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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Kids getting up early to play when camping

87 replies

fromthesamecloth · 07/08/2020 07:57

Morning all. Currently writing this from my camping chair, me and DH have come away with the kids for the weekend.

Woke up today at about 6:30 because in all fairness to the kids, the tent is already bloody hot. But I’m really aware of the fact that not everybody on the whole bloody campsite also wants to be woken up at that hour. Kids wanted to be up running about and shouting as soon as they’re awake but I said none of that until at least 8am.

DH thinks I’m BU and that 7am is perfectly reasonable when it’s so hot and that being woken up by other people is just a normal part of camping. He’s taken the kids off to get some bits from breakfast to pass the time because the campsite was still completely silent and I said there’s no way we can all be noisy yet.

I’ve never been camping before so AIBU? DH has made me feel like a big meany Grin What is an acceptable time to let them loose?!

OP posts:
MarthasGinYard · 07/08/2020 08:27

'7am is perfectly reasonable when it’s so hot and that being woken up by other people is just a normal part of camping.'

Sadly he's correct in that there is generally always some selfish idiots who let their early risers wake everyone up.

Sounds like he'd be one of them if it wasn't for you

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 07/08/2020 08:30

Sadly he's correct in that there is generally always some selfish idiots who let their early risers wake everyone up.

Children need more hours sleep than adults and it is completely natural for them to be woken by the light. How do you think a parent is supposed to silence a happy 2 year old who has woken at the healthy hour of 7am on a bright summer morning? Children that age shouldn't be watching screens and dont understand how to be quiet.

Redlocks28 · 07/08/2020 08:32

Kids wanted to be up running about and shouting as soon as they’re awake

Waking up due to the heat is one thing-running around and shouting is another. Mine knew perfectly well to not shout. I’d give them something to eat and some colouring/books/a film with headphone to watch until 8.30.

MarthasGinYard · 07/08/2020 08:32

'How do you think a parent is supposed to silence a happy 2 year old who has woken at the healthy hour of 7am on a bright summer morning?'

Get up and take them a walk away from everyone else and try to keep the noise levels down.

mrsm43s · 07/08/2020 08:33

How do you think a parent is supposed to silence a happy 2 year old who has woken at the healthy hour of 7am on a bright summer morning?

Uh, parenting?

MarthasGinYard · 07/08/2020 08:34

'Uh, parenting?'

Oh quite

and a bit of that helps too

willitbetonight · 07/08/2020 08:35

I think anytime after 7 is fair game for a bit of noise to be honest. It's a perfectly normal wake up time. Not shrieking and shouting obviously (but I can't abide that at anytime, mine are 12,9,7 and 5). You (dh!) just have to get up with them, go for a shower etc. Who sleeps in past 8 on a campsite anyway??!!! I'm usually last out of the tent on a group camping trip but I don't expect the rest of the campsite to keep quiet for me.

FattyBoom · 07/08/2020 08:36

Your other half is an inconsiderate arsehole

2155User · 07/08/2020 08:36

You need a black out tent. Stops the heat and light coming in

Babana123 · 07/08/2020 08:37

I go camping quite a lot. I fully expect to hear adults quietly talking and children (not so quietly) chatting anytime from 6am. It’s camping, it’s outside, it is what you should expect. However it is totally unacceptable when parents allow their children to run/cycle around a campsite unsupervised before 8am. This becomes a nuisance. Parents need to take responsibility and get up with their children if the children will not play quietly and take them for a walk/cycle away from fellow campers before 8am.
I did that when my kids were young. They’re teenagers now so not as much of an issue.

GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman · 07/08/2020 08:41

TBH I'd rather have kids playing in the tent next door at 7 than pissed blokes having loud discussions about their marital problems at midnight (esp when quiet hours are 10-8). But when my kids were young we'd keep them quiet-ish until people were up and about.

youngestisapsycho · 07/08/2020 08:41

What are the quiet hours set by the campsite? The last one we went to was 11.30pm to 7.30am. I’d expect to hear kids up and awake at that time, but certainly not shouting or anything.

Illuyanka · 07/08/2020 08:43

At the camp site, I think 7 is reasonable. It's a camp site, children gets excited. And it's better to get up early in this situation. If you don't want to be woken up until 8/9, then you are in the wrong place.

KarenKarendson · 07/08/2020 08:51

8am at the earliest. I know it's a pain, I've been there. I'd get up and take them for a walk first if you need to.

Porcupineinwaiting · 07/08/2020 08:51

Children moving around and chattering quietly - 7am. Running around shouting playing - 8am. Anyone who expects silence to 9am needs to camp out of school holiday times.

monkeytennis97 · 07/08/2020 08:52

We had the opposite last night. Family arrived at campsite at 8.30pm. Two DC aged 3/4 and 8/9 . Still squealing running around and putting tent up (next to us) at 11.20pm!! Argh!!

monkeytennis97 · 07/08/2020 08:55

The rest of the site were quiet by around 10pm- quiet site.

Porcupineinwaiting · 07/08/2020 08:57

Oh and tips for encouraging later wakings:

  • Keeping the up later (this only worked after the toddler years and then only when camping - must be the fresh air).
  • Making sure we got a pitch with morning shade.
Ellapaella · 07/08/2020 08:57

We camped for two nights last week in a busy family friendly campsite. There were groups of adults still playing music, shouting and talking really loudly well after 11pm and kids running around at 7am.
This is why I don't camp very often GrinI think you must have to be a very tolerant person to not be bothered by all the noise. I take earplugs every time we go, my DH and kids can sleep through an earthquake so it doesn't bother them.
My two younger kids are both under 10 and if we camp they go to bed later than usual so tend to wake up later anyway. But I would distract them rather than let them run round around making loads of noise before 8am.

Fudgewhizz · 07/08/2020 08:58

Many campsites (including family ones) have a 'no noise between 11pm and 8am' rule. I have two small children and I'd be annoyed if I was hearing noise from others before 8am. Especially as our baby doesn't sleep til midnight and I need every bit of sleep I can get between then and 8am!

PigletJohn · 07/08/2020 09:04

If dad is willing to take them for a walk, look at the snails, buy some croissants, that is a good solution.

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 07/08/2020 09:11

How can a single parent get a 3 year old up and take them for a walk if their 1 year old is still asleep?

We did usually always take ours for a walk if noisy earlier on. But we found the far greater annoyance wasnt children chattering at 7am, it was huge noisy extended family groups drinking and playing music after 10pm.

threeormorecharacters · 07/08/2020 09:14

This is partly why we don't camp! My kids (one now secondary age) both wake up around 6 usually, certainly no later than 7 - regardless of bedtime, time of year, noise, light anything. They just do. At least at home or in a holiday house they can amuse themselves in an another room without waking me or DH up. The only time we went camping they were up for the day at 5am (no other tents in earshot, thankfully).

eatsleepread · 07/08/2020 09:15

No earlier than 8. It's completely selfish otherwise. And those who have younger children - who get up at the crack of dawn and need to be out - really shouldn't be camping where you're inflicting them on others.

SuperSharpShooter · 07/08/2020 09:17

8am is the polite time. I was woken yesterday by next doors caravan calling for their fucking cat at 7:10. Who takes a cat camping???

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