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Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

Camping

Camping alone with three small children-is this foolishness? How much foolishness?

20 replies

Fillyjonk · 06/07/2009 14:04

I really want to go camping. Kids are 5, 4 and 16 months.

I'd say we are experienced campers, of the Moomin school. We're quite good at ekeing several hours play value out of a stick.

Dp bascially cannot get time off work in the school holidays, for convuluted reasons.

Kids desperate to go camping (thanks for that, shirley hughes

Have taken the older two several times with just me when they were younger. But never with just me and the three of them. Also never alone, always to a camp or with group of friends. Think its going to be too short notice to get anyone to come with us, though will try.

Thoughts? Good experiences?

Would be just for one night. The kids are great when they are camping, they all potter off and entertain themselves.

I just have a lingering notion that this might be a Bad Idea.

OP posts:

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MummyDragon · 06/07/2009 14:07

Erm - your kids are aged 5, 4 and 16 months and "they all potter off and entertain themselves"??????

Yes, this is a Bad Idea.

PlasticQueen · 06/07/2009 14:17

The 5 and 4 year olds should be fine.

Where will you put the 16 month old whilst you erect/ dismantle the tent?

You know you will have to take them all with you when you need a wee don't you?

Fennel · 06/07/2009 14:20

I would find a friend, or make a friend, or grab any old acquaintance to go too.

I'd go alone with my 3 now but the youngest is 5. and still it's much more fun with another adult. So you don't have to watch a toddler while taking another child to the loo while cooking over a not very safe stove, all the while entertaining them all in the rain and keeping wet stuff away from the tent edge and stopping muddy stuff from getting on the sleeping bags and...whoops the wine's fallen over again.

Fillyjonk · 06/07/2009 16:27

yes the weeing thing did occur to me.

re the erecting/dismantling tent, have Plan. dd2 will almost certainly be asleep when we arrive, if I time it right can prob get half hour nap out of her which is enough to get tent up. Packing up trickier, but intend really to just chuck it all in car for dp to sort out.

Cooking another thing, but for one night, we can manage on cold stuff and fish and chips...

I dunno, the kids are working on me here...and it'd only be for a night, midweek. I do nights at home alone all the time, not sure why this seems so hard...

Oh don't get this comment, mummydragon.

"Erm - your kids are aged 5, 4 and 16 months and "they all potter off and entertain themselves"??????"

Don't get this at all, sorry, probably missing something. If my 3 young kids couldn't entertain themselves for an afternoon in the great outdoors I'd be pretty and , tbh.

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Fillyjonk · 06/07/2009 16:29

ah and if it is raining, tbh we won't go. no fun camping in the rain.

And we'd be anyway 30 minutes from home.

older kids very sensible and don't roam. even youngest isn't really a roamer...and can park tent strategically...

see i am talking myself into it now.

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Overmydeadbody · 06/07/2009 16:31

I tihnk 5, 4 and 16 months olds can entertain themselves outdoors for an afternoon, see nothing wrong with that. Presumably Filly will still supervise them.

I think it will just be tricky for you filly, with things like toilet trips (although nothing wrong with littlies weeing in grass, but what about when you need to go?), getting them all ready for bed etc. on your own.

Altohugh I don't tihnk it will necessarily be a bad idea, I can't imagine it will be very stress-free for you, although the kids will no doubt have a great time!

How good is the 5 yr old at helping you and being reliable to watch the other two sometimes etc.?

muffle · 06/07/2009 16:35

I'd do it - take a friend if you can, but otherwise I find that if you need help putting a tent up, other campers on the site will usually offer. Camping even close to home is so exciting for my DS and I always love it.

muffle · 06/07/2009 16:36

You obviously need the famous MN lidded wee bucket containing bin liner and cat litter.

Fillyjonk · 06/07/2009 16:38

well thats the thing muffle, in my experience people DO help. We'd go somewhere I've been before, where the owners would prob help if need be.

plan re weeing is to drink NOTHING for duration of trip and 3 hours before. . No that is a problem, shall just have to pace myself.

Over, think it will be very stressy, and I shall just have to roll with it as a one off. Am not really seeing it as a holiday for me. Aside from anything else will come home and should get lots of brownie points from dp and thusly most of weekend off.

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Fillyjonk · 06/07/2009 16:39

muffle i am a cat litter bucket refusenik. I think that is the FOULEST idea ever to come out of mn, and lets face it there is serious comeptition.

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stillstanding · 06/07/2009 16:41

My dad used to do this with us all the time when we were little and they are some of the best memories I have as a child. Think it would be really lovely - although perhaps more for them than you! I say go for it!! What a lovely mum you are.

AitchTwoOh · 06/07/2009 16:43

definitely go, it'll be brilliant. and even if it isn't, it's only one night. dd1 aged three can entertain herself when we're camping, she wanders off to play with the other kids. in fact, your best idea is to find a couple of mumsy 8 year old girls to push the baby round and round the field in her buggy while you're erecting the tent. that's what happened to us, it was great.

muffle · 06/07/2009 17:01

I've never done it myself! It does sound disgusting but part of me is really impressed by it just as a brilliant invention.

DP would never stand for it though, it would just be more reason for him to moan about camping

AitchTwoOh · 06/07/2009 17:05

i keep dd's potty in the tent, with a bag and litter over it, just in case. i find it acts as a deterrent, tbh, a constant visual 'do you need the toilet, darling?'

Loshad · 06/07/2009 17:07

I'd do it - won't be fun particulalry for you but your dc's will love it. It is really only the tent putting up/down and the loo trips that are going to be particulalry tricky isn't it.

bigchris · 06/07/2009 17:09

how about going to stay with a friend and the 4 and 5 year old camp out in the garden

having said that there must be single parents who camp all the time

Beachcomber · 06/07/2009 17:19

I'd do it. I went camping for a week a couple of years ago with the DDs, DH came most evenings to join us from his work. He wasn't there at all during the day and there were two nights he didn't come. We put the tent up together but I took it down by myself.

OK I only have 2 children but they were 3yo and 1yo at the time.

Go for it.

rachaelsara · 06/07/2009 17:20

Go for it, it's one night 30 minutes from home. If it's horrible, go home and don't do it again!

Fillyjonk · 07/07/2009 08:07

am going to do it

i am not sure why I am making such a fuss really, what is the worst that can happen? We'll be 30 minutes from home, if it is dreadful we can abandon camp, drive home and return in the morning.

thanks for all thoughts!

now i need to think on what to pack...

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AitchTwoOh · 07/07/2009 10:41

go for it. and can i register my that your teeny tiny baby is 16 months.

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