isn't a huge deal in my opinion. If I had any concerns I'd just go along and leave a little early with my DD. Do you have the parents contact info to run it by them ahead of time before telling the girls?

[mommyatty]

A close friend and my kiddo generally was doing well in school and has a good head? Yes. If my kiddo was struggling in school? No. Because I'm assuming they are likely not to go to school the next day or to be pretty worthless that day.

[twinmomma]

I think I would make the exception if it was a close friend and my kid was fine in school too. Doesn't seem like the end of the world for a special occasion.

[oldbaylover1024]

It's a special occasion, so I'd say it's okay. However, I would definitely run it by the other parents first. God forbid you tell your DD to invite some friends and the parents say no after the invitation.

FYI - You're a cool mom! I got my ears pierced and had a sleepover for my 13th birthday.

[akafred]

I would, but it would depend on things like if there was a test the next day. But I am loosely-glossy that way and have taken my 7 year old to some pretty seedy places on school nights for concerts more times than I could probably count.

Also there is no way in hell my mother would have agreed. So I am going to say that some of the kids can go and some will be totally jealous.

Is there seriously nothing on a Friday or Saturday night?

[leap08]

I would as long as there is nothing important happening at school the next day and all homework is done. They're 12-13 and it's a special occasion. I think it sounds like an amazing birthday.

[Widget123]

Are they more likely to have tests the week before spring break or major projects due? If it were me, I would be more comfortable with a Thursday or Friday night. But I don't have any kids in that age group so I don't really know.

[justcheckingin73]

My dd is turning 13 in March as well.

i don't know about her school but my dd's school usually takes it easy on them before breaks so it wouldn't be an issue for me but I would have a hard time staying up myself. I think it will be a great memory for her. 

[Deleted]

Definitely!

[2chatter]

I do need to look at the test schedule. There really aren't concerts that appeal to her except on week nights - except there was one rap show, but it would be pretty hard core I think as a scene, and probably not what I want her first club experience to be.

I will reach out to the parents probably tomorrow - these are all
girls (thank god haha) that have been to our house and vice versa.

[Deleted]

Yeah maybe ask first. My mom didn't let me go to concerts until I was 18. So I don't know if I would let my kid go or not. In the first case though there were no parents, so the fact you are going as chaperone is in your favor.

[akafred]

I have another suggestion if you are interested in other options. You could rent a hotel room and have a slumber party, somewhere with an indoor pool. Maybe even at one of those places with an indoor water park.

[2chatter]

akafred - we have done that! 5th and 9th - there's a GWL here and it's a super easy celebration.

[brachysira]

I would since parents will be present and it's a special thing. But I was always trying to get friends to go to concerts in middle and early high school and no parents of my friends ever allowed it. Luckily my best friend's mom was in a must-be-more-fun-than-your-asshole-dad phase much of this time so she would take my friend and I to concerts. When we turned 16, parental supervision was completely turned off and my friends were allowed to pretty much do anything on their own as long as they could drive themselves there...I don't even pretend to understand. I guess I would just tell DD that you guys are doing it and if some friends can come, all the better??

[2chatter]

brachysira I was never allowed to go to concerts and my parents certainly didn't go. I sometimes really wonder where I came from!

I worked at Six Flags and asked if I could stay after for a concert. My parents totally had this picture in their heads of choir competitions, because I went to those there. In reality I saw bands like Live and Collective Soul. Had I asked "can I go to the Live concert?" The answer would have been absolutely not.

Sins of omission.....