BabyWhispererForums.com
ACTIVITY => Activity Time & Toddler Activity => Topic started by: ~Emma~ on March 04, 2011, 10:48:01 am
-
Anyone done this with babies and toddlers?
Really need a holiday this Summer and money is super tight. Main worry of course is kids who are very accustomed to blacked out rooms.
-
Do you mean in tents? Or in a mobile home type thing?
-
Tents! :-\
-
Lol! It would be my worst nightmare!!! But then again my last memories of camping are Glastonbury in the rain and mud so I'm not a reliable opinion!!
I actually think for a couple of days it would be great fun if you got good weather!
-
It's the weather thing that would worry me. Last time we went camping it was pre-DS but we had a huge dog (which I am likening to a toddler :P ), it was mid summer and rained (like torrential rain >:( ) for the whole week ::) Luckily our friends had a bigger, fancier, tent than us so we were all able to sit in there and play cards and things, but it was difficult not being able to get out and about with the dog/toddler! On the plus side, at least you can take a toddler in places......our big hairy muddy dog wasnt welcome in many pubs and things!
If the weather was guaranteed then I think you could all have a fantastic time :)
-
Could you do a trial in the back garden? Just to see how the noise and light would make a difference - maybe make it a Daddy and DS adventure for the occasional evening to get DS used to it, then you'd only have DD to work on?
It's off our agenda as DD is super light sleeper with a blacked out room and I hear every noise in the night, so I wouldn't get any sleep even if DD miraculously slept thru! We slept in UK last summer in a friend's spare room and as it had light/flimsy curtains, DD slept at 10pm and woke at 5.45 with the sun!!!! Grrrrr!
Would love to know if there is a way of 'desensitising' light sleepers/those who need pitch black rooms!! lol
-
Been thinking that a tents just a big fat no for us.
DS would be the same, he'd not go to sleep until proper dark and then he'd be awake at the crack of dawn. He'd be OT and the whole thing would be a veritable disaster. Throw in rain and I'd want to kill myself. :P
Now thinking more along the lines of caravan/wigwam/log cabin but it needs to be cheap-tastic. :)
-
Yeh. Tents? They're going to be awake at 4am. We did it (planned it) for 2 nights the summer before Stan turned 2, it was pretty much midsummer and he woke up as soon as it was light, no settling him back to sleep.
-
Great idea!
My friend has recently stayed in log cabins in the New Forest (completely wrong area, I know) which was really cheap and all the kids facilities were all included in the price - soft play, swimming, parks, etc. She said it was fab, and we are hoping to go with them in the summer. Plently of indoor things for the inevitable rain! :)
-
Cath, do you know if there is a website?
Anna- I KNOW B would be the same. I wouldn't even risk it thinking about it now. It would be absolute hell!
-
Will text her now Emma and ask what it was called :-*
-
I'd be interested in the name of the place in the New Forest too.... Thinking of a long weekend in July/Aug maybe.
Thanks
Anna x
-
http://www.sandy-balls.co.uk/
I feel a big BW mass descent on the New Forest coming on! ;D Oooh, just think of the fun...!!! 8)
-
Sandy Balls.
*sniggers*
-
I know.....we're so grown up here aren't we?! :P
(When my friend text this to me I thought she may have had predictive text on and it was meant to say something else, but no, it's actually called Sandy Balls! ;D )
-
Sandy Balls.
*sniggers*
I never, ever do the LOL thing. But.....LOL!! :D :D :D
-
tee hee hee
That funny.
I really don't think EWers and camping mixes well. Do some day trips instead?
-
Links:
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=58083.0
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=62122.0
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=127133.0
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=167603.0
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=141063.0
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=69827.0
-
We camp and the kids love it! Just want to go to bed ALL the time LOL
We went in October DS was 8months old. Took sterilising tablets, food etc everything worked well (although one morning we had to get dressed and eat in the car cos it was frozen LOL)
We went the year before. My youngest nephew was 6 months, middle nephew was 3 (don't know if you can remember but had REALLY wet summer and on the news there people camping with ducks swimming in and out the tents - we camped then, but luckily have a good non leaking tent!)
Camped loads and they always love it no matter what age.
We just always go near the toilets :)
Since the children have multiplied we do take a gazebo too for extra space.
-
Sandy Balls.
*sniggers*
hehe...looks like a really great place despite the name!
-
fantastic vacation and i can gaurantee ur LOs will love it. I am always lenient on bedtime so we have OT issues to sort when we get back but my LO bounces back fast and its totally worth it. Great timd to teach and learn new things and u wont need to bring a toy. If u have a baby and r still nursing then no need to worry about sanitation issues with cleaning bottles otherwise prepare 4 this. This is a fav of ours and as long as u r prepared u will love it. And its better to over prepare rather than under prepare. U will love it and so will ur LOs.
-
I might get the courage this Summer. The need for a holiday might just force me!!
-
Ladies, I hate to say this, but this thread is doing nothing to dispel the (unfair) stereotype of England's crummy weather.....
And I think EVERYONE will have EW's with camping. We have done it quite a bit (never with our LO's), but I always wake up around 5:30 courtesy of all the birds.
*Sandy balls* that is funny.
-
Hey Emma.
