AIBU to have put a tent up in the garden just because I WANT TO?

[WeBuiltCisCityOnSeeingSouls]

I am bored out of my fucking skull (on the shielding list plus nocturnal teenagers and cats who aren't about in daylight to provide company and entertainment for me, the selfish little fuckers )

It's warm and sunny here. AIBU to have erected a tent in my garden (not one of my big ones, just a little four person one, no separate bedroom pods). It has fairy lights, a big shaggy rug and beanbag chairs etc. I can drag an extension cord out too.

My reasoning is that my DCs who share a room and moan about it, can use it as an extra bedroom, or they can just chill out in it in the day. It can be a change of scenery for me. Plus I just fucking love tents

But this morning I saw my neighbour (big garden, so tent not blocking their light or anything) look at it and laugh while exchanging a comment with their DS.

That's OK. They don't feel the tent love, fair enough although wrong. I know MN loves a tent thread, AIBU to have my tent up?

(DH has "helpfully" suggested I live in it in my own for 12 weeks as an isolation pod . He also doesn't like tents but I love him so much I married him anyway )

Like your neighbours, I would laugh! 🤭

Go for it! We put our tent up for kids to play in .

We've been camping in our garden the last 2 weeks! Go for it

Great idea! You've just extended your house (sort of)
Sod the neighbours!

Oh and people who haven't got tents or gardens are making up camps indoors.

YANBU!

@WeBuiltCisCityOnSeeingSouls - I love your tent idea. I wish I had enough space to pitch ours and still use the garden. Might have to settle for draping the kids trampoline instead.

Friends of ours have a Bongo. It's bloody brilliant size wise but a real PITA to repair when it goes wrong.

Sounds fab, we always put a tent up in the summer in the garden my DD loves to read in ours

Jealous! I would love this. My kids would love this.

We have ours up. Fairy lights is genius idea.

As long as you didnt enjoy yourself doing it. We’ll have no fun round here on my watch, thank you very much.There’s a Pandemic donchaknow.

I would probably laugh if my neighbours did this but it wouldn’t be in a negative, judgemental way. It would be in a “Ha, ha next-door have got the right idea” kind of way.

The government haven’t banned us from having any fun or joy in our lives. Although some of the comments on here lately I think some would love it if they said only misery was allowed, along with dust to eat and water to drink to survive.

You keep your tent up!

Do it. When I used to have a garden I had the bell tent up in the garden all summer long.

Neighbour was probably reminiscing about his own tent in garden shenanigans with the boy. Our neighbours are camping out and I'm considering getting ours out for an airing.

I'd add to the other poster's recommendation to join the great British Camp Out on Facebook. People are doing this all over the country and raising lots of money for the NHS in the process. I've had a couple of lovely nights 'out' so far. People either 'get' camping or they don't - enjoy yourself and ignore the mood hoovers!

I’m with you all the way op. I ducking love camping and have considered putting our tent up too, just for a ‘holiday’.
Enjoy your change of scenery, I’m very jealous that you have carpet and beanbags, it’s sounds terrific fun.

I’ve already missed two weekend mini breaks, my daughters hen party weekend in Butlins and our wedding anniversary in Combe abbey, so I’m going stir crazy. Last year I was away for holidays and mini breaks 14 times, so I’m really noticing the lack of ‘change of scenery’

Enjoy your camping x

We've got some scouting and guiding camps coming up. Unfortunately my lawn is as authenticly lumpy and uncomfortable as the Scouting camp site

Are you sure your neighbour wasn't laughing along with you and not at you?
I'd probably laugh and tell whoever I was with that it's a great idea and I was going to escape to a tent too

Grand idea. I wish my garden was big enough for a tent.

I'm also jealous as I love camping but my nocturia (need a piss every single fucking night every 2 hours without fail) makes it a PITA.

Camping in the back garden whether sitting next to a tent drinking and reading when the weather is warm or simply sleeping under the stars is one of life's little pleasures that we can still enjoy right now so if you have a tent and a garden OP, crack on.

I put up my old two-person tent (from my festival days, ah memories...!) in the garden for the DC last week to play in and for the past two nights I've taken it in turns with them to have a lounge sleepover in it (DS last night and DD the night before), watching a film with them before bedtime from inside. It's been super uncomfortable for me and I'm feeling a lack of sleep today whilst they've each had a great night's sleep!

YADNBU OP

Practically everyone I know has done this. Why would anyone laugh?! We have garden campouts even in regular non pandemic holidays/weekends. Ignore them!

People across the road from us did this. It made me smile and remember lots of camping holidays. Great idea OP.

We have a decathlon gazebo out over our chairs at the moment and the kids are camping out tonight. Various neighbours have all been doing this all week in their gardens.

We regularly camp in the back garden have done multiple times over the past year so it's not a pandemic activity for us. Just normal life.

DS has his friends to stay over and only space if they camp. One tent for the girls, one tent for the boys. Fire pits, marshmallows and dungeons and dragons! Excellent fun.