speaking out
Kirstie Allsopp hits back after being mum-shamed for letting son, 15, travel across Europe with pal on summer break
Her son visited nine different places on his travels across Europe
LOCATION, Location, Location presenter Kirstie Allsopp has been forced to hit back against critics after being mum-shamed for allowing her 15-year-old to travel around Europe.
Kirstie posted online about her son Oscar Hercules and his recent trip across the continent despite only being 15 at the time of his trip.
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The TV star confirmed Oscar, who has since turned 16, and a friend, aged 16, had made their way across multiple countries on a jolly - a decision that has sparked fury among some of her fans.
Kristie, 52, found herself facing criticism for allowing her 15-year-old to go on an inter-railing adventure.
Speaking out about his sight-seeing trip online, Kirstie initially posted: "My little boy has returned from 3 weeks inter-railing, he’ll be 16 on Wednesday so he went with a mate who’s already 16 due to hostel/travel restrictions, but they organised the whole thing.
"Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Berlin, Munich, Marseille, Toulouse, Barcelona & Madrid for obvious budget reasons inter-railing isn’t on the cards for everyone, but in this increasingly risk averse world it’s vital that we find any ways we can to give our children the confidence that only comes from trusting them.
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"Of course I missed spending the summer with our son, but I’m so proud of him & my loss is nothing compared to his gain & the encyclopaedic knowledge he now has of the differences between one McDonalds & another
"If we’re afraid our children will also be afraid, if we let go, they will fly."
However, reaction to Kirstie's post quickly fell flat with many mum-shaming the star insisting that it was far too early to allow a child to trek across Europe.
One disgruntled follower wrote: "If things had gone wrong, you would have taken responsibility and never forgiven yourself."
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Whilst another added: "You can't wrap them up in cotton wool but it can be a dangerous world and 15 is not mature enough for all encounters."
According to the European network, there is no current age restrictions but minors are required to have clear written consent from a parent or legal guardian to travel.
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The Sun has contacted a representative of Kirstie Allsopp for clarification.
Hitting back at the criticism, Kirstie revealed online that many people had shared with her that they too had allowed their young children to go travelling in order to explore and gain life experiences.
She wrote online: "So many people have been in touch saying that independent travel at a young age gave them enormous confidence, & they feel it played a part in who/where they are today.
"I tweeted about my son’s travels ‘cos I was proud of him; I suffered with terrible homesickness, still do, and would never have done what he did, but now I feel not just proud of my child, but also happy that he is part of a fellowship of travellers, people who began young and have gone on to be positive, considerate people it seems."
Writing in support of the star, one fan said: "When I was 14 my parents trusted me to get from Cadaques (Spain) to Perpignan by train, catch a flight to Paris. Then a flight to Heathrow. Then a flight to Glasgow. All on my own. Long before mobile phones. No problem. It was a great experience."
Before someone else echoed: "When I was 15 I went to stay with my aunt who lived in Spain. She sent me and her son (my 14 year old cousin) for a 2 day trip to Majorca. No hotel bookings, no mobile phones in those days. Just an arrangement to meet us back at the airport 5 days later. We loved it."
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