Quote: Originally posted by Sullivan2007 on 13/5/2009
My elder daughter's job is to ensure our pitch is free of evil spirits. She does this by running round and round and round it, making a variety of loud and happy noises whilst waving her arms.
I have 2 boys and no DVD so we've had to give them jobs from the word go.Gets easier with time. When we first start they get to help with the poles and help me by passing them to me and pushing them in through the gaps. When we are then struggling to erect the dome they put together the poles for the awning and then little one starts sorting through all the pegs to find straight ones (I should throw the bent ones away but it keeps him occupied). Big one helps bang some in while my mum gets some stuff out of the car and little one gets a go if he wants. Take a spare mallet/hammer. Once they are bored with that they get to set up the camp kitchen, tables and chairs for us. If they can get inside we throw the bedding at them and they get to do that. We then do it properly later... Also their toys need to be arranged.
Failing anything else get a bowl of water and your picnic stuff and get them to wash up.
Jobs are important for them - they should help anyway and if there is a job that is just theirs they really feel they've helped.
My other tip would be to get as much done as needs two of you as quickly as possible so that when they have really had enough one of you can wander off with them - maybe just to get water. It may be quicker with 2 of you but its not worth the stress levels. As long as you have somewhere to sleep and somewhere to cook the rest can be sorted out later.
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Remember a good wife always helps her husband with the dishes.
I find my teenage daughter helps more when we are camping than when we are at home. My sons who are 7 and 9 just want to explore the site when we arrive but do try to help with putting up the tent. The three of them will go of to get the water. but as previously posted get your 5 yr old to help with the pegs and holding the mallet.
Think about it. You want him and any future siblings to be putting up the tent for you in another few years. So this is the time to start training him.Kids can help haul groundsheets, thread poles, hammer things in, toggle pods (very useful for low toggles) and understand why the zips have to be shut. They can set up their oswn pods, fetch water, help with the washing up etc as well. Trust me they'll soon cotton on to this and start trying to scarper at the first sign of work v. play, but persist. I aim to get mine fully trained to set up the whole pitch by the time they're 10 and 15.
My children used to pass us the tentpegs, take the kettle for water and make an attempt at pumping up the airbeds (with a foot pump) let him try knocking in a peg or two and set up his own sleeping area.
if you really can't cope with him helping buy him a suprise to keep him occupied. A bat with a sponge ball or a quoits game.
Quote: Originally posted by brookekim on 13/5/2009
we like to go to a site with an outside swimming pool, so mine wear their swimming stuff in the car and when we get there we send them off swimming whilst we set up!
Don't know how old your children are but sending them swimming unaccompanied?
Last summer our two were completely different. Out eldest (then 6) took one look at the howling wind and driving rain out of the car window and announced that he would sit in the car, listen to music and look at a book. Our youngest (then 3) announced that he wanted to help. so we dressed him and us up in waterproofs and he helped us mainly at first by sitting on bits of tent etc to stop them disapearing in the wind and then by carrying things for us.
I think you have to let them help if they want to and just grit your teeth, if the weather had not been so awful I would have insisted our eldest helped also.