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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think a family friendly campsite should not have fireworks at 11pm?

67 replies

ridingsixwhitehorses · 07/08/2016 22:41

We just got back from camping trip in France - huge 'family friendly' campsite full of families with young kids Our kids (all under 7) were in bed by 8.30pm at the latest each night as they were knackered and also we wanted a grown up evening. Though we noticed lots of other kids up much later. And twice they were woken up on separate nights by the campsite's own organised entertainment of very loud fireworks at 11pm.

OP posts:

WorraLiberty · 07/08/2016 22:51

Yes of course they should because lots of families like fireworks, and lots of families don't see 11pm as particularly late.

When I was a kid on holiday, lots of things woke me up - usually the sound of people leaving the camp club at gone midnight, but it was strangely reassuring to hear all the happy drunken voices.

Magicpaintbrush · 07/08/2016 22:57

YANBU. Why don't they do them earlier in the evening so they don't wake those who might be sleeping? That would wind me right up.

Blu · 07/08/2016 23:02

Different cultural expectations of 'family friendly'?

WorraLiberty · 07/08/2016 23:03

It's not really dark enough to let them off in the evening, is it?

molyholy · 07/08/2016 23:04

I think yabu sorry. We went camping in France and once a week was 'party night' at the site. But i must admit, it was on their website so we were made aware beforehand that fireworks would be going off. Still wouldn't have annoyed me though. Was there no mention of this when you booked? But it is holidays and i can see alot of people(adults and children) would love this. How old are the kids? So they sleep later the next day. What's the harm?

Chocfish72 · 07/08/2016 23:06

YABU Because in France / Spain children tend to be stay up a lot later. Most french kids up to age 5/ 6 will be expected to nap or at least rest in the afternoon and children are generally included in the family evening. it has taken me a while of living in France to adjust to this... And when I go to Spain it's different again, with most families not even starting to eat until 9pm in the evening!

Original poster

ridingsixwhitehorses · 07/08/2016 23:07

We were two families with five kids between us aged 0, 3, 3, 5, 7. All in bed by 8.30 latest. (My three certainly don't sleep later even if they go to bed later alas - wish they did!)

OP posts:

molyholy · 07/08/2016 23:07

Sorry just noticed all children are under 7, but it hasn't changed my opinion.

averylongtimeago · 07/08/2016 23:16

In France fire works are always 10.30 - 11pm. It's, normal, children stay up, or have a nap and lie in the next day. Our village has it's annual fate next Saturday, there is a fair, a car boot sale, a communal 4 course repas in the evening, followed by feu d'artifice at 10.30 ish. Everyone is going, from babes in arms to the oldest granny.

Just be thankful you are not in Spain, on the campsites I have been on there, the locals don't even think about eating until 10, and don't quiet down infill the all hours. They do sleep all afternoon tho. You have to when it's that hot!

It's a clash of cultures, the answer is to go with the flow, do what the locals do, you are not in the UK.

ShatnersBassoon · 07/08/2016 23:20

YABU. I imagine campsites are pretty noisy until late anyway, with families eating very late and staying up to have fun.

When in Rome...

Stevefromstevenage · 07/08/2016 23:29

I am always amazed on MN about the extremely early bedtimes during the summer holidays. 8:30 in France means 7:30 in the UK which is just the standard at home bedtime.

This is definitely a MN thing because I have plenty of family in Britain who do not adhere to the very early bedtimes quite as closely as MN.

WorraLiberty · 07/08/2016 23:34

Same here Steve

We always enjoyed nights out on holiday and the kids just dozed in their buggies, when they got tired. Each to their own of course.

But it's also a family holiday for older kids and teenagers too, so I would always expect noise up until at least midnight.

Amelie10 · 07/08/2016 23:39

Yabu but I knew you would be complaining because you have younger ages kids. Sorry but not everyone is under 5 and needs a strict bedtime routine. Besides its a holiday site and par for the course.

pictish · 07/08/2016 23:43

Oh yabu. My kids would love being on a campsite with fireworks at 11pm. Besides they keep different social times in hot places as people tend to sleep or rest in the afternoon when the sun is unbearable.
You're on holiday...relax.

Kat3L · 07/08/2016 23:49

We just experienced the same riding, I wonder if it was the same place though I suppose there's loads of similar sites in France. Fab site, great pools and facilities in the Loire valley but we also thought the 11pm fireworks were a bit strange particularly as the rules for the site stated no noise after 10.30pm and it was dark from quite a bit earlier anyway. They didn't wake up my son (thankfully) and the rest of us were all still awake.

WyfOfBathe · 07/08/2016 23:50

Yanbu, 11 is very late... I would think that 10 would be more reasonable (although your kids would still be in bed, so I guess it wouldn't have made a difference for your family).

However, in France kids are, in some ways, treated like little adults, especially in terms of social situations/parties - and that includes staying up late on special occasions.

Original poster

ridingsixwhitehorses · 07/08/2016 23:55

Wasn't loire valley Kat3L - but interesting not just our site. Whole site v noisy in fact - they had a strict no noise after 11pm rule bt loads of people near us were v loud later than this. Would actually put me off doing it again.

Yes tbh 10pm would also be too late for us. I expected a family site to be nice a quiet at bedtime!

OP posts:

WorraLiberty · 08/08/2016 00:05

Yes tbh 10pm would also be too late for us. I expected a family site to be nice a quiet at bedtime!

And what time is 'bedtime' exactly?

I don't mean your personal family rules, but 'bedtime' for everyone else on the site?

What about the kids who are put to bed at 6.30pm and 7pm?

Is no-one allowed to make noise after that?

cherryplumbanana · 08/08/2016 00:07

As above, it's a cultural thing. You don't have the same expectation than a local on what family friendly means.

I have been invited to French weddings where diner wasn't even finished at midnight, and all the kids were still enjoying themselves!

I think you are a bit BU to be annoyed by a foreign way of life when you are abroad.

WorraLiberty · 08/08/2016 00:13

It's not even just a cultural thing.

Clacton-on-Sea and Great Yarmouth have fireworks going off every night at 11pm during August.

I bet plenty of other places do too.

I think the OP is suffering a bit from 'younger child syndrome', where she forgets that it's holiday time for 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,16,17 year old kids too.

Amelie10 · 08/08/2016 00:19

Nothing to with it being a 'cultural thing'. It's all to do with you having small children and expecting everyone to stop and revolve around that. It's a family site, which means kids and people of different ages. Your bedtime is not everyone else's.

Original poster

ridingsixwhitehorses · 08/08/2016 00:21

Yeah I did assume family friendly meant young kids. Am sure we'll love it when our kids are teens. Next year will go for a house somewhere instead. Was way too noisy.

OP posts:

nulgirl · 08/08/2016 00:21

Typical parent of young child attitude even ignoring the cultural differences. Lots of children on these campsites will be older and would be fine to stay up. Assuming it wasn't a nightly event then why shouldn't there something for the majority who don't have kids asleep early?

nulgirl · 08/08/2016 00:26

Whoops cross-post with OP. For what it's worth, you shouldn't have had to put up with lots of extra noise late at night in the campsite. I complained to the night warden as a group of teenagers were playing techno music and chatting next to our cabin at midnight on our first night. Someone arrived 5 mins later to speak to them and we didn't have any further problems during our stay.

madamginger · 08/08/2016 00:28

We've just been camping in the uk and even here kids were still running around at 10pm.
My 3 are 5,7 and 9 and stayed up till 10:30 most nights whereas they'd be in bed at 8:30 at home.
Camping is a much more relaxed affair than other types of holidays ime.

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