Message Forums

There can be some completely unfounded hostility towards kids. We went camping locally with another family and a couple of extra kids last September. We got two complaints to the wardens about us...one for being too noisy on the Friday afternoon when we pitched the tents, one for waking folk up on Sunday morning.

Now on Friday afternoon there was just us two mums and my three year old daughter setting up the tents and my daughter spent most of her time cleaning the car dashboard with babywipes. (Strange girl....) What we hadn`t realised was that there were two men asleep in a tent about 50 yards away, only tent for miles, I may add. They complained to the warden  my noisy daughter had woken them up.

On Sunday am we corralled the kids in till eight am (the two men had departed by then) and only then were they allowed down to the swing park. Straight path down, no messing around till they got there. Someone complained to the warden that the kids had woken them up at 9am and they liked a lie-in on a Sunday morning! Yet they were pitched right next to the swingpark. What did they expect?

Now the warden spoke to me both times, I explained and thought that was that. Yet we still got a comment or two at the desk when we checked out. I didn`t like that. The kids are normal, boisterous kids but they (and the friends) are well trained and I keep a sharp eye on them to make sure they behave. I don`t belive the warden should have made us feel uncomfortable about this. I think both complaints were unreasonable, but the wardens attitude was that there had been complaints.  Hostility?

All I know is that I feel uncomfortable going back there, which is a pity because it was a very convenient place to go for an easy weekend. We went four times last year, all off-season when the site was half empty. (The other three times it was just us as a family.) Can site owners afford to lose this business on a regular basis? Can they afford to lose all the recommendations I used to make about their site both here and to friends asking for a site near us to stay?

I will go back, not least because I think there are new wardens this year. But perhaps not four times. I do feel there was some hostility to the kids there which I`ve never had from another campsite staff. Are four  well mannered and well spoken nine year olds, a six year old and a three year old that intimidating???????

(Oh, and they were in bed by 10pm, which was earlier than most of the rest of the site.)

Quote: Originally posted by Blod on 19/4/2006

---

Most adult campsites are very quiet and discourage this kind of thing. It's very much about peace, quiet contemplation and relaxation, and noise or 'party groups' are not welcomed or tolerated, as anyone who goes to adult-only sites will verify.

---

Quote: Originally posted by Valk_scot on 20/4/2006

---

......Now the warden spoke to me both times, I explained and thought that was that. Yet we still got a comment or two at the desk when we checked out. I didn`t like that. The kids are normal, boisterous kids but they (and the friends) are well trained and I keep a sharp eye on them to make sure they behave. I don`t belive the warden should have made us feel uncomfortable about this. I think both complaints were unreasonable, but the wardens attitude was that there had been complaints.  Hostility?

All I know is that I feel uncomfortable going back there, which is a pity because it was a very convenient place to go for an easy weekend.....

---

Quote: Originally posted by tentpegjenny on 20/4/2006

---

  I imagine that there maybe quite a lot of dogs and in my imagination most them of the smaller variety, terriers and the such like. 

---

And the problem with terriers is .... ? MT

Quote: Originally posted by Liddenham on 19/4/2006

---

 

'Sorry to you snorers, I know you can't help it, and I don't have an answer'

Clothes pegs on noses?

At least kids don't snore. (I wonder why not?)

You obviously havent met my kids then both my 2yo and my 4yo snore like troopers some nights

---

Our dog snores though, big time!

oh my god-we have 7 kids between us-hence the fact we bought a tourist 20xp!!

I'll have to put gaffer tape over their mouths till 9 am!! ( any social services reading this-only joking!!)

Quote: Originally posted by Merry Terrier on 20/4/2006

---

Val, this all sounds really unfair and quite uncalled for. No wonder you were miffed (I would have been a bit more than miffed!). MT

---

Oh, don`t worry, I and the other mum were very politely miffed directly to them. At some length.

Quote: Originally posted by stevehb on 20/4/2006

---

 

oh my god-we have 7 kids between us-hence the fact we bought a tourist 20xp!!

I'll have to put gaffer tape over their mouths till 9 am!! ( any social services reading this-only joking!!)

---

Nah...gaffer tape till eight am is quite sufficient.

But a cheap Walkman each with story tapes is a useful alternative in the morning, I find. Plus some easy-eat breakfast things like bagels and cartons of fruit juice. They could have a breakfast picnic in one of the pods while you stagger around bleary-eyed in search of the teapot.

Seriously, because I have kids I like other families around for the kids to play with. So come and camp by me.

woohoo! got back from 5 days camping today and was very pleased to be told that I must be very proud of my children for being so well behaved. You could have knocked me down with a feather! LOL

2 other campers also said that the kids were really good so the last few weeks of the mantra 'respect other people' and telling them the rules has paid off! Yay!!

I find this incredible that we have so many problems with kids bad behaviour when I have just been talking to a very accommadating campsite owner still in shock about how people behave with their dogs!!  Very nice woman who has elected not to bann dogs or even charge for them but to insist that they are booked by arrangement only. 

And yet we hear complaints about children constantly never about dogs.. ... what does this say about how we value each group??

Think the same thing is true of dogs and kids, it's the parents and owners who cause any problems by not keeping control of the situation.  We had some neighbours make our life hell over the past year by not controling their German Shepherd which they left out in the garden at all times.  It started making it's way through the fence to attack our kids and we couldn't even use the garden anymore.

Eventually after it bit a police officer and another neighbour and a lengthy court case it was put down.  Think it should have been them that were in my opinion.  Now my kids (and myself) are terrified of big dogs so it's left a lasting impact on everyone conserned.  Just because this couple were too lazy to take it to obedience classes and to admit they had problems controling it. 

It's not very often that we hear of a child biteing a person is it, so I do think it's very important that owners are just as responsible for their animals as parents are for children.  It's all about respect really isn't it.  The neighbours that I talk of recieved no fine for the dogs actions and perhaps this kind of penilty is just what is needed.  Perhaps that would make them take thier responibilities seriously.

Well must differ here... usually antisocial kids are attached to antisocial parents.

Dogs that are antisocial can be connected to otherwise very lovely people who are treating dogs like a child and are totally blind to their behaviour.  Dogs do not respond to being babied, they have to know who is boss. 

I think that people should realise that a large dog uncontrolled can kill.