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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:
CallumDansTransitVan · 12/09/2023 16:38

Isthisasgoodasitis · 12/09/2023 16:11

God forbid the children were overwhelmed by the environment and not able to contain their autism adhd anxiety ect ect so your perfect angles could sleep!!!

Like previously said, if the child autistic or not, is causing a nuisance. Then you as a parent should take them away from where people are trying to sleep.

I cannot believe how self ccentred some people are.

I have also noticed a move towards less and less sites taking tents. Probably for reasons like this.

clpsmum · 12/09/2023 16:47

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?

Was coming on to say the same. Why are adults always prioritised? It would drive me insane tbh but I either wouldn't go or would put up with it

ClaireMillar · 12/09/2023 16:54

Reading through some of the responses to this post explains why we have so many inconsiderate and self absorbed children. If you're expecting total quiet and tranquility on a busy, family campsite then yes, you're in the wrong place. But that's not what the OP is saying. It is entirely reasonable to expect parents to actually parent their children by teaching them to be mindful of their surroundings and considerate of others. Normal chatter and activity at 6.45am is acceptable. Allowing your children to run around shrieking and screaming with no thought for others is not. It's just lazy parenting.

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 12/09/2023 17:29

ClaireMillar · 12/09/2023 16:54

Reading through some of the responses to this post explains why we have so many inconsiderate and self absorbed children. If you're expecting total quiet and tranquility on a busy, family campsite then yes, you're in the wrong place. But that's not what the OP is saying. It is entirely reasonable to expect parents to actually parent their children by teaching them to be mindful of their surroundings and considerate of others. Normal chatter and activity at 6.45am is acceptable. Allowing your children to run around shrieking and screaming with no thought for others is not. It's just lazy parenting.

Agree. Early mornings are for reading, quiet play and maybe a walk or helping organize breakfast.

I truly wonder about children who need to mindlessly run around, scream and shriek. Are they unable to communicate normally? Whatever the reason, 10am would be the earliest for noisy play.

zingally · 12/09/2023 17:31

YABU to go and sleep with literally 2 thin pieces of canvas separating you and the kids. Of course kids are going to be up at that sort of time when the sun is up and in their tent.

Honestly, I think you did quite well to get to 6:45!

Next time buy day passes and stay in a hotel.

AdobeWanKenobi · 12/09/2023 17:33

Isthisasgoodasitis · 12/09/2023 16:11

God forbid the children were overwhelmed by the environment and not able to contain their autism adhd anxiety ect ect so your perfect angles could sleep!!!

I detect a 'degree' of projection in this post 😂

pinkhousesarebest · 12/09/2023 18:19

I suppose they are British parents. Other nationalities ( who live in appartements/ city centres) train their children to travel quietly in public transport, sit nicely in restaurants and generally be part of society without being a spectacle.

Duechristmas · 12/09/2023 18:22

It's the reason I stopped camping. If I can keep my kids and adults can keep quiet after ten, then you can keep yours quiet in the morning. The privilege of thinking otherwise is ridiculous.

Duechristmas · 12/09/2023 18:24

If you need screens to keep your kids quiet you're doing it wrong. No books, colouring, board games?

CallumDansTransitVan · 12/09/2023 18:30

zingally · 12/09/2023 17:31

YABU to go and sleep with literally 2 thin pieces of canvas separating you and the kids. Of course kids are going to be up at that sort of time when the sun is up and in their tent.

Honestly, I think you did quite well to get to 6:45!

Next time buy day passes and stay in a hotel.

But the reverse could be said. If you cannot keep noise down to a minimum extremely early in the morning, then perhaps you should go somewhere where that noise won't be heard outwith your 4 walls.

Incredibly selfish attitude.

Oiyouoverthere · 12/09/2023 19:22

We camp multiple times per year and have 2 kids who are serious early risers.

Yet somehow we manage to keep them almost silent until 7am. Admittedly it's with the use of tablets and food, but it's just common courtesy!

Oiyouoverthere · 12/09/2023 19:24

Duechristmas · 12/09/2023 18:24

If you need screens to keep your kids quiet you're doing it wrong. No books, colouring, board games?

I don't need screens to keep my kids quiet, though a board game certainly wouldn't do it! I don't want lights on at 5.30am when we're snoozing though so screens allow DH and I a more gentle wake up.

Amanduh · 12/09/2023 19:39

I’d say it at home. But camping on holiday…. i couldn’t really find fault with excited kids getting up and having fun. It’s holiday!!

