Moms Talk: At What Age Do You Let Your Child Attend a Concert Alone?

As I write this, I am preparing to head to Detroit to see my favorite band, Manchester Orchestra, play at the Fillmore. I've seen the band four times in the past three years, and I can't help but notice that each time, the kids attending the shows seem younger and younger.

At the Fillmore the age restrictions depend on the show, but my concert - a rock concert - was open to all ages.

I remember my first concert. My parents dragged me along when they took my sister and a few of her friends to see Hanson — essentially the Jonas Brothers of its day — for her birthday. I was 10.

During the past few years, I've waited in line outside bars in order to get a spot up front for these shows. In line with me are always gaggles of teens who range from 14 to 18, standing in line — without their parents — smoking cigarettes and patiently waiting for the doors to open.

There was no way my parents would allow me out on my own to see a concert in Detroit at 14, not even at 17. It wasn't until I was 18 that they allowed me to start driving to concerts on my own with friends.

So, I am curious to know:

At what age do you let your child attend a concert on his or her own? Do you take into consideration what type of band is playing and the location of the concert?