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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to leave DS in his tent....?

44 replies

LightShinesInTheDarkness · 13/06/2009 23:30

DS is 8. He has pitched his little tent on our garden and fallen asleep, snug in his sleeping bag. He wants to stay out there all night.

Tent is pitched under the security light which will come on if he steps outside the tent. Garden gate is locked. We live in a large-ish village, residential street, garden is secluded but not isolated.

Will be be OK out there?

OP posts:
mybabywakesupsinging · 14/06/2009 00:24

I remember going camping with lots of friends when we were 12 and it was the first time camping for many of them.
They were alarmed by every "strange" noise for the first 5 hours.
Then slept through the noise of their flysheet coming half undone in the wind/rain...(had to go and peg it down for them)..
what I'm getting at is, I think he might find it all very strange and dark if he wakes in the night unless he is used to camping..

Original poster
LightShinesInTheDarkness · 14/06/2009 00:32

seeker - spoiling his adventure was really my concern about sleeping actually in the tent with him. He wants to be more independent, hence the whole tent thing in the first place.

Anyway, at this rate I will have spent so long dithering and weighing up all the MNers answers, the dawn will be breaking and I'll still be plinking away at the keyboard.

Thanks everyone. I am off to sleep.....

Come back in the morning to see what I decided to do...(cue cliff-hanger Eastenders theme tune)!!

OP posts:
mrshippy · 14/06/2009 00:33

Probably safe, but I personally have way to much of an ansious and vivid imagination to handle that. If it were me, I'd climb in there and sleep next to him. It's more the fact that he is on his own. I might feel different if he had some chums with him. But on his own? No. no. no...

ChasingSquirrels · 14/06/2009 00:45

I used to have our dog in the tent with me (similar age upwards), my mum recently told me that she used to be scared silly about me.

KatyMac · 14/06/2009 09:04

How did it go?
Hw much sleep did you (& he) get?

troutpout · 14/06/2009 09:25

I think you decided to leave him and slept in the conservatory yourself.
did you? did you?
It starts getting light about 3am this time of year anyway doesn't it...so if he woke up after then it wouldn't be too scary.
Hope he had a good night anyway

TrinityRhino · 14/06/2009 09:29

aaw did you get any sleep?

helpYOUiWILL · 14/06/2009 10:05

well???

Original poster
LightShinesInTheDarkness · 14/06/2009 12:04

Well - I left him out there on his own.

Put a light on inside the tent so he could see to undo the zips, left a light on in the house and the door open. Left a big window open on the landing outside our room, which overlooked the tent so I would hear him.

He was not stolen, or beaten to a pulp, or sick, or scared.

He was thrilled to bits with himself and came in beaming this morning, saying he had a fantastic time.

Phew. Breathe again.

OP posts:
stoppinattwo · 14/06/2009 12:12

oh how cool...Im thinking of letting DS do this next weekend with a couple of his mates....just bought a little camping stove so we can all have hot dogs before bed time

Glad yous DS enjoyed himself Light

I think you did all the right things....

back garden secure.....check
back door open....check
escape route back to the house well lit ....check
plenty of warn blankets....check

curiositykilled · 14/06/2009 14:09

has anyone tried stealing an 8 year old, I would think it'd be pretty hard? lol

I'd leave him and sleep in the conservatory with the window ope in case he needs anything.

BottySpottom · 14/06/2009 20:39

Well done

ChippingIn · 14/06/2009 20:45

Well done

Just read your other thread - are your sure it was your DD who was tired and grumpy today and not her Mum .

Original poster
LightShinesInTheDarkness · 14/06/2009 22:23

lol Chipping

It was her - honest! I slept brilliantly, despite telling myself I would have to keep getting up every hour to nip into the garden to check on DS!

OP posts:
ChippingIn · 15/06/2009 00:22

Well, double well done you then, leaving him out there and sleeping

I bet he walked around all day with a 'cat that got the cream' smile!

FairLadyRantALot · 15/06/2009 00:26

hmmm..could you or some else join him....I don't think there is any danger, really but he might get frightened if he wakes up in darkness...iykwim

midlandsmumof4 · 15/06/2009 00:45

Probably too late now but I would have let him be. In future leave a door open for him-if he wants his own bed he'll come inside. If not-let him be.

oceana · 15/06/2009 06:45

Wow. How times have changed. When i was about 8 I slept outside in a little tent many times. When I read your question it didn't occur to me that so many people would say not to let him do it. I am glad you did. I bet he is thrilled with himself!

piscesmoon · 15/06/2009 07:05

Well done, I'm glad that you didn't spoil it for him by joining him in the tent.
Mine did it at that age. Like you the risk was minimal, we live in a village in a secure garden with locked gate and you can't see into the garden.He had a torch and I gave him a back door key so that he could get in if he wanted to. The benefits of that sort of thing are huge.

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