In a tent at Christmas?

[OhFortheLoveOv]

Would you, could you and ultimately should you?
Short story long… we are hosting two elderly relatives (70’s) this Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. They both need their own room and our home is teeny meaning we are out of bed space …we have as I see these options;
Us in tent in garden
or
the teenage kids in tent I don’t relish either but out of ideas. What would you do?

While I understand you are wanting to show care for the elderly relatives, I think it's incredibly harsh to prioritise them over your dc to the point you are suggesting your dc sleep in a tent at Christmas.

I would be paying for a cheap hotel and having a sensitive conversation about this with them. They will surely be able to see that staying in a hotel means they are imposing less?

How old are the kids? If they are teenagers they might like a night in a hotel.

Honestly my teens would rather sleep in the bathroom/on a sofa/kitchen anywhere than in a tent in the garden in December!

You say you have 3 bedrooms, how many people in total and how many double beds do you have?

I am super confused as to why you wouldn't put the relatives in your kids respective rooms and then have the kids sleep on a blow up mattress in the living room?! It may be the only living space but if your immobile elderly relatives are that immobile and old, they will probably go to bed earlier, and you and your partner can just go go watch tv or read in your room!

Or put a camp bed in each of their rooms - relatives bunk together and the kids bunk together?!

How was a tent in winter the first thought!!

Now is the Winter of your Disgruntled Tent

Your disconTent.

If you borrow a camper van or a caravan I’d suggest you use an electric heater in it , but if you must use the gas make sure there’s a carbon monoxide detector ( and a smoke alarm) in the vehicle. 1000s of them on the roads I know and 99% of the time they work perfectly but wearing my H&S hat today.

If the sofa is not an option then camping in the living room. Definitely not outside it will be freezing.

@Thanksagainand

Teenage kids, tent, fairy lights, music, lots of duvets,s’mores and fire pit..sounds lovely and something they’d remember.

I suspect the reality may be a little different

*Thanksagainand

Teenage kids, tent, fairy lights, music, lots of duvets,s’mores and fire pit..sounds lovely and something they’d remember.

I suspect the reality may be a little different*

Lol.
Minus four at 3am. No number of twinky fairy lights will make that fun.

Are these elderly relatives related to each other? Why do they need their own rooms for a short stay?

No way. Far too cold and damp to sleep in a tent.

Absolutely not! How horrendous! I've seen your updates and I would suggest you share with your kids. I realise not ideal, but better than the lounge in an open plan house or a tent. If necessary could you use the biggest room for all of you and then relatives have the other 2

I guess my main concern would be that Father Christmas wouldn’t realise they were out in the tent.

I completely understand why you want your relatives to stay, I would too. In a bungalow I'm sure you have floor space for some air beds for you/kids

Ask some neighbours if they have a spare room you can rent for a few nights? You can go there last thing and come back first thing in the morning. So you will just sleep there (or send teens there).

Wow, I appreciate so many ideas and opinions thanks .
It was a bit nuts to first think tent in middle of winter was the go to option, i had indeed the fanciful notion of a fun time had by all fairy lights, fluffy blankets etc…but yep it is true there are indeed no amount of fairy lights that will make for fun time at 3 am when there are icicles on your eyelashes. Thought about blow up beds on our floor but can’t see kids loving the idea I think they would argue that they would rather sleep in field rather than share with us parents. I am going to have a chat with them to see what their thoughts are, but a decorated teepee type thing in the hall is a rather great idea, something I think the kids will love… will have to get measuring space to see if it will fit and leave squeeze through room so people can get to living space and bathroom. Climbing over a blow up bed is doable, climbing over teepee is a whole other ball game. Think the idea of hotel style tea trays in the bedrooms where the two elderlies is a fab idea.
We only get so many the opportunities to spend time with our loved ones that’s why I am determined to make this work one way or another even if it ends up I sleep in the bath tub.. we only have so many Christmases in us and spending them with the ones we love is what really matters not the sleeping arrangements.

I’d sleep in the bath before I’d sleep in a tent in January.

@OhFortheLoveOv why set up some big teepee thing. You can just store the blow up behind behind the sofa during the day?

The odds on a white Christmas are ludicrously in favour of snow. Either they need to realize you have a tiny house and stay in an hotel (my family do this if coming for Christmas) or people will just have to share with campbeds in rooms or downstairs.

I used to love this growing up (abroad) anytime there was a big family event, wedding etc we would all just have mats/ mattresses on the floor and sleep wherever, so much fun.

We would totally camp out in the garden on Christmas Day!! In fact, I might even propose that to my DH.... all snuggly and cosy in the tent, with hot chocolate and a campfire- perfect!

No issue with a tent, put something down to insulate from the ground.
Run out some electric, fairy lights, oil filled radiator, and plenty of bedding.
People camp Everest in much colder conditions and are ok.

There’s a site called Camplify that lets you borrow caravans and campervans etc. but I suspect it would still be pretty chilly. I’d rather sleep on an air mattress or on the sofa than in a tent in winter.

@YouJustFoldItIn

Just book them a disabled room at a hotel with breakfast so it has grab bars, walk in shower, assist button etc. And then pick them up after breakfast bring to your home, and then in evening take them back to the hotel. They will probably appreciate no stairs, no shared bathrooms, the chance to retire early and not be kept up half the night by teenagers, and civilised breakfast every morning.

Very sensible post indeed. Do this.

Yeah. I bet theyd be secretly delighted.