We've been camping a couple of times! (Actual tent camping:) Just last week with our 13 month old, and also when he was about 5 months old. I wrote an article about it with some tips here: http://themommyhoodmemos.blogspot.com/2010/07/top-tips-for-camping-with-baby.html hope that helps! :)
we've loved it both times!!
good luck with your family holiday.
adriel
-
Thankyou. ;D
-
We have a 26 foot trailer boat and have been boating overnight with our 2 children. We started when DD1 was 18 months and we have had 2 recent trips with both children - DD1 is 3.75 and DS2 is now 18 months. Both sleep in pitch black rooms with white noise at home still! When DS2 needs to nap during the day I put him in his sleep sack, put his sleep music on (I take the Ipod and docking station with me!) and try to darken the cabin as much as possible. I then lye next to him until he falls asleep. He usually will do around 2 - 2.5 hours nap at home and generally on the boat will do 1.20 mins - so it's enough to get him through the rest of the day, given that we are busy on the beach and doing physical activities etc. For bedtime I do the same with him, and when he is asleep I then get DD1 to sneak into the cabin and she puts herself to sleep. I then sleep in the same cabin with them so it's very squishy but we manage. DH sleeps in a Swag on the deck. DD1 usually wakes around 5.30am on the boat and surprisingly DS2 will sleep through her til sometimes 7am. But it all depends. I have found that 2 nights is enough as they basically survive on less sleep all round but make up for it and get back on track when we get home. We all have a great time and have also now got a tent and intend to camp as well. I have found that my two are just super excited to be away and they seem to think it's really fun sleeping on the boat. Recently we pitched the tent in our back yard to see how it looked and my DD1 took her daytime nap in it (when she used to nap) just because of the novelty factor. We holiday quite a lot with our 2, and it's generally rustic - 1 place we go to has no curtains in it as the house is situated in bush land. I have just had to 'get over' the fact that they won't sleep past 5.30am - in Summer when it's light outside - and go with the flow. Totally worth it though so I would go for it!
-
One thing I also meant to say was, our children have gotten used to the different sleeping conditions such as on a boat, without their curtains/white noise etc etc because we have introduced them to it. I think if you do it, they will get used to it and will have so much fun that they will be exhausted and sleep well, we have friends who also camp and we plan on camping with our friends and their children as most people seem to have really positive things to say about it. I always try to make it a little like home if I can - so blankets, loveys, bedtime book, music etc. We take a gas cooker and all our food and the kids just love it. We often make pancakes for breakfast on the little gas cooker and that generally gets us through the morning quite nicely before we go and do an activity. It is generally good quality family time. We also take a few toys for them so they can have some down time, and not just swimming, running, climbing etc. I think the fun that is had on camping trips and holidays where you have to 'rough it' a bit end up being the ones with the best memories. Our kids are great at 'roughing it'. DD1 thinks it's just great that I don't brush her hair for 3 days and she gets to tie it back in a ponytail. We just wash it properly when we come home. I also love the fact that we don't have to even worry about bathing - they are swimming in the ocean - but just the fact that the whole bathing routine is out the door for a few days is just great!
-
OK now I'm liking the idea of camping. But we don't even have a tent! There must be UK campsites where you can rent a pre-erected tent? Or rent-a-tent! We had SUCH a good time on our caravan/airstream trip last summer, I just wish we had been closer to the beach. That, but walking distance to the beach, would be perfect.
-
I should have also mentioned that this last time we went was six days and we had to do some APing to get him to sleep for naps and many of the evenings. At naps I would pat him to sleep (the tent impossibly bright!) or just sit near his cot and say "shhh, head down" every time he put his head up or sat up. He'd eventually fall asleep, but I did find it frustrating since he's normally on his own and asleep in minutes!! At night I would sometimes take him to our bed and lay with him and pat him until he was asleep and then move him to his own bed. I was worried that it would really screw him up when we got back home, but when back in his old routine and surroundings he slipped back into his great habits, which was a huge relief. (It probably didn't help that he cut two teeth that week!) Oh, and he was waking up at around 5:15 and it was killing me!!! But once home he was back to 6:45/7:00 within a few days. THANK GOD. :) Also when we took him at five months we'd often pat him to sleep while he was laying in the pram or jiggle/rock the pram a little - so more APing there but it served us well and he was fine when we got home and back into "normalcy". I think if you're willing to "bend the rules" a little bit then it can be a great time! Totally worth it!!!
-
we started taking our dd when she was about 14 months (she's now nearly three) and we plan to go this year again with her and her brother, who will be 8 months old. We live in Canada, so in the summer it doesn't get dark until quite late. Our approach was just to relax, and let her stay up if that is what she wanted. It is a bit of a special occasion after all. She was generally fine the next day and napped well in the tent. She loves the tent. I should mention that we did stay with her in the tent at night from the time she went to bed so that she wouldn't be frightened, or wander off.
This year we are going to the Yukon, so we will see how that goes.....in the middle of June you still need sunglasses at 11:30 pm! Land of The Midnight Sun. We might have some sleep issues there ;)
-
Good luck Emma - Hope you have a ball (in sandy balls!!! Pa ha ha ha)
Let us know how you get on!!
Enjoy,
Siobhan
xx