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Camping

Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

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Original poster

I mine the only DCs who still stick to aroutine when camping?

40 replies

bunnyrabbit · 02/09/2009 14:22

Just interested to hear from anyone else whos DCs still have a routine when camping. DS1 is nearly 6 and DS2 is 17 months. Although they were in bed later than at home we still bathed DS2 and he was in bed by 7.30/8 every night, and DS1 showered and in bed by 8.30/45.

Didn't have any trouble with them going to sleep and they were waking up about 7ish or later each morning.

Seems that no one else has a routine when camping. I can't be the only one can I?

OP posts:

Overmydeadbody · 02/09/2009 14:46

Well, when we're camping we're generally alos doing lots of climbing so don't get back to the campsite till quite late.

DS goes to sleep quite late, when he wants to, sometimes at the same time as me.

Can't say I really bother with showering DS when we're camping, unless he is particularly grubby.

MrsBadger · 02/09/2009 14:47

we tried with dd (23m) but had to abandon it - it was just too excitingly different from home, no bathing facilities etc

to be fair she is a shocking sleeper generally though

Overmydeadbody · 02/09/2009 14:47

Anyway, what do you mean by routine?

DS has a routine in as much as he generally eats supper, then cleans his teeth, then gets pyjamas on, then gets into sleeping bag and reads for a while before falling asleep, same as he does at home.

Original poster

bunnyrabbit · 02/09/2009 14:50

Mine are always grubby!! DS1 is always falling over as he's so clumsy (he had some fine/gross motor skill issues) and DS2 is a bum shuffler so you can imagine the state he gets in (and the number of pairs of shorts he goes through).

We don't bother the first night, but DS2 gets a bath every night and DS1 at least every other night. But then we also shower most nights especially if we've been on the beach. I can't stand sand in the tent/sleeping bags.

OP posts:

Original poster

bunnyrabbit · 02/09/2009 14:52

Croseed posts - how old is your DS?

OP posts:

MrsBadger · 02/09/2009 14:59

NB I do wash dd when we are camping (generally by standing her in a sink ) but there's not the opportunity for for the splashy unwinding bath that is a key point of her bedtime at home

Overmydeadbody · 02/09/2009 15:00

he's 6

Original poster

bunnyrabbit · 02/09/2009 15:05

Overmydeadbody, I suppose I mean bedtime routine = going to bed at close to their normal time. I think it rally applies to the little ones (who can't be reasoned with or bribed) rather than the big 'uns.

MRS Badger, we squidged DS2's fat bottom in to the washing up bowl until we found an old baby bath on site. He love it as we gave him the camping cups (and anything else plastic) to play with.

Mine are very good sleepers so you have a point there. If there not too good normally, then I suppose there are planty of things to distract them from going to sleep.

Thanks for you answers

OP posts:

Original poster

bunnyrabbit · 02/09/2009 15:06

'your answers'

my typing is dreadful today!!

OP posts:

MollieO · 02/09/2009 15:17

Where do you go that has baths? All the places I've visited or researched on line only have showers. Ds has a bath every evening at home but doesn't when we are camping.

MrsBadger · 02/09/2009 15:48

some of the forestry comission sites have Belfast-type sinks for washing babies - and in fact Holmsley has a 'family bathroom' (though only discovered this the day we left grr grr grr)

troutpout · 02/09/2009 16:15

Mine are/do the same...just a bit later (about an hour usually). They are 12 and 6.
This is generally because we have eaten later...or we have got back to the tent later.
Both of them generally wake the same time or about half an hour later to what they do at home (6.30am -7am )
They have a shower about every other evening when camping (unless expecially dirty)...washes in mornings.

AngryWasp · 02/09/2009 16:20

Your questions kind of assumes that having a routine when not camping is the norm, which I don't think it is.

Your post also implies that a routine is something desirable or an achievement, which it isn't necessarily.

travellingwilbury · 02/09/2009 16:23

MollieO Gwithan Farm in Cornwall has a lovely big bath .

Slubberdegullion · 02/09/2009 16:24

I remember when I was a mn camping forum newbie and I started a thread about our first practice night of camping that went badly wrong through a series of unfortunate events and caused dh to roar one of his classic lines of rage

"I'm so angry I am going to shatter into a thousand tiny pieces".

It was pointed out several times with much loling and that I hadn't got a snowball's chance in hell of getting the dc to sleep at 6.30pm (or whatever hour it was several years ago) as it was all too exciting and noisy.

I took the comments on board and have fully embraced the 'they will sleep when they are ready to drop' method.

10.10am was the record lie in from them this holiday.
10.10. 'twas a God given miraculous wonder it was.

troutpout · 02/09/2009 16:43

I remember that your dh's immortal line slubber.
Mine tend to put themselves to bed ...they aren't good late at night ( possibly because they will insist on getting up so friggin early!)

MrsGokWantstogocampingagain · 02/09/2009 16:52

With my younger 2 we put them to bed about 8ish. Then they would tend to chatter between themselves and we left them to it, after a couple of nights they were so knackered that they were asleep within 5 minutes My eldest we let stay up later and played card and board games or he went off swimming with DH. He quite often was in bed about 10pm. If he was getting tired then he would have an early night and go to bed with the other 2 for a night. They would wake up around 7.30 ish. At home they wake any time from 5.30 to 7 am and go to bed at 7pm.

latestincarnation · 02/09/2009 16:54

We managed with our 9mth old this summer - he had lovely tub baths in the tent then into his cot for 7pm - lots of lovely drinking/bbq time for us afterwards

I can imagine its a nightmare when they want to be out playing and can hear all the other kids though - I don't think it will be so easy next summer!

seeker · 02/09/2009 16:59

I don't even have a routine when we're NOT camping!

FlamingoBingo · 02/09/2009 19:40

Ours don't have a routine when not camping, and even less so when camping!

DMonabonfireinadeepdarkwood · 02/09/2009 19:50

One of the things we loved about camping this summer (with dcs 3 & 6) was having proper family evenings - so we ate together at 7/8 ish and then played cards/boules etc - they usually went to bed 9/10ish. And then, as slubber says, woke up late.
Bliss.

We tried sticking to normal bedtime on a couple of practice runs, and it just made the whole thing stressful - what sensible child wants to go to sleep when the kids they've been playing with all day are still bouncing about.

Incidentally, we also found that other people on the site were getting up late - as such, having early (normal ) rising children would have been a real pain....

(Our campsite had a fabulous baby bath, that ds (5) could just fit into

bea · 02/09/2009 23:58

Townsend Campsite in Leominster has a fantastic Family Bathroom... spotless with bath, shower attachment, sink, toilet and baby changing... fabulous!!!!

mine go to sleep at normal time???? at home fantastic sleepers... go when told to... camping!? forget it!

lockets · 03/09/2009 00:07

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stringerbell · 03/09/2009 00:16

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seeker · 03/09/2009 07:09

Why would you want to go to bed when you've got a luminous frisbee and glowsticks to play with?

And what about the campfire and toasted marshmallows?

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