Camping outside

[wendle70]

8 and a 6 yr old (stepdaughters) camping by themselves in garden tonight (garden is not fenced off but in a quiet village). I'm a bit concerned but OH their dad thinks it's ok.

[DownByTheRiverside]

What does their mum think?
I'd camp out too, as your garden isn't secure.

[DoristheCamel]

Um I wouldn't be comfortable with that.
Although I do tend to worry abut ott with my kids.
I would be sleeping out there with them.

[Amy106]

I would be a bit concerned too.

[roomfullofstars]

I'd camp with them tbh, only because you said the garden isn't fenced off.

I'm assuming their mum knows?

[ThatSmellsLikePoo]

Just no. Quiet village maybe but if it has a road in and a road out then it's just no.

[DownByTheRiverside]

When my two did it, in our very secure garden, I left the back door unlocked and slept downstairs.

[Bigbottomtwirl]

I wouldn't let them camp on their own. My DC camped in the dining room under the table in their 'den' last night and I went round triple checking window locks and doors. I would never let them camp on their own in the garden.

[ChittinIt]

No because I did this at my friends house as a child and all hell broke loose because someone came into the garden and unzipped our tent but ran off when we all started screaming. And that was in a secure garden. Not scaremongering, just telling you what happened to us.

[trice]

Dd is 8, our garden is very secure with high fences and a lockable gate. I still camped out with her and her cousin. I wouldn't have slept at all otherwise.

[Wolfiefan]

No sorry.
Sophie Hook. RIP

[AlpacaLypse]

It's rather nice camping out in this hot sticky weather. I'd be perfectly happy to have an excuse to do it. Is there a spare tent? If not, tons of insect repellent, a waterproof undersheet and a sleeping bag between you and the road?

[wendle70]

Yep i agree but I am not their parent. Have made my views clear to OH. No their mum does not know. I am not there or i would either demand they get put in their beds or sleep with them. Bit worried but nowt i can do. Men! Mums and even step mums definitely worry more.

[WaitMonkey]

Not a chance I'd allow my dc to do this.

[RedSoloCup]

No way!! i would be in the tent with them!

[jaynebxl]

Absolutely no way. Is he going to leave the door unlocked and go to bed? What if they suddenly get scared in the night? No way.

[Leeds2]

I wouldn't let DD camp outside alone. And she is 16!

Regardless of how their dad feels, I think you should be outside with them. Or, at least, awake inside watching DVDs from a position that you can see/hear them.

[roomfullofstars]

So you're not there and their mum doesn't know?

I would be ringing her right now to tell her. Don't care how late it is.

[jaynebxl]

Just googled Sophie Hook. Doubly no way.

[steff13]

Just googled Sophie Hook. Doubly no way.

Me, too! Did you see that today is the anniversary of her death, 7/30/95?

[BackforGood]

No, YANBU.
I would not be happy with that - and I tend to be at the more laid back end of the parenting spectrum.

[jaynebxl]

O gosh hadn't spotted that. V sad.

[roomfullofstars]

Sophie Hook's murder is painfully sad

[firstchoice]

NO.
I live in a teeny village in a v quiet area.
An attempt was made to snatch a child from her front garden in broad daylight.

Honestly, ONE of you needs to be out there with them.
Their mum should know too.
8 and 6?
Jings.

[Hakluyt]

The reason we remember Sophie Hook is that it was an awful thing that happened nearly 20 years ago. And there hasn't been anything similar since, despite millions of sleep outs,

I would let mine. With the downstairs lights on and the door unlocked. And me asleep on the sofa.

[firstchoice]

There have been LOADS of child abductions, sadly, in the last 20 years.
Maybe not from tents but still.

It might be a teeny risk but the consequences would be terrible.