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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To expect parents to try to keep children quiet on campsites early in the morning?

209 replies

BobBobbity · 10/09/2023 10:38

Camping this weekend at an event - lots of families, tents tightly packed in.

Me and the DC were woken up this morning at 6:45am by a group of children (would say 6-9ish age range) shrieking and shouting non-stop. No let up for about an hour.

AIBU to think parents should have tried to keep their noise down so early? My DC aren’t larks and normally sleep through anything but were both woken up and are already grumpy and tired.

Obviously some children wake up early and can be a bit excitable in a group, but this was soft-play-birthday-party level cacophony before 7am.

OP posts:
bombastix · 11/09/2023 12:25

These places are absolutely feral. I expect the lowest common denominator in terms of noise. Went to a child orientated festival one year. Loud at night (adults)and in the morning (kids). Hundreds of kids making pretty standard kid noises in the morning.

Just say no.

Bichonmum · 11/09/2023 12:22

SuperiorM · 11/09/2023 12:04

It’s September, why are they not in school?

I've just come back from camping over the weekend and there was lots of children there. Leave home on Friday after school and go back home in Sunday.

Tbh we did think there would be less children with it being September, but I assume with the hot weather, people must of thought to get another weekend away.

We take dogs with us and my partner gets up at daft o'clock with them to keep them quiet.

SuperiorM · 11/09/2023 12:04

It’s September, why are they not in school?

Original poster
BobBobbity · 11/09/2023 12:02

Amazed so many people think IABU TBH.

Maybe IABU to expect that adults will proactively parent their DC with consideration to others, but I don’t think IABU to expect they should

OP posts:
Whiterose23 · 11/09/2023 11:52

AdobeWanKenobi · 10/09/2023 22:17

I don’t get the love for these. They block out ‘up to 18db’ according to the blurb which really isn’t a lot when regular foam plugs block out towards 40db.
18db isn’t going to block out what the OP describes.

Show quote history

I can hear nothing when I wear mine. My husband can be next to me talking and I can’t hear him. I have no issues with my hearing when not wearing these.
When camping I now don’t get woken up by peoples noise either morning or night.
I’ve never been able to keep any other ear plugs in for a full so maybe that’s why the Loop sleep ones work for me as they seem to have suction 🤷‍♀️

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 10/09/2023 22:34

BobBobbity · 10/09/2023 10:51

We’re surrounded by dozens of other campers so obviously there were a good number of families awake at that point but all others were making normal kid noise level - chatter, laughing, the occasional shout or cry.

This was like being next to a bouncy castle, just full-volume shouting singing, shrieking, and I heard no intervention at all from the parents.

My DC got a bit giddy about 7:30 and I told them to keep it down and gave them some jobs to do to stop them escalating.

YANBU. So utterly inconsiderate of them.

SkinnyMalinkyLankyLegs · 10/09/2023 22:25

jgw1 · 10/09/2023 10:43

Why is it unacceptable for children to be up enjoying themselves and making noise in the morning when it is light, but acceptable for adults to make noise late into the night long after it is dark at campsites?

But it isn't. Just because people do it, doesn't mean it's acceptable.

user9630721458 · 10/09/2023 22:22

@Delatron Very true. Last camping trip there were actually kids running around until midnight, while their parents sang and talked. Because they were drinking they thought their noise was at a reasonable level, but they made it impossible to sleep. Even after being asked to keep it down they kept up the late night singing to the moon, probably they thought it was a reasonable level of noise (and spiritually uplifting for the rest of us), but it was extremely irritating.

CallumDansTransitVan · 10/09/2023 22:19

Bit more consideration by the parents wouldn't of gone amiss. If they are up and making noise that early, then get up with them and take them out the way of sleeping people.

AdobeWanKenobi · 10/09/2023 22:17

Whiterose23 · 10/09/2023 11:39

Loop earplugs have revolutionised my camping trips. I’d highly recommend

I don’t get the love for these. They block out ‘up to 18db’ according to the blurb which really isn’t a lot when regular foam plugs block out towards 40db.
18db isn’t going to block out what the OP describes.

Hollyppp · 10/09/2023 22:16

Teateaandmoretea · 10/09/2023 22:07

Yep me too. But if you criticise that then you are called a miserable party pooper. Whereas on mumsnet there is a tedious number of threads about children being a nuisance in every possible way.

