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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To expect parents to try to keep children quiet on campsites early in the morning?

209 replies

BobBobbity · 10/09/2023 10:38

Camping this weekend at an event - lots of families, tents tightly packed in.

Me and the DC were woken up this morning at 6:45am by a group of children (would say 6-9ish age range) shrieking and shouting non-stop. No let up for about an hour.

AIBU to think parents should have tried to keep their noise down so early? My DC aren’t larks and normally sleep through anything but were both woken up and are already grumpy and tired.

Obviously some children wake up early and can be a bit excitable in a group, but this was soft-play-birthday-party level cacophony before 7am.

OP posts:
SurelyBassey · 10/09/2023 10:41

If its at an event aimed at children then 6.45 isn't early for camping , it would drive me loopy though

Anxioys · 10/09/2023 10:42

I think you are unreasonable.

That is not to say it wouldn't drive me potty, but you are asking for the near impossible

PauliesWalnuts · 10/09/2023 10:43

Bad form. I know it’s hard to stay asleep in a tent when the light gets through but I’d be cross at noise like that before about half-seven.

jgw1 · 10/09/2023 10:43

Why is it unacceptable for children to be up enjoying themselves and making noise in the morning when it is light, but acceptable for adults to make noise late into the night long after it is dark at campsites?

Pix56 · 10/09/2023 10:44

Yabu to go camping and expect quiet when you only have a thin piece of material to live in.

Alleycatz · 10/09/2023 10:45

I’d love if kids slept in on camping trips too or if they didn’t that their parents “kept” them quiet for me to sleep on until later in the morning but I think that is a completely unrealistic dream. I mean honestly how can you keep wide awake children silent in a sea of tents.

I mean I used to go to mass as a child and parents thought nothing of smacking bored infants/young children to keep them silent and they judged other parents based on their kid’s behaviour. I do not look back fondly on that type of parenting.

WhateverMate · 10/09/2023 10:45

I'd expect it on holiday, where kids are excited to be honest.

PuttingDownRoots · 10/09/2023 10:47

I think the operative word here is "try".

A baby crying? That's life.
Letting your toddler ride their balance bike down the hill screeching at the top of their voice at 6.30am repeatedly, when there is an empty beach 5 minutes walk away... you deserve to walk across a Sahara desert sized lego patch barefoot while listening to peppa pig on repeat.

At a family festival... a bit inevitable really. No space for them to let off steam.

wherethewaterisdarker · 10/09/2023 10:49

I would never choose to stay anywhere where this would happen, but think in that context it’s not unreasonable of the parents (and obvs not of the young children). I cannot imagine how I’d keep my children quiet on holiday in a field with the sun up and no screens to fix them to as I would if they woke that time at home!!

Original poster
BobBobbity · 10/09/2023 10:51

We’re surrounded by dozens of other campers so obviously there were a good number of families awake at that point but all others were making normal kid noise level - chatter, laughing, the occasional shout or cry.

This was like being next to a bouncy castle, just full-volume shouting singing, shrieking, and I heard no intervention at all from the parents.

My DC got a bit giddy about 7:30 and I told them to keep it down and gave them some jobs to do to stop them escalating.

OP posts:
NotAMug · 10/09/2023 10:52

It's really inconsiderate and lazy parenting. I have always managed to ensure mine behave appropriately for the time of day. I can't actually believe anyone thinks you are unreasonable TBH.

MintJulia · 10/09/2023 10:56

They're at an event, running around in the fresh air, socialising and having fun, in the last few weeks before the cold closes in.

If you want peace and tranquility you could always stay at home.

LakieLady · 10/09/2023 10:59

I'm too old and decrepit to camp these days, but when I camped I took advantage of being childfree and after having a few ghastly experiences (eg child repeatedly skidding their bike on a gravel path for fun, then misjudging it and crashing into our tent) I never went away in school holidays because of the noise issues.

Most campsites have rules regarding noise between certain hours and if your kids can't comply with those, I don't think you should take them camping, tbh.

SoSad44 · 10/09/2023 11:01

Honestly I am surprised you didn’t expect this when you went camping.
one of the reasons I will never go again.

EmmaPaella · 10/09/2023 11:01

If the parent isn’t even saying “keep the screaming down” that’s pretty crap parenting.

ThickSkinnedSoWhat · 10/09/2023 11:06

If I went to a camping event, I would expect lively children awake early, excited. I definitely wouldn't chose to go camping if I wanted a lie in, which is what I assume you wanted. My own DC is an early riser everyday as their school start early and they keep to the same routine on weekends (also have ASD/SLD). With this in mind, I'd love to take DC camping, but I wouldn't because I'd know someone would see it as a reason to give off to me and I couldn't be bothered with the aggro. Obviously these other people are braver than I and good on them.

When I was younger, my brother and I would have easily been awake at that time on a holiday, albeit in a hotel where it wouldn't be as obvious to others. Perhaps you should consider a hotel.

Ohhmydays · 10/09/2023 11:37

jgw1 · 10/09/2023 10:43

Why is it unacceptable for children to be up enjoying themselves and making noise in the morning when it is light, but acceptable for adults to make noise late into the night long after it is dark at campsites?

100% 👌🏾

inthvalley · 10/09/2023 11:38

Pix56 · 10/09/2023 10:44

Yabu to go camping and expect quiet when you only have a thin piece of material to live in.

This!

inthvalley · 10/09/2023 11:38

One of the many, many reasons I would never choose to camp.

Whiterose23 · 10/09/2023 11:39

Loop earplugs have revolutionised my camping trips. I’d highly recommend

DoubleTequilaSunrise · 10/09/2023 11:59

YANBU at all,

I have pretty much only experienced this with British families. I think it's an English thing to play the "kids will be kids" and "kids must be up at dawn".

We had 2 camping holidays this year and more in the past, other families and kids were not the most quiet, but other nationalities managed to keep their kids to behave until reasonable hours. I managed as well with mine!

The worst and most obvious was on one campsite, full of French, Dutch, German, Belgium families - you can see the number plates!, all nice and peaceful first thing in the morning for several days, no noise until at least 9am, the swimming pool didn't open until 10am anyway.

A brit family arrived, kids screaming from 7am. It was shocking and embarrassing. It's lazy parenting at best.

Lovetotravel123 · 10/09/2023 12:03

YANBU So many inconsiderate people around.

D1nopawus · 10/09/2023 12:04

I wouldn't love it personally, but the quiet time on most campsites is 22:00 - 07:00 so they are only 15 minutes early.

Most campers do wake up once it's light.

Agree with PP that adults drinking late is more of an issue.

Papillon23 · 10/09/2023 12:05

But what about the people who have lark like children who would like to be asleep at 7 or 8pm? Is everyone expected to also be quiet after 7:30 in case they're asleep early instead of a normal time to be quietening down: say 9:30 or 10pm?

DoubleTequilaSunrise · 10/09/2023 12:13

Papillon23 · 10/09/2023 12:05

But what about the people who have lark like children who would like to be asleep at 7 or 8pm? Is everyone expected to also be quiet after 7:30 in case they're asleep early instead of a normal time to be quietening down: say 9:30 or 10pm?

It's like saying you intend to sleep all day, it's so out of the norm, you need to book a different holiday.

It's so uncommon for children to be asleep by 7pm, especially in the summer holidays, that you cannot reasonably expect quiet time. Even in Primary schools, clubs barely finish by 7pm, many ends at 7:30 or 8pm.

When the swimming pool are scheduled to close at 8pm, or have late night until 10pm, when there's entertainment until 10 or 11pm, or when the local attractions are open until 7pm or later, it's obvious people will not go to bed at 7pm.