<ponders> Why would you put yourself up for it?

[TheFantasticMrsFox]

I am just back from an overnighter with DS (the weather on Dartmoor let me down so we decamped down the road :o)
We had a great time, shame I have to work tonight really! DS was filthy, is now freshly showered and has changed into PJ bottoms- a sure sign of tiredness, the washing machine is on and the Icey Tek is airing. All is good in our little world.
However opposite us was a family with two small DD's, about 1 & 5 I guess. The mum stood po-faced while the dad wrangled with the tent. The eldest DD was dressed as if for a party, pretty frock, white sandals etc she promptly fell in the river The younger one was clearly at the stage where even the very mention of her name was enough to send her into a tantrum.
The mum had very fixed ideas about how they would sit down nicely round the table and eat together (obviously been reading too many Eurocamp brochures :o) while the youngest was determined not to eat and tantrum instead and the eldest kept asking when she could go back to her friends. They went, or at least were put to bed at 7pm after both girls had been forcibly wrestled to the shower.

Now I absolutely know and understand why parents of young DCs want to stick to a routine but I couldn't help but wonder why, if you were that rigid about it, you chose to camp at the best of times, least of all in the summer holidays. Also the whole affair was clearly a trauma for both parents, once the DDs were eventually asleep they sat together in tight lipped silence, apart from occasional moans from the mum about mosquitoes or smoke.
It just seemed such a horrible experience for everyone involved that I started to feel really sorry for them all, even the eldest DD who clearly wanted to get out and have fun but was prevented by her pretty clothes and overprotective mother :(
Perhaps they were trying it out for the first time (if so I would keep an eye out on eBay- I bet there will be a complete set of camping kit for sale this time next week :o) Perhaps they were having a rough time in other areas and were unable to relax. Either way I just couldn't help wonder why you would actually put yourself up for it :(

[WyrdByrd]

It's cheap - relatively speaking anyway.

Perhaps they've not been camping before and are trying it because they're on a tighter than usual budget.

Tbh, if you saw me and DH putting up a tent together you'd be equally - it's always the most stressful part of any camping holiday for us.

We have a new tent this year, so if you happen to be at a large site in Cornwall on bank holiday Monday and see a tall bespectacled bloke and short, tubby blonde at loggerheads over a mahoosive Outwell while their 10yo DD sits in the car studiously ignoring them, do come & say hi !

[TheFantasticMrsFox]

I get the cheapness wyld (it's the main reason I've managed to lure DH back to camping if I'm honest )
However if you're that anti camping (bless her heart, I never saw the mum as much as crack a smile) then it's always going to be wasted money. At least you make an effort to make the best of it OR just staycation. It just looked like one of the inner circles of Hell from my camp chair, in the sun, beer in hand :)

[WyrdByrd]

Does sound as if the mum might have been dragged along for everyone else's benefit.

We're usually quite smiley once the tent is pitched & we've got the beers out!

[FrozenAteMyDaughter]

Yes, I agree WyrdByrd. I think that Dad might want to take those children camping on his own in future, bless them all.