Camping with an 18mo?

[Hayls]

Just wondered if anybody would consider (or have been on) a camping holiday with an 18mo? Not necessarily a long stay, I'm thnking more along the lines of a weekend break nearby. Dh's colleague has offered us a tent cos his children are teenagers now but dh doesn't hink it's a good idea...I disagree

ANd if we did go, any advice? Where would be the bes place for dd to sleep? Air bed?
There are so many fantastic places nearby but we'd struggle to afford to go to them all and pay for accommodation as well!

[Mum2girls]

I shudde at the camping, let alone with an 18mo

[Mum2girls]

shudder

[bobbybob]

I did a weekend break. Ds had a ball.

[Blu]

I'd go camping with a 18 month old - why not? DD can sleep in a travel cot if you have one, or on an air bed. (A double is best, in casse they roll about a lot).
I didn't take DS when he was that young (but would have done) but have been camping with freinds with a gang of kids between us between 12 months and 4 - all absolutely loved it.

[sandyballs]

Hayls - we went camping when our twin DDs were about 18 months and it was great fun. We had quite a large tent and managed to get two travel cots in it with me and DH next to each. They slept brilliantly because they had so much exercise and fresh air all day. Go for it.

[Hayls]

Dh and I have camped a few times, did a month in France once (although I did insist on a hostel a few nights and then a hotel in Paris) I really enjoyed it although I was crying out for a good bed at the end.

That's reassuring, Blu. I doubt I could persuade any of my friends to come along!
Do you think the bedtime routine would still work? Would she get a bit freaked out?

Only potential problem is this
oh no

Any other practical advice owuld me much appreciated

[serenity]

We're going camping in a couple of weeks with our three who are 7, 5 and 21mths. This will be the first time that we've taken DD and I'm reasonably sure it will be OK!

Atm we're not quite sure where to put DD - we will probably have her in with us (our tent is pretty big with three 'bedrooms'), but we might try putting her in with DSs. DH is mainly concerned with her escaping first thing in the morning, but I think if we zip the main exit of the tent so the tags are at the top they won't be able to reach it anyway.

The other worry is that she'll wander off during the day, my mum used to tie a rope around me at that age and secure one end to the ground with a tent peg - like an extra long set of reins I suppose. She says she got a few odd looks, but it worked

I'd give it a go Hayls, just make sure you pick somewhere family friendly - try and get a recommendation from someone. We're going to a site that a friend with young children has been to a few times, so we're comfortable that it'll be suitable for us too.

[Blu]

Take a small dustpan and brush and sweep the inside of the tent, and don't be in the tent with the light on and the flaps open - so insects are attratced. tbh, I have never found insects particularly rife when camping in the UK - not more than in the house.

I don't think bedtime would be more disrupted camping than on any other holiday. As much as the excitiement keeps them up, the fresh air tires them out.

[Blu]

LOL at being tethered to a tent peg, Serenity! (by the way...I have only v recently worked out who you are .
Where are you going camping? My freind swears by a place called Wellington as a great place to go with kids, but i haven't been, it's near Reading - v unlikely sounding!

[serenity]

You'll be up very very early........ but everyone else is as well. It's hard to ignore morning in a tent.

[madmarchhare]

Have just been for a week with 19 month old. It was very hectic, DS had fun but we didnt really get much of a break!

Sleeping went suprisingly well, but I think that was down to having less of a nap during the day and general excitment etc..

When we got back I did say that I wouldnt go again until DS was about 3/4 (for any length of time anyway!)

[shimmy21]

We've done it and strongly recommend taking a travel cot. Stops the early morning toddling off and also you can have it outside in daytime to stop toddling in to barbecues etc,

Our 2 dss were very scared of the dark at that age and nights in a tent can be darker than anything they've experienced before. We used those solar powered lamp things as nightlights.

We've got one of those bedroom tent things and found that the best way was for each of us to sleep with one of our boys so there was someone right next to them in the night if they woke up and panicked (which they did before we sorted the nightlights!)

And you might find you need a roofrack or car the size of a bus to fit all the baby clobber in but I'm sure you know that anyway!!

[serenity]

We're going to a place called Kloofs down near Bexhill. Friend who recommended it says that they give you loads of room to pitch, so you aren't on top of each other - so room for the kids to run around, it's close to the beach and a short drive to places like Hastings etc. It's surrounded by woods and fields for a good few miles so hopefully fairly quiet!

The last place we went to was 'lively', it had a clubhouse which was open until 12 so people would come back to their tents late at night and make tea and chat. No one was throwing wild parties, but I got fed up with being woken up every night! Used to let the kids play outside at 6 in the morning as revenge

[serenity]

sorry, meant to say 'hello Blu' I'm not hiding, my old name was too obvious if anyone came on who knows me or DD in RL. I like a small amount of anonymity!

[Janh]

Happy campers - topical piece from Guardian!

I think the Devon campsite mentioned at the bottom has been recommended on here a few times.

[Hayls]

Just said to dh (very smugly) that I'd been told by lots of people that we would be OK to take dd on a campiong break. His response was whether I'd asked if you could take an 18mo or if you could take dd!! Need to work on him!
Anyone receommend a good campsite in Somerset, Cotswolds or North Devon?

Lol at tethered to tent peg! MIght try it anyway

[spidermama]

Make sure you park near to a tree or somewhere you can hang things up out of the way. I camped with a toddler and he could reach everything (sharp knives, salt, food) so I spent the ENTIRE time taking things off him and him screaming with fury at being constantly thwarted.

THAT part was a nightmare, but the rest was fab!

[spidermama]

Always have the potty to hand.

[otto]

We're planning to take our 17-month ds camping in two weeks' time. We did a trial run in May and it was fine. We've been camping with my step-daughter loads of time, but she's older so it's different.

For this camping trip we've decided to buy roll-up table so that we can put any food preparation stuff eg sharp knives, cups of tea etc well out of reach of ds. Also I've got him a pair of wellies so that he can run around in the dew first thing in the morning without getting cold feet or ruining his shoes.

We did take the travel cot last time, but he ended up on the single mattress and he did roll off, so I'm getting him a double mattress this time and leaving the travel cot at home.

[Janh]

Hayls, look at the Guardian piece I linked to - North Morte Farm

[madmarchhare]

Top tip if your toddler is one of those that runs off (mine is!) - Take a couple of wind breaks to put round entrance of tent, private garden stylee.

[madmarchhare]

Off to start a thread about toddlers that run off!

[suzywong]

yes go on do, I can join in on that one, it is the busiest time of parenting IMO. although I am very proud of ds2's agility and gung-ho way I would like to be able to sit and chat to the other mums at the playground once in a while.