Kids getting up early to play when camping

[fromthesamecloth]

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 What is an acceptable time to let them loose?!

Mine are getting better but are usually up early when camping. Never let them out before 8am though. We take sticker books etc for them to do in the morning.
Site quiet time are usually 11pm - 8am so we stick to those times.

Not before 8. When ours were younger we used to go to a fab site that had a big country park attached to it - but it was a 5 min walk from camp site - and we had access 24/7. That was great as if they got up early we could take them there and let them loose in one of the many playgrounds!

This is one of the issues of camping according to relatives who do it. You do tend to wake up at sparrowfart. Perhaps it’s being close to nature.

@eatsleepread

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.

I think this is a little harsh. If you want silence don’t go camping. The problem in campsites are parents who don’t even try to keep their children amused before 8am and the drunken adults shouting, playing music til the early hours. Children talking and chatting from the crack of dawn is absolutely fine. Screaming and shouting running around other people’s tents is not. If you cannot bear children noises go to an adult only site.

Children really need to learn to play outside without screaming and shouting, it's annoying at home never mind on holiday.

We used to take DC to get washed and dressed, a walk to the shops for milk, a dog walk, or a quiet activity until someone else let theirs on the play park and then it was fair game.

The only time I go camping is for our annual karate training camp. One year, some parents let their kids start playing football at 6.30 a.m (complete with shouting, squealing etc) right in front of my tent.

I was not happy. The kids got told to keep the noise down and then later, as "they had so much energy", many many press ups/sit ups were ordered.

The next morning was MUCH quieter

8 am is a reasonable time to hear loud noise. Anything before that should be normal talking/day preparations only.

We keep ours occupied with sticker books/colouring books/regular books etc until 8am at the absolute earliest when they're allowed outside.

They had a cereal bar and a carton of oj as a treat camping breakfast when they first woke up which helped keep them quiet too.

Dont agree @NaughtyLittleElf. So much of children's lives is already about being quiet and sitting still. They need time and space to play energetic and noisily. Just not before 8am.

We have twins that used to get up very early when camping, Me and H would take it in turns to take them off for a walk somewhere deserted and bring them back after 8.
Worked well sharing this.

8am still isn't particularly late depending on your perspective. So I think it's reasonable to ask them to be quiet until around then.
I take PP comments about noise at night etc but it doesn't mean you shouldn't try to be considerate of others.
Yes they are kids and of course they will want to play (especially on holiday hopefully having a lovely time) but you're never too young to learn that there are other people around you and it's good manners to consider their lives too.
If you asked them to stay quiet till 10am you would be unreasonable, it is a campsite after all, but people saying let them be noisy at 6.30 where on earth would you draw the line? Is 4am ok too?

This is why you should camp in the middle of nowhere! Kids can get up and do primal scream therapy and there's no one around to care!

Yes you've all just reminded me why I stopped camping; late night groups making a racket; trying to keep small children quiet early hours; bright and hot tents; rustling noises of animals outside.

This is why we don't camp. Closest we get to it is booking a static caravan, which tend to be away from the tent areas; that way we can run fans at full blast for white noise to drown out all the shouty young children up before dawn.

This is why I will never camp again.
It's bad enough being awake early at home. Let alone in a field.

remembers 6yr old having a meltdown at 2am and 8yr old crying with tiredness.

@MolyHolyGuacamole

Having been camping before (and hating every minute of it) the sun is clearly visible not long after 5 in the morning, and I totally understand that kids will get confused thinking it time to rise and shine. Barely slept the whole week I camped, this being one of the reasons, and it's why I don't camp. Can't imagine camping in this heat either. Sounds hellish.

This....I decided many years ago I was not put on this earth to camp...

it's all fair game when camping! We got woken up in the early hours by a toddler crying and kicking off. Someone across the way from us complain that our children were too noisy and running 'wild' at night- it was 8pm. She had little ones she'd put down at 7...
I'd let them up and out but not screaming and shouting. on the site we were on the kids were all up by about 7am...

Camping in very hot temps should be a form of punishment, much less with young kids who want to hoon around at stupid o'clock.

@Bouledeneige

Yes you've all just reminded me why I stopped camping; late night groups making a racket; trying to keep small children quiet early hours; bright and hot tents; rustling noises of animals outside.

And you have to share toilet and shower facilities. Just nope. Pitches aren't all that cheap, either. Even many hostels now have en suite family rooms. Travelodge ran a special deal if you booked in July for any time between now and July next year.

If you cannot bear children noises go to an adult only site

I always wondered if "adults only" for campsites might be some sort of euphemism for swingers or doggers or something.

If the site has specified "quiet hours" YABVU to let them make noise before the end of the specified hours. And any adult making noise after those hours is also BVU. I've known people asked to leave sites asked to leave sites because they were unable to keep their kids quiet during the specified times, so it's worth checking.

If they don't specify times, I'd say 8 is the earliest acceptable time for them to start being noisy, and I say that as someone who is normally awake from 6 am.

I don't camp any more, due to old age and decrepitude, but when I did I never booked a site without checking what their noise rules are because I hate being kept awake at night. Caravan & Camping Club sites are great, because they not only have rules about noise they have staff onsite who come and enforce them.

Any tips on getting them to sleep in a bit later?!

Make sure they're totally knackered the night before. If it's hot, a foil emergency blanket over the sunniest side of the tent will help keep it cool. Wet towels over the flysheet will help too.

Failing that, beer always works for me.

We spent a week camping with my 7yo last summer, he made friends with a few other kids and two of them turned up at 6.15 am asking if he was coming out. I sent them away as we were all still asleep, that was too early.

I think after 7 is typical, people tend to be in bed early and up early when camping.

@RomaineCalm, I'm like you! Often used to sit out from 6 am listening to the world wake up, watching the birds and occasionally a fox on patrol.

Best time of day imo, as long as no-one's making a noise to ruin it.

We used to take DC to get washed and dressed, a walk to the shops for milk, a dog walk, or a quiet activity until someone else let theirs on the play park and then it was fair game.

Why can't you be the one to let yours on the play park and begin the session of 'fair game'?

Id love to try camping with my 2 kids but I just won’t.

My youngest is 7 and has autism. He constantly makes high pitched noises which is fine in the day but not so fine if I was in a tent at 11pm and he won’t sleep or when he does and wakes up at 5.30am!! There is no physical way of me making him be quiet and I just think it’s selfish to wake everyone up because he would!

I know I would be annoyed if I was woken up at 5am by someone else’s kid let alone my own.

Which is why we always go away in lodges etc so he has his own room.

Anything loud before 9am is bloody annoying. It's why I won't camp unless it's an adults only (or 12+) site. People are on holiday, they don't want to hear your kids shouting at any time, teach them to speak quietly.