going camping with a wakeful 5month old and an overexcited 3.5 yr old - YIKES!!!!

[meemee]

Extreme panic! WE're going camping next week and DS2 is waking 2-3 times per night now and crying for up to 2 hours even if I do feed him. I think teething is the culprit but this will not make our camping neighbours any happier. It's a Eurocamp site and we booked it ages ago in the crazy state of mind that DS2 might be a better sleeper than DS1 was at that age!!!??? I'm desperate for a holiday so cancelling seems a sad option. Anyone had any camping experiences? Anyone tried sedatives (for babies, that is)???

You will have a great time, don't panic! First thing is to keep them on UK time, so that will mean they will sleep in an hour longer than usual (and stay up an hour later IYSWIM) We tend to keep ours up a bit later anyway, so they sleep a bit better. You will find that campers are a happy lot of folks in the main, most will have had kids at sometime and will remember how it is when they are teething!

We did this when ds was 18months and we have now got our own tent, so it can't be that bad!

Eurocamp sites have loads to do and you will find it easy to wear them out. And if push comes to shove, medised worked wonders when my ds was cranky with teeth problems. Oh and sleep with him, I did that with mine when they were little in the tent

Honestly camping is the best holiday for kids. You will have a great time

Thanks! That really is what I needed to hear - will banish ideas of forgetting about any holidays this year!!. Will be stocking up on medised. The bit you said about sleeping with babe when in tent - am a bit worried that this might be a hard habit to break when we get home - it took weeks to get out of this habit in the first place.... we'll see how we go.

can only agree with hmb!! Camping in France knocked ours out but Medised was on standy for tose nights when it was just TOO exciting to go to sleep!! Only drawback was no bath but we borrowed a baby bath from reps and even squeezed our 2yrold in it!! let's see if he can fit in it now he's 3!! LOL!

When dd was 3 m old we went to France camping and she was great in her buggy - it reclined fully and we had to walk her for a while but let her sleep in it for a few hours outside (wrapped up) while we sampled the fine French grape juice!! She was then sound asleep and didn't notice going in her cot! Hurrah! She is the world's worst sleeper as well and still won't sleep through at 2!

have you been on www.matthewsfrance.co.uk and checked out their message board for where you're going? Ot's really useful. Just click on one of the locations (eg Vendee) and on the drop down menu choose message board.

Bonnes vacances!!