Screaming child in tent next door

[Sittininafield]

AIBU to think the parents are selfish knob heads. Fourth night in a row. Toddler screams from 10.30 till 11.30 ish every night and then periodically every couple of hours. Not sad baby crying but toddler tantrum screaming and shouting. I am beginning to think it is the spawn of satan. Why would you go camping if your child doesn’t sleep, and why wouldn’t you go home out of consideration for others after a couple of nights? They are quite now but I’m awake since the last screams at 3.30. Should I go and shake their tent in sleep deprived, demented re-wenge?

The key to the car light problem is to not lock it. No one’s nicking your car from next to your tent on a campsite

If I opened my car (Tiguan R line) the campers directly in front of it and for the next 30 m would be delivered a free intimate X-ray by the hideously bright xenon lights. Not only that but the light system then cycles through its "start up" mode that takes about 25 seconds and involves flashing, side lights and is basically a silent disco. I don't have the option to leave my car open without lights, so would be what, trying to pack a tent away with a screaming toddler and a car that can be seen blowing from out of space? I bet that would REALLY help People sleep!😂
Pretty sure you can turn those lights off if you were remotely bothered.

Absolutely this. Sleep deprivation can do that to people.

Guessing the toddler sleeps well at home but is massively unsettled in a new environment which is totally usual. The parents probably don’t want to go home because the rest of the holiday is fine/it’s their only holiday this year/they don’t want to lose money paid. Get some earplugs.

*Its just another level of performance parenting for that one Instagram “look, we’re an outdoorsy family” photo

😂 it’s so fake!*

Maybe it is all they can afford. If you are intolerant, book yourself into an adult only luxury resort and pray you dont have to deal with idiots who think drinking and getting drunk is a hobby.

I've encountered far more drunken loud adults camping than kids screaming in the early hours.

I live in Cornwall. camping isn’t actually that cheap.

Also I did mention up thread that I do have young children myself. But I chose to put their needs before my own and didn’t taken them camping in their “screaming in the night” phase. :)

I assume you're not a parent OP. Get over yourself.

What would you say and what kind of a response would you expect...?

Surely the answer to this is to have some sites that allow small children, and some that only allow older kids or adults (as well as adult only sites) and that way people can choose to risk whether they will be with babies and toddlers!

The last campsite I was on, virtually everyone on the site had under 5's, with a lot of tiny babies, toddlers etc. When they cried at night, they got sympathetic looks the next morning, and as parents we were generally apologetic to each other.

The first night, my 3yo screamed inconsolable for about 2 hours at about midnight. There was nothing I could do (she has health issues which means she has inconsolable tantrums occasionally). Obviously we didn't go home, because driving floor 2 hours in the middle of the night with a screaming octopus isn't sensible, and would either mean abandoning the rest of the family in a field without a car or way home, or my husband single handed packing up at that time in night, whilst I comforted said screaming octopus, and our 4yo chucked out of her bed.

Obviously we appologised to people the next morning. They were lovely and days it would probably be their turn soon. And they were right. Or little one didnt cry like thst again, but others did.

Part of being on a family campsite is that there will be noise from children, and crying etc.

People like different things.

I remember my dc never slept well on holiday, and that was in holiday cottages not tents.

Although frustrating, , i feel sorry for the parents struggling to get their dc to sleep.

I think I’d react the same as your DD should someone force me to go camping 😅

Great attitude. Very compassionate.

“Hell is other people’s…children.”

I accidentally went glamping once. After one night I realised I was still paying rent on my London flat that had an indoor bathroom and only lets the water in if the winds blowing from a certain direction. We slipped our wrist bands off, gave them away and went home.

The only unreasonable thing you’ve done is go camping and you can learn.

Jesus people are mean. As if you can just silence a toddler mid tantrum. Maybe camping is all the can afford and it’s their only chance of a holiday. It’s annoying but I’m sure they are trying their best

doodlywoodlydingdong

Nobody expects complete silence on a campsite but for most people there is a basic understanding that you try and keep the sound down between specified hours. You can help mitigate things by choosing a campsite that caters for a certain crowd (i.e. no stag/hen dos/adults only), has distance between plots, is not directly nextdoor to a pub etc. Nobody is going to get upset over the odd rustle, noise of a tent zip opening or a bit of chatter before going to sleep.

However, if you are a known super loud snorer, if you know that your kids are going through a particularly restless cranky phase or you are incapable of not playing music and drinking loudly after 11pm then maybe you should consider that camping is not for you rather then expecting everyone else to just 'suck it up'.

Um, completely off point but wasn't that Sartre? Wilde found his wallpaper hellish, if memory serves

Also I did mention up thread that I do have young children myself. But I chose to put their needs before my own and didn’t taken them camping in their “screaming in the night” phase. :)

But if they are in a phase of screaming through the night, where you take them is irrelevant when it comes to 'putting their needs first', unless you decide to sit at home for the first 4 odd years of their life. Besides, most kids are perfectly fine to enjoy a nice day out and about regardless of the type of night they have had.

Personally, I never took my DD camping while she was a child, not because I was thinking it may be dreadful for her, or for others if she screamed. It was because I thought it would be dreadful for me.

We went for two nights in July. Woken by flashlights on the tent, the devil hound from hell, loud adults with loud music, snoring (that was DH though). It isn't something I would want to do often, but I do it because DD likes it.

How can they "keep it down" ? it's a toddler crying! I'm sure they would love less noise themselves but toddlers don't work like that.

I dread to think what kind of response you'd get if you made such a silly request to already stressed parents...

And the OP chose to go camping. Children exist and noise happens.

I remember taking my kids camping when my youngest was a toddler, and discovering he really wasn’t a happy camper! On the first night I’d spent hours with him, cuddling, feeding, soothing etc trying to get him to calm down. Eventually I needed the loo, so woke my husband up to take over. I opened the tent to be met with an irate woman who demanded I shut my baby up! Honestly I could have lamped her - I don’t know what the fuck she expected me to do that I hadn’t already tried! If you choose to go camping you go with the knowledge that tents aren’t soundproof!!

My ND kids love holidays but they really disturb their already shocking sleep. It takes a few very difficult nights for them to settle in. That being said I wouldn't take them camping, I'd love to but I be worried about keeping others awake.

Agree!! Was forced into it as a child, and vowed never again.

They should take the kid home! Nobody deserves to have to listen to other people’s kids screaming. I would complain to the warden op. If enough people do, they’ll be asked to leave!

This is what put me off camping for life. The one night I’ve spent under canvas was in a tent next to my DB’s who is a world class snorer.