Children & Education

Parenting

Camping with Kids

Top tips to making sleeping under the stars a whole lot more enjoyable…

Fly the flag

If, like me, you have the navigation skills of Nemo’s best friend Dory, you may find yourself getting lost occasionally. A telescopic flag pole and windsock is a useful marker, particularly if you’re planning to give the kids a bit more freedom.

To wee or not to wee

No one enjoys a 3am trek to the loo, so a portable toilet is your friend. A potty is fine for younger children, but you’ll need something a bit more substantial for older kids (and adults). If you have room, a bucket style loo is ideal. Otherwise, try a collapsible toilet. We recently bought the Bivvy Loo, which folds down small, supports up to 23 stone and comes with biodegradable bags and powder to transform liquid to gel.

Let there be light

You’ll need headtorches to find your way around after dark. A rechargeable camping lantern is also useful for evenings (and those 3am toilet breaks). And a string of solar fairy lights around your door will help you to identify your tent at night. (They also look rather pretty.)

A decent night’s sleep

If you’re only planning to camp occasionally, air beds are usually fine. However, they do tend to deflate somewhat overnight and don’t exactly have the longest lifespan. While camping beds are more expensive, they can work out far better value in the long run. And you’re likely to get a much better night’s sleep.

Dress for the occasion

Even the hottest British summer’s day can turn cool at night. Close-fitting PJs (or leggings and a T-shirt) will help to keep the warmth in.

Make sure you pack plenty of layers. You’ll appreciate a fleecy jumper when you’re huddled up sheltering from the rain. Speaking of rain, it can be difficult to get dry in a tent, so waterproofs are a good idea.

Eat, drink and be merry

A camping stove is essential for anything longer than a weekend break, even if you’re planning to mainly barbecue or eat out. Stick to easy-to-cook meals, from breakfast fry-ups to fajitas. Don’t have an electric hook up? A cool box with ice blocks makes a useful fridge. You’ll need to refreeze the blocks each day, which you can usually do in the site shop.

My kids love ‘camping cereal’ (aka mini variety packs). Pour the milk directly into the cereal bag. No bowl = less washing up.

Ideally, start collecting condiment sachets a few weeks before your holiday, so you have plenty of ketchup, mayonnaise, vinegar etc. to see you through.

And, what camping trip would be complete without toasting marshmallows?

Other essentials worth packing include:

• Washing line – string it between your tent and a tree to dry swimming costumes on • Baby wipes – handy no matter how old the kids are • Dustpan and brush • Doormat • First aid kit • Extra-thick thermal socks (Heat Holders are ideal) • Gaffer tape for tackling leaks • Travel games, a ball and a frisbee

By Kate Duggan

The Diary of a Local Mum

Here, There and Everywhere…

As I write this, we’re once again on tenterhooks waiting for an ‘announcement’ regarding the easing of restrictions. Will it be a case of ‘more delay’ or ‘go out to play’? We’re all keen to resume life as we once knew it, but there are aspects of lockdown that were, dare I say it, easier. Ok, ok, I know, we’re on the cusp of freedom and I’m harking on about what I’ll miss about lockdown?!? I must’ve lost the plot! I realise this sounds like madness, but bear with me …

There were LOTS of really difficult things about lockdown but, for me, one of the silver linings in the fact that no-one could go anywhere was just that … no one could go anywhere! For once, life wasn’t a hectic hurtle ruled by a ticking clock, dashing from one place to the next with the precision of a military operation … and the simplicity made a refreshing change.

Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t want it to be a permanent state. The kids really need to live their lives, complete with hobbies, events and social interactions. Staying at home would certainly drive us all bonkers in the long-term. But now these activities are back with a vengeance and I’m looking back with some heavily rose-tinted glasses on. There are two reasons why I’m finding this difficult: firstly, I’m simply out of practice. The calendar – once the most important tool in the family home – was, for many months, just a blank sheet hanging below a nice photo. Now it’s back to being Control Centre, and I’m a very rusty operations manager. I used to know timings of clubs, journeys etc. off by heart – now I constantly need reminding what time things start/finish and how long it takes to travel a once familiar journey.

The other, bigger, reason is that my kids are now teenagers, so I’ve lost any element of control over arrangements. They are very good in that they ask if they can go places and keep me updated if plans change, but that’s just it – they very frequently do. What was once a well-oiled machine is now more like a pan of spaghetti. I feel like a pilot on standby, waiting for that call which is inevitably “Can you come and get me now?” (Or “Can you come half an hour later?” when you’ve already set off).

Trying to coordinate activities when you’ve only got a vague inkling what their (very fluid) ‘plans’ may be is, frankly, almost impossible. It’s like herding cats and I’m constantly met with the retort “Mum, I told you that!” when I forget who needs to be where, when. Trying to make my own plans around this chaotic state is, well, a pretty fruitless pursuit. And, while part of me thinks “Just leave them to it, they can make their own way home” the feeling that your kid is out there and may need your help is so overwhelming that it’s hard to relax and enjoy even the snatched moments of calm.

Now, I can hear those of you with a small toddler hanging off your leg while you dream of at least having a wee in peace saying “Stop moaning woman! I’d give my right arm for a few minutes at home alone!” and yes, I agree – there was a time when I’d have thought this was a luxury, too. But honestly, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. It’s a sort of ‘semi-childfree state’. You can’t make plans, go anywhere, even run a bath because you’ve only got 10 minutes turn-around time or you’re constantly waiting for that call to action. Like Bruce Wayne, but not. I mean, Batman couldn’t sit with a glass of wine in the garden on a sunny evening either, just in case.

So, that’s pretty much my life at the minute. I feel like I’m on some TV challenge show where I have to dash around the countryside picking things up and dropping them off at various rendezvous points, against the clock. Maybe there’s a prize at the end?

The funny thing is, as much as my head’s constantly spinning with all this mayhem, I know I’ll miss it when it’s gone.

By Helen Young

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