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I have noticed a few posts recently from people with 4 or 5 kids - once the numbers start getting up, hotels and B&Bs start to get out of the question, it's hard to find a caravan with enough room, there are too many of you to go visiting friends and staying in their spare rooms, and we all end up with a choice between renting a holiday house (amazingly pricey in August!) , or camping!  I think I find it easier now with 5 kids than I did with 2 or 3, because the older kids are big enough to keep the  little ones out of trouble while I pitch the tent - but certainly last time there were days when I found myself cooking for what seemed like hours on end! 

I'm really just posting to say hello to all the other mums of many out there, and to see if anyone has any top tips.  For the last 5 years we've gone to a family festival where we know a few people and the kids can hang out with their friends and make new friends, and it makes me sad for the lifestyle which has been lost to many children in the UK today, ie being allowed to go free-range and wander about with their mates without us being terrified of traffic or strangers. 

Cheers,

Angela

Quote: Originally posted by petemillis on 08/8/2009

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Hello....from a Dad of 4. It's definitely easier when they start growing up too... 15, 13, 9 and 7 now, and they can almost remember to wash themselves!

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Lol...remembering and actually doing are still 2 very different things! We have a small family in comparison to some but with 3 kids camping is the only way we can holiday. But that is not the only reason we camp...its a wonderful thing to do with your kids and one day if I become a grandma I will take the grandkids too!!( As mine are 13,10 and 9 at the mo hoping that is a long way off!)

Everything in the UK is geared towards the family of 4 , so priced with that in mind and even eating out is a very costly thing to do ....but with camping you can choose how much you spend and I wouldnt change our camping jollys it for the world!

Hello from another family of 6. Well i say 6 but the eldest stopped coming with us 2 years ago. Now he wants to start camping with us again and bringing his girlfriend lol. Only problem is, we now have 3 dogs and no spare room in the car lol.

well, as the family grew so did the size of the tent and all the accessories!  cant do 'basic camping' when you still have to take 7 sleeping bags, 7 plates, 7 bowls etc etc!

OH gets frustrated with the amount of 'stuff' we have to take, and reckons it takes too long and too many cars! (we use all of the mini bus, and the car!)

also OH wont let us camp on the mainland, cos of all the stuff we have to take, plus we have 2 that suffer from nocturnal enuresis, so good to be near our washing machine and spare bedding lol!

i find the whole cooking part the worst, and why is it that making sandwiches for 7 when camping takes 5 times longer then it does at home!

we have big age gaps between ours so they are all totally different in their wants!

but good to know that we are not the only ones mad enough to brave it, time after time!

we are camping with a friend from the mainland and their  kids in a couple of weeks, so looking forward to not being the only one that "obviously doesnt have a tv at home", or....."needs to find something else to do in the evening." or....."hasnt heard of contraception" !!!!!! ROFL!

ps. we normally go to spain for the whole of august, my parents live in southern spain, and at least you can rely on the weather being good!! but not going this year, for the first time!

Hi all

I am another with a 6 pack - family that is, me, hubby and 4 kids 14, 13, 7 and 6. Only been abroad twice with the whole brood and it cost an arm and a leg

Have done the rented cottage thing but discovered camping last year and we all loved it! We are off to Fforest Fields tomorrow and the reason I am still up is sorting the mountain of stuff we need to take  and this time one of my kids is on a trip to Saudi Arabia so not coming with us (he phoned today saying it was 42C.... no chance of that here )

Anyway top tips, hmmmm take a larger pan. Last year I struggled with the camping set ones we got which would be fine for 3 - 4 people but when cooking for 6 it was impossible to put the spoon in to stir it without it all coming over the top

Kids are looking forward to a bit of free ranging and I am looking forwards to some relative peace!

Sarah x

Quote: Originally posted by tinallkn4 on 08/8/2009

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well, as the family grew so did the size of the tent and all the accessories!  cant do 'basic camping' when you still have to take 7 sleeping bags, 7 plates, 7 bowls etc etc!

