Going away for a long weekend while ds is camping

[Bethanyg25]

My son is 8 and goes to cubs, they are going camping in May for the long weekend, and I’m just wondering if you think Iwbu to go on holiday with my mum and dd (9months) while he is gone. My partner will be on a stag do in Ibiza rolls eyes and I don’t want to just sit at home with the baby all weekend. I don’t know if I feel right about it or not, we’ve already been to Center Parcs and he will be having way more fun camping with his friends than he would with me my mum and the baby, so it’s very tempting to go without him. Plus he is a little bugger most the time so the thought of taking him on holiday again is the opposite of relaxing

Why on earth wouldn't you go away? Sounds like a great plan.

Nothing wrong with it.
When my older ones were younger, the rare times they would all be away for a weekend, I used to plan a weekend break for myself.

I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving the country while DS was camping, but I don't see any reason at all why you, the baby and your mum shouldn't enjoy a lovely relaxing holiday while you've got the chance!

Sounds good, there's lots of places a baby is ok but kids find tedious. Go have fun!

When DS has gone on camps we don’t stay put but we wouldn’t go abroad and we would probably not venture further than 90 mins from home just in case there was an incident and he needed to be picked up.. it’s a different scenario if you have backup to pick up your son if the need arises... it has been very tempting to book a week away in the sun when the camp has been a week long!!

Yes I was thinking my dad can be emergency contact, then we can go a bit further away. Think I’m going for it then!

So long as you're contactable in case of emergencies, I can't see any problem.

My father is Akela and he has many a parent who fly off somewhere when their child is at camp and most of the time it’s fine, but sometimes when their little Johnny is ill at camp it all comes unstuck so usually they end up saying “well sorry we are away” Cubs often get treated as cheap child care.
If you are staying in the country then that’s fine but just don’t be hundreds of miles away. 👍🏻

DS is off for three and a bit weeks over the summer (he will be 15, not 8 though!)
The minute we drop him off, DH and I are hightailing it off to Europe for our Grand Tour

It's probably worth pointing out that the mother of another boy who is going on the same trip is scandalised by this - presumably she is a nutter will be sat staring fretfully at the phone until they return

As a leader I’d expect someone be be available to pick the child up if needed.

If they are Ill or misbehave then they will get sent home.

And if I ring the contact number I do rather expect someone to be able to come and get their little darling. That said we don’t mind if that person is a grandparent.

I’d do something nearby. Nothing that makes my travel time to the camp longer than from home, just in case of emergency.

I would definitely stay nearby. You don't know that you won't be needed to collect him.

@Purpleartichoke I think that's a bit extreme. I'm sure an extra hour or so will make no difference. Especially if Grandad is available near by.

As a brownie leader you need to make sure that you give another two local emergency contacts who can step in if need be. I regularly have groups of mums use our holidays as girls weekend always but then they give dad and a friend or grandparent as contact.

Our scout group always reminds parents that someone has to be available to pick the child up over the duration of the camp. So if you go away, you need to give them another emergency number, and that person has to stay within drink drive limits so can drive if required.

I always say at parent meetings for Guide Camps/Holidays please make sure your emergency contacts are contactable.

This started when we had a set of sisters who we took to Disney for a weekend and knew mum and dad were off to have a weekend break - put their details down as emergency contact forms - we jokingly pointed it out to them as they had been telling us a lot about how they were escaping!

As long as your son is normally ok at camp and it would just be an emergency that your dad would be ok to handle I would say go for it.

My DS are in Cubs and Scouts and as we have no family near, the camps are our only chance for adult only mini breaks (and our DS always are eager to go) ☺️ BUT, we’d never go abroad for instance, we always stay within 1-2hrs drive away incase something comes up.

Of course YANBU. As everyone else has said, as long as there is a responsible adult who would be available in case of emergencies, then I can't see any issue.

Oh, I thought you were supposed to go away when they were at camp. I would (and have) been abroad.

I remember going camping with guides. The country was hit by the tail end of a hurricane. We lost all the tents (yes, the great big heavy canvas ex army surplus ones). An emergency call went out to parents to rescue us, from a leaking, ramshackle hut with bare wires sticking out of the walls. A number of parents did not respond. My dad was cramming kids in the boot of his large old estate car, to try to get everyone home (this was over 30 years ago). And then came the fun of trying to get answers at the various doors.

Emergencies happen: make sure any plans for another responsible adult are ironclad.

I’m an Akela. I have no issue whatsoever with parents going away whilst we are on camp providing that they let us know who is the emergency contact.
We are all reasonable though and understand that sometimes things happen so last summer when we had panicked text messages from a mum who was stuck in an accident a good half hour behind us on the motorway we were reassuring her that it was fine, she would be fine to just rock up when she got off the motorway as we would probably still be unloading kit and kids. As it happened, they came off at the junction before us and we got caught in another accident so they beat us back.
I have also had parents who have given incorrect phone numbers and when we have tried ringing on a pack night as something came up have been unable to contact one parent so have ended up ringing the other parent who has said they are away on business so they’ve had to call an chastise their partner and get then to run me. That IS annoying!