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Parenting

Camping with toddler - safety issue?

16 replies

boatrace30 · 02/04/2017 09:56

Hi, DH and I planning to take DD (nearly 2) camping at Easter, just for one night, somewhere local. We have a new tent which has a sleeping compartment at either end and a "living compartment" in the middle.

The intention is for us to sleep one end and DD the other end in her travel cot (this is probably about 2-3metres away from us).

My mum is convinced this is unsafe and DD could easily be snatched (she is very paranoid and even mentioned that someone could easily cut through a tent and take her). DH thinks this is ridiculous!

Obviously the chances of anything happening are slim but just wondered what people's opinions were?

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Itaintme · 02/04/2017 09:58

Thousands of people camp every year.I think the chances of someone snatching her are almost nil.

Piffpaffpoff · 02/04/2017 10:05

I bought a tent that had sleeping compartments beside each other primarily so that if they were up during the night/first thing, I just had to pull the curtain to one side to get to them and I could stay in my sleeping bag! However, there was a tiny thought in the back of my mind that I would be more likely to hear anyone coming into their bit of the tent if they were beside me - totally unlikely to happen though. The main consideration was my comfort!

Itaintme · 02/04/2017 10:08

You would probably be better with a tent with the sleeping compartments next to each other in case she wakes in the night.

But I wouldn't worry about the safety aspects of your tent.

SummerSazz · 02/04/2017 10:12

Our dc have always wanted to sleep in with us and still do at 10 and 8!

At 2 they were in grow bags on SIM's with us.

Ding3kids · 02/04/2017 10:14

We're thinking of taking our toddlers and baby camping and I'll be in the sleeping compartment with the kids not for safety, i wouldn't be worried about that, but they're awful sleepers and end up in our bed anyway

Swatsup · 02/04/2017 10:16

I have a similar set up. I slept in with the kids last year as it saved me worrying about them and saved getting out of a warm sleeping bag when they woke up.
Also considered setting up somekind of alarm that went off if the zip was opened? But that's mainly because we have the extra worry of two big dogs sleeping in the middle section of the tent.

boatrace30 · 02/04/2017 11:29

Thanks all, I'd have her sleep with us if I could but she just won't sleep with us (weird I know). She's a good sleeper and rarely wakes up.
Unfortunately too late to get a different tent.

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KatyN · 02/04/2017 18:17

Can you fit the travel cot next to where you are sleeping? We did that when we took our son camping, not through fear of someone snatching him but when he woke up in the morning I thought he'd be freaked out by being somewhere wierd. He never slept in with us but waking up with his head peering through the travel cot as me was very cute!

boatrace30 · 02/04/2017 18:34

katy, we measured it today and can just. Thinking I might be a cheap single air bed too so I can sleep in at her end (in case DH snores too loudly!)

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donajimena · 02/04/2017 18:38

No escaping the snoring in a tent!

MrsJBaptiste · 02/04/2017 19:18

We've been taking our kids since DS1 was one and it's been great!

Our first tent had a bedroom setup like yours OP and we had one compartment with DS in the other. It never once crossed my mind to worry but MIL was very panicked by the thought that DS would be taken in the middle of the night. She's never been camping - loud zips, the fact you can hear everything and most people don't sleep well anyway means the chance of a child sneaking off/being sneaked away is probably 0.000001%

MeredithShepherd · 02/04/2017 21:21

My DS sleeps with me when we go camping. There is just us two though, I do hate leaving him though if I need the loo while he's sleeping I run to the toilet block and back convinced he will be gone when I get back! Must invest in a portaloo or something!

ageingrunner · 02/04/2017 21:34

No escaping the snoring, whether it's your dh, or somebody else's dh in a nearby tent

INeedNewShoes · 02/04/2017 21:38

Meredith - a really good tip I read on a camping forum thread I was reading re going camping alone as a single woman is to put a pair of large man-size wellies at the door of the tent to give the impression that you're not alone. I thought this was a very clever idea

boatrace30 · 02/04/2017 23:02

Lol, too true about the snoring

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boatrace30 · 02/04/2017 23:02

Thanks Mrs sounds like your MIL is a lot like my DM

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