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So true!  I have a VW Transporter Shuttle long wheelbase, which seats 9 and still has a decent boot (about 4'  deep) and although I am not so keen on parking it in London, it's brilliant when we're going away.  I can actually pack it and still see out of the rear view mirror

What kit do you all use?  I have  4m bell tent which was recommended to me by a mum of 4 boys, 5 years ago, as being virtually indestructible, easy to repair and a lot less flammable than a nylon tent (I believe one of her boys had demonstrated the flammbility of a nylon tent quite spectacularly...) .  I love it and it's got enough room for u s all to sleep in, but is too cramped in the daytime if it's wet  - a few weeks ago all 5 of them (boys aged 11,9,6 and 4 and girl aged 2 1/2 ) were wrestling in the tent andit was a bit much....  I'm planning to buy a lovely big 5m bell tent from Canvas and Cast (heavy-duty canvas) and camp with both tents, and an awning in between.  The bell tents work well for me b ecause they're so quick to pitch single-handed;  DH doesn't usually go with us camping, so normally I have to pitch the tent while the older kids supervise the younger ones. 

..i find the whole cooking part the worst, and why is it that making sandwiches for 7 when camping takes 5 times longer then it does at home!

I make you right there!  Any tips to feed lots quickly and without too much mess?  Can we learn anything from the Scouts?  My current craze is pancakes - scottish-style with thick batter, nice and small so you can cook 2 or 3 at a time in a large pan, and drop sultanas, dried coconut or apricots into the batter, or beat in a few mashed bananas.  Smear a little butter or honey/syrup on and send sprog off to eat away from tent.  No washing-up and child stays relatively clean.  Plus I take loads of apples as they are fairly tough as well as juicy.

we are camping with a friend from the mainland and their  kids in a couple of weeks, so looking forward to not being the only one that "obviously doesnt have a tv at home", or....."needs to find something else to do in the evening." or....."hasnt heard of contraception" !!!!!! ROFL!

LOL!  How many of you all together? We've just been out for a few days with a friend and her 4 kids, and mine loved being part of a tribe. 

Cheers,

Angela

Quote: Originally posted by angelahorn on 08/8/2009

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I have noticed a few posts recently from people with 4 or 5 kids - once the numbers start getting up, hotels and B&Bs start to get out of the question, it's hard to find a caravan with enough room, there are too many of you to go visiting friends and staying in their spare rooms, and we all end up with a choice between renting a holiday house (amazingly pricey in August!) , or camping!  I think I find it easier now with 5 kids than I did with 2 or 3, because the older kids are big enough to keep the  little ones out of trouble while I pitch the tent - but certainly last time there were days when I found myself cooking for what seemed like hours on end! 

I'm really just posting to say hello to all the other mums of many out there, and to see if anyone has any top tips.  For the last 5 years we've gone to a family festival where we know a few people and the kids can hang out with their friends and make new friends, and it makes me sad for the lifestyle which has been lost to many children in the UK today, ie being allowed to go free-range and wander about with their mates without us being terrified of traffic or strangers. 

Cheers,

Angela

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Hi Angela, can you tell us a bit more about this family festival you go to pleas?

I am mum of 4 but the eldest has flown the nest ( mentaly if not physically just yet) but I love the freedom my son has when camping becuase the older two keep an eye on him - they are happy to sit around the playpark and chat to other teenagers.

angela,

i am sooooo looking at buying a bell tent! i was considering the 5m one as we want to camp out of season (have you tried the colder weather?) we have the maryland, which has a huge lounge and large bedrooms too. eldest DD (17yrs) uses her pup tent, and looks like the DS (14 yrs) will shortly be following suit! trouble i think is that if we get a bell tent, then will be fine for us, but those in pup tents will surely feel a lot more cold! not sure if i will persuade OH that it is a good idea mind you! maybe we weill wait till baby is 3+, then we can look at the whole wood burner too! (REALLY like that idea!)

the friend that is joining us has 5 kids also, so 10 kids altogether, plus the grandaughter of the campsite owner (who also lives on site) is a friend of my 7 yr old, so will probs have her too!! will just have to head count at night to make sure that we havent gained any lol! the grandaughter will prob end up being fed showered and pj'd along with the rest before we notice that we have an extra head!!!