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?

Could the teenagers stay with friends or borrow a bedroom from a friend especially if they're away.

You'd possibly get away with it depending on the weather and your equipment ie I've camped in snow before so have a heavyweight tent, winter warmth bags and liners, an electric heater i can use in the tent and an electrical supply but bog standard summer camping equipment forget it.

Who are they and what's the house set up?

I do remember years ago, a work colleague planning to spend Christmas camping with her family.
As the Autumn approaches and the weather got colder, she gave up on the idea.
I'm with others. A b&b, travel lodge, airb&b, hotel by far the better option.
If it was just one night, and not Christmas, then a blow up mattress in the lounge

Thank you for pointing out a moment of sheer lunacy of tent haha… part of me thought magical experience for kids , but in reality it could be a hospital trip for hypothermia on Christmas Day…booking hotel is a possibility but both of them are not that mobile or in best of health so not sure if it could work… Camper on drive may do for me and DP but not sure if it would fit

Is there going to be a twist that the elderly relatives are in fact a married couple, but refuse to share a room?

Oldies in hotel or Air BnB unless the teens 17-19 then maybe teens in Air BnB a tent even sleeping with hats on and warmest clothes would be absolutely freezing in December. If your house is so small I can’t imagine it will be a comfortable Christmas unless you have lots of downstairs space compared to bedroom space.

@MichelleScarn what I mean is that there might not be room for a double air bed once the tree is up - there certainly wouldn't be in my little house! :(

A camper will cost a fortune to hire. I’d try to camp on the living room floor!

Ah sorry @fetchezlavache get you now!

Just sleep in the lounge you'd freeze to death outside! As would teenagers!

Can you share a room with your teens just for the visit?
Last year we turned our sitting room into a hotel room for a change of scene for the DC and 3 of us out of 4 found it fun !! We pretended it was Travelodge and have a sofa bed, put out a tray with kettle, tea etc

No, absolutely not!

Christ alive- no. I'm utterly knackered by Xmas evening as it is, let alone having spent the night freezing in a tent in December. I'd be sleeping at the foot of the elderly relatives bed with their feet in my face first before I did that.

It'll be flipping freezing in a tent!! Blow up mattress in the living room. Or Air B&B...

Is there a possibility of all men in one room, women in other.

Are the relatives taking the teenagers’ bedrooms? Teenagers camped out under the tree in the living room is a much better idea than a tent - they’d freeze to death like Little Match Teenagers! (More likely just come in anyway, because of the cold, and sleep on your sofa…)

Not enough information.
How many rooms/people/are you in the UK?

Not that mobile or in the best of health - but if they’re okay to come and sleep at your house it’s no different from coming and sleeping in a hotel is it?!
I’m not being obtuse, it would obviously be more welcoming etc to have them both stay with you but it doesn’t seem practical really.
How did this proposed visit come about? What has happened in previous years?

Due to Covid The elders have never met one is from my side and the other is from DP’s side and I can definitely say would not think it’s “proper” to share. We live in a 3 bed bungalow so our home is best option and no one else offered or is nearer enough to help out.. bedroom space is lacking however we do have a large, mostly useless hallway so a tent in hall could actually work ..never actually thought of that.
If either of the elderlies thought they were a bother or were imposing both of them would not come and spend Christmas alone as they have no family or friends that are going to be around, can bear the thought of that so come hell or high water am trying to squeeze everyone in.

I think a hotel/Airbnb is the way forward. The elderly relatives may not be the most mobile but it sounds like they are for to travel to yours, so should be well enough to stay in a hotel.

Or sleeping bags/duvets on the sofa or living room floor?
A tent doesn't sound suitable in December

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.

Can kids camp on your bedroom floor?

I've camped in sub zero temperatures and to be honest it's doable but you need coffin shaped sleeping bags in a high tog rating, plus layers of clothing we wore our pyjamas under shirts and heavy wool jumpers and it still wasn't warm, but if you have inflatable mattresses or camp beds and loads of blankets the teens may be up for it.

Can you be a bit more vague and include less relevant detail