Amanduh · 12/09/2023 19:50

Also I’d like to know how you MAKE a child be quiet.. because when they’re in those moods, no amount of discipline, screens or colouring would stop mine still being feral 😂

GoryBory · 12/09/2023 19:53

I was a teenage single parent living on a council estate with a child who was later found out to be autistic and have ADHD.

So stereotypically, if anyone was going to have an uncontrollable child it would have been me.

But there is absolutely no way I would allow my child to be screaming and shouting at that early in the morning.

The amount of unruly kids there are because people can’t be bothered to parent is crazy and there’s absolutely no need for it.

What’s annoying is it’s actually the kids that will suffer the most because they’ll end up getting in trouble at school and struggling to get a job.

DoubleTequilaSunrise · 12/09/2023 20:02

Amanduh · 12/09/2023 19:50

Also I’d like to know how you MAKE a child be quiet.. because when they’re in those moods, no amount of discipline, screens or colouring would stop mine still being feral 😂

I feel so sorry for some teachers, no wonder we have a huge recruitment problem.

OhmygodDont · 12/09/2023 20:08

We camp regularly and I can safely say most days my children are still sleeping at 8-9am. Rarely would they be up at 7am let alone before. Only during a heatwave where they up before 8am and even then it wasn’t to run and scream and shout it was because we defended into forest.

There is no need at all for happy children to be screaming/shrieking and shouting ever really let alone before 8am.

OhmygodDont · 12/09/2023 20:11

Amanduh · 12/09/2023 19:50

Also I’d like to know how you MAKE a child be quiet.. because when they’re in those moods, no amount of discipline, screens or colouring would stop mine still being feral 😂

By parenting properly. By not giving in with a tablet or tv for an easy life.

Bit like dog training do it properly and consistently and you get well rounded well behaved children. Go for an easy life and well all bets are off and it’s unpredictable.

CallumDansTransitVan · 12/09/2023 22:26

Amanduh · 12/09/2023 19:50

Also I’d like to know how you MAKE a child be quiet.. because when they’re in those moods, no amount of discipline, screens or colouring would stop mine still being feral 😂

If they wont do as you want, then take them away from the area they are causing annoyance.

As for your statement here:
But camping on holiday…. i couldn’t really find fault with excited kids getting up and having fun. It’s holiday!!

It's everyones holiday. Be a parent and take responsibility for their behaviour.

Ffion21 · 12/09/2023 22:29

It’s not unreasonable an ask (and my son gets up before 6am).

also hate loud adults late at night.

stichguru · 12/09/2023 23:05

Parents should be trying to get their kids to keep the noise down in the morning, just like adults should be keeping the noise down in the evenings. Makes me laugh how many parents feel guilty about letting their kids have too much holiday screen time? We'll here's a thought 6-9 am, screen, headphones. Kids are happy, other campers are happy, parents are happy because they got more sleep/downtime, parents can justify it as 'the kids had to be quiet and everything else was closed'. All is good. Or the parents can get up and take their little darlings for a walk!

Katy123456 · 12/09/2023 23:55

Personally I don't think this is ok.

For us if we go camping we expect noise till around 10pm then relative quiet - chatting round tents type level ok. Then again only relative quiet chatting around tents until 8am ish. We have two young children and have camped a lot and fit into this campsite pattern, which seems pretty typical in the campsites we have been to in the UK and Europe.

Snugglemonkey · 13/09/2023 00:01

We are fairly new campers I will admit. We have not had this experience at all though, thankfully!!

Mostly, children seem to run about fairly free in the woods until they drop. Or until the 10pm quiet time, when pretty much everyone goes to bed. I have never been woken before 7.30 and then it was my own dc!

Pingu18764 · 13/09/2023 07:17

So it depends, I actively pick to camp when there aren’t families or kids about really, I also pick campsites that have noise rules etc. so if it were a campsite I go to it’s usually no Jose before 7-8am etc. so I would be annoyed. But if I went to an event for kids and the campsite had no rules then that’s my own fault and I need to deal with it.

DarkwingDuk · 13/09/2023 08:06

YANBU

I’m quite shocked at these people saying it’s “expected” - but now we know who is ruining a nice time for everyone else. It’s unbearably entitled to think your children should do as they please at all times and you shouldn’t attempt to contain them.

Personally I don’t allow screaming at any point, it is unnecessary unless they’re injured or dying.
Loud playing is for when a majority of people are up, not before. We have books, toys and us as parents to entertain until then.

Honestly sick to death of lazy parents and their unruly children ruining what could be nice experiences for those around them. It’s far too common these days.