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Quote: Originally posted by thewelshman on 02/4/2009

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So, what is your viewpoint on babies and camping?  Do you feel they shouldn't be taken along?

I have been woken by babies crying, and yes its a bit annoying but it's also a natural thing and we just deal with it.  Much better that the drunken idiots tripping over guylines at 3 in the morning

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On both of these occasions, it wasn't just a case of "being woken", the babies started in the early hours and went on till about 7.30 - 8 in one case and the other one started at about 10 pm and didn't shut up until gone 4 am, when it was starting to get light.

In the first case, they were asked to leave after 3 nights (they also spent most of the day having rows), and in the second they left after 4, which was probably 2 nights longer than I'd have left it if it'd been me.

On family orientated sites it's almost to be expected, I suppose,  but these were quiet rural sites of the kind favoured by walkers and twitchers. I certainly don't think it's a good idea to take babies that aren't good sleepers camping, if it means that no-one else can get any sleep. I don't take drunken idiots camping either!

Quote: Originally posted by fran1000 on 02/4/2009

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Quote: Originally posted by thewelshman on 02/4/2009

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So, what is your viewpoint on babies and camping?  Do you feel they shouldn't be taken along?

I have been woken by babies crying, and yes its a bit annoying but it's also a natural thing and we just deal with it.  Much better that the drunken idiots tripping over guylines at 3 in the morning

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On both of these occasions, it wasn't just a case of "being woken", the babies started in the early hours and went on till about 7.30 - 8 in one case and the other one started at about 10 pm and didn't shut up until gone 4 am, when it was starting to get light.

In the first case, they were asked to leave after 3 nights (they also spent most of the day having rows), and in the second they left after 4, which was probably 2 nights longer than I'd have left it if it'd been me.

On family orientated sites it's almost to be expected, I suppose,  but these were quiet rural sites of the kind favoured by walkers and twitchers. I certainly don't think it's a good idea to take babies that aren't good sleepers camping, if it means that no-one else can get any sleep. I don't take drunken idiots camping either!

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I've had probably 1 AWFUL night camping with our two when they were about 1.5 and 3 (this was right when we started taking them camping).  I've had a few nights that seemed awful at the time, but weren't really that bad.

That said, I've had LOADS of great nights where they slept fine, apart from the occasional fussiness, which is obligatory for small kids, isn't it?

Don't let them get cold (difficult with my two little clothing-optional people...!)

Try and get them used to their sleeping bags / airbeds / travel cot BEFORE you go.  They need to know that they are safe places that they can sleep in.

EXPECT them to go to bed later than they normally do.  Prepare yourself mentally for this.  You're not putting them down in a pitch black quiet room - you may need to wait until they

a) collapse from exhaustion or

 b) it goes dark (we did have a couple of 10pm nights in the north of scotland where it NEVER seemed to get dark...) 

If you are expecting them to go down at 7 and try and settle them at that time (and if you're anything like me & my kids...) you're all going to get grouchy. 

We're looking at going camping somewhere local when it gets a bit warmer, as we have a 2 month old at the moment...

Have fun, go with the flow and you'll have a fantastic time!!

Brill thread. I thought we were being a bit extreme taking our, just 2 year old, and 5 year old camping, its reasurring to know we aren't! As others have said babies and children dont cry/make noise constantly without a reason. Its about mutual condereration and tolerance I suppose. I wouldn't let it stop you from camping!

We go tomorrow, yay! The only thing that worries me it occupying them whilst we pitch the tent, its a 2 person job, and takes about an hour, I'm just worried about watching them, as they need supervision. They aren't the sit still with a book type, and I expect after the long journey, they'll want to run about and stretch their legs! They are both too little to really help with pitching, any tips please!?

Well, we are taking the laptop (and headphones if he will entertain them) specifically for this situation. He is fine normally bobbling about when we put the poles together and lay the thing out but when we are popping the poles up and loose visibility he needs to be in one place preferably strapped into something!

So I am thinking of sitting him in his buggy with snacks and a drink and putting the dvd on laptop on the camping table. Hopefully he will be able to see the screen. I am hoping this will give us time to get the tricky bits done.

Linny x

PS I am delighted that the vast majority of people take such an understanding view of children whilst camping. Camping is enjoying family life outdoors together IMO and young children have as much right to that as anyone, even snorers!

Thanks Linny, yes I'm thinking distraction and the pushchair is the way forward! Thomas the tank dvd should do it for mine, he loves it currently! Will report back on how it pans out.

Hey, we took our daughter when she was 3 months old and got on really well, so last year we took our son when he was only 7 weeks. We only used CCC club sites due to their facilities and family rooms, and stayed local enough, that if it did get bad, we could easily pack up the next day - which we didn't have to.

Our Children are the future faces of camping - get them used to fresh air! 

Quote: Originally posted by dezzie on 03/4/2009

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The couple were probably dead on their feet. If thats what the kids were like camping, imagine what the parents must be going through. I have to say though, if any of my kids were to cry non stop for 6 hours, the first place i'd head was the doctor. Kids dont cry for that long unless something is wrong.   

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Well, I must admit, I wondered about that. It did seem an inordinately long time. All my friends are grandparents now, so it's years since I've had anything to do with babies. I remember my mate's boy regularly crying for 2-3 hours with colic though.

One of those campsite crying babies was teething, apparently. I don't know if that can make them cry for hours. .

 

 

Quote: Originally posted by fran1000 on 03/4/2009

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Quote: Originally posted by dezzie on 03/4/2009

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The couple were probably dead on their feet. If thats what the kids were like camping, imagine what the parents must be going through. I have to say though, if any of my kids were to cry non stop for 6 hours, the first place i'd head was the doctor. Kids dont cry for that long unless something is wrong.   

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Well, I must admit, I wondered about that. It did seem an inordinately long time. All my friends are grandparents now, so it's years since I've had anything to do with babies. I remember my mate's boy regularly crying for 2-3 hours with colic though.

One of those campsite crying babies was teething, apparently. I don't know if that can make them cry for hours. .

 

 

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Put simply, pack up and go camping.

Loads of things/people/equipment/wild animals (birds, cows etc.) make noises.

We did it with babies, would do it again, and never once got a cross word or look from anyone.

Go for it!