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It’s funny how mumsnet users all seem to not like children or have unrealistic expectations of small children

Hollyppp · 10/09/2023 22:15

So basically almost 7am?

YABU either you need to book a different type of household, put the tent up far away from other people or get some ear plugs

Delatron · 10/09/2023 22:14

user9630721458 · 10/09/2023 22:11

When my children are kept awake until midnight by adults, I delight in encouraging the kids to play noisily in the morning at 6am. Very satisfying to see the pissed off look on the adults' faces as they stagger out of their tents to complain.

Yep that sounds exactly like a typical campsite. Adults keeping others awake at night and children making noise early. A recipe for not much sleep.

Nobody abides by the ‘rules’ of the campsite. Who’s enforcing that at 6am??

Hence why I don’t go camping.

user9630721458 · 10/09/2023 22:11

When my children are kept awake until midnight by adults, I delight in encouraging the kids to play noisily in the morning at 6am. Very satisfying to see the pissed off look on the adults' faces as they stagger out of their tents to complain.

Teateaandmoretea · 10/09/2023 22:07

BobBobbity · 10/09/2023 21:56

I’d consider the same level of noise from adults in the evening just as anti-social.

Show quote history

Yep me too. But if you criticise that then you are called a miserable party pooper. Whereas on mumsnet there is a tedious number of threads about children being a nuisance in every possible way.

Talkwhilstyouwalk · 10/09/2023 21:58

Pix56 · 10/09/2023 10:44

Yabu to go camping and expect quiet when you only have a thin piece of material to live in.

Exactly....par for the course.

Original poster
BobBobbity · 10/09/2023 21:56

Teateaandmoretea · 10/09/2023 21:53

^^this completely.

Show quote history

I’d consider the same level of noise from adults in the evening just as anti-social.

OP posts:
Teateaandmoretea · 10/09/2023 21:53

jgw1 · 10/09/2023 10:43

Why is it unacceptable for children to be up enjoying themselves and making noise in the morning when it is light, but acceptable for adults to make noise late into the night long after it is dark at campsites?

^^this completely.

waterrat · 10/09/2023 21:52

I camp a lot and some sites make it clear that quiet is expected before 8am. By quiet that doesnt mean no talkinf etc or being normal awake children getting breakfast etc

It means no screaming and loud playing im a big fan of letting kids be kids but after 6 or 7 years old many kids will still be asleep ..so this is all just general consideration

Screaming can happen after breakfast !

Camping involves consideration of others....that is what makes it so lovely most of the time !

Original poster
BobBobbity · 10/09/2023 21:47

LLInADaze · 10/09/2023 19:50

I've heard it all now!! YABU It's a thin piece of material!

Yes it’s a thin piece of material, which is precisely why you’d think anyone considerate would encourage their children to keep the volume at a reasonable level early in the morning.

OP posts:
LLInADaze · 10/09/2023 19:50

I've heard it all now!! YABU It's a thin piece of material!

Original poster
BobBobbity · 10/09/2023 19:46

Sounds like I should thank myself lucky I wasn’t subjected to 6am football matches, bongo drums or threesomes!

Definitely wasn’t expecting to hear nothing but the twittering of birds and leaves rustling in the breeze. obviously there will be noise on a busy campsite and Ilif we’d been woken by a tantrumming toddler or something that’s just luck of the draw.

But these kids just went on and on without drawing breath - frankly their endurance at keeping up that volume was pretty impressive.

As others have said, it was the complete lack of parenting that was annoying - my own kids have form for having no volume control but I do at least try to get them to tone it down. No way would I have allowed them to carry on like that at any hour of the day, let alone before many people are awake.

OP posts:
SummerDayz47 · 10/09/2023 18:30

This!

PuttingDownRoots · 10/09/2023 18:11

Generally speaking theres been a decline in camping etiquette on recent years... not just with Covid but before then too. And not disturbing other campers is part of that unfortunately.

We were on a small campsite this year, group of students pitched next to us... they actually came to make sure they weren't disturbing our children at 9pm which I thought was quite nice.

silvertoil · 10/09/2023 18:00

Agree - too early especially if there were no efforts to quieten them. 8am camping feels about right to me, even though it's still early.