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My father wouldn't let my dd sleep in a tent in the garden at the weekend because of missing Madeleine...

43 replies

PetronellaPinkPants · 29/05/2007 09:14

Honestly
This has all gone OTT

When we were kids my db and I would sleep in a tent on our own sometimes from a pretty young age. We had a pump up airgun pretty much as soon as we were big enough to pump it up between us!

So, at the weekend had some friends to stay at my parents, they have a very grown up 11yo (nearly 12) and an 8yo. DD nearly 5. They were all so excited at camping in the garden on their own, the tent about 10 yards from the back door which was left open all night for them, they had a mobile in case they wanted anyone.

My father decided that due to Madeleine McCann's abduction he would not be able to sleep unless dd came in when we went to bed (so of course she was fine while we were inside til 2am drinking and partying!?!?! Obv no abductors would come in then, they would of course wait until later when there was not an almighty row coming from the house and we were all quiet and could her the screams of the abducted children!!) As the other two really wanted to sleep without a grown up, I had to agree.

As it happened it started raining and dd didn't like the noise so came in of her own volition. I do object to this hysteria from my (normally very sensible) father though! I can't see that anything has changed from when we were kids and we were allowed to sleep out from when I was about 7 (and I was the eldest)

What do you think?

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Amanda1 · 29/05/2007 09:21

Message withdrawn

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PetronellaPinkPants · 29/05/2007 09:23

But a responsible 12 yo is surely fine if there are adults in the house 10 yards away!

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FioFio · 29/05/2007 09:24

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TinyGang · 29/05/2007 09:24

I can see what you're saying but I think you're being a bit hard on the poor chap. Tbh personally I kind of agree with him.

As you were there too though I suppose he should have let you have the final say in the matter if you were happy with it.

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PetronellaPinkPants · 29/05/2007 09:24

No it was more that I didn't want him to lie awake all night worrying!

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Monkeytrousers · 29/05/2007 09:25

There was an abduction from a tent in the garden a few years ago, it's not just recent events

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GiantSquirrelSpotter · 29/05/2007 09:26

TBH I wouldn't let my kids sleep in a tent in the garden.

I think that's why God invented houses. Because they're better than tents. They're warmer, more secure and safer. And I know all about the fun angle etc., but I just don't think it's necessary.

Boring old killjoy that I am.

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PetronellaPinkPants · 29/05/2007 09:26

I am not annoyed so much as perplexed at all this knee-jerk reaction stuff to one child's abduction. From normally rational people.

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PetronellaPinkPants · 29/05/2007 09:26

Yes but there are abductions of children from outside schools and you don't all Home Ed do you???

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NKF · 29/05/2007 09:27

I'd be scared to let it happen but I wish I wasn't. Does that make sense? I can imagine letting them do it (later for me as mine are little) and sitting up all night at the window watching.

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kittylette · 29/05/2007 09:27

I wouldn'y have let her, now or before Mddies dissapearance.

There was an abduction a few years ago from a tent in the garden and if I remeber correctly there was an adult in the tent.

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TinyGang · 29/05/2007 09:27

I wouldn't want to do it, but not as a knee jerk reaction to recent events.

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Tommy · 29/05/2007 09:27

I think I agree petronella. Nothing has changed since Madeleine's disappearance - I really can't imagine that someone is going to think "ohh - child abduction - that's a good idea - I'll try it" because of all the publicity.

I think the situation is so awful that parents (and grandparents obviously) are holding their children a little bit closer than usual

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PetronellaPinkPants · 29/05/2007 09:27

What about these tents that have multiple pods then? Surely possible for children to be abducted from one pod while parents asleep in another? Maybe all camping is dangerous!

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FioFio · 29/05/2007 09:28

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talcy0 · 29/05/2007 09:32

i slept with dc in tent in garden last summer.
They were asleep by 9pm, i was still lying awake at 11.30, clutching mallet and listening in fear to the hedgehogs...."who's that?"...

[coward emoticon]

All back in bed by midnight

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OrmIrian · 29/05/2007 09:38

I don't know...

I am the archetypical benign neglecter parent . I let my children do things that make other parents blanch with terror.. but I have a thing about making sure my children are all tucked up in their beds at nighttime. We had a new playhouse last summer and my DD and DS were all set to sleep in there but in the end I couldn't let them. I don't think it's entirely logical, or anything to do with recent events - in a secure garden with all the precautions you mentioned petronella I don't think it's dangerous - but it just feels wrong to me and I would be scared all night.

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GiantSquirrelSpotter · 29/05/2007 09:39

Oh yes Fio and I hated it!

I like nice warm beds, hot showers, proper cooking facilities, etc.

Can't be doing with roughing it!

I know I know, I am an old bat.

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PetronellaPinkPants · 29/05/2007 09:40

So how come it was ok for us aged 7?? Why did he not worry then?

What has changed?

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GiantSquirrelSpotter · 29/05/2007 09:41

The media has changed pp

That's all

Nothing else

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GiantSquirrelSpotter · 29/05/2007 09:42

(And therefore awareness and fear, obv)

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OrmIrian · 29/05/2007 09:42

Because he's got out of the habit of being a parent perhaps? And as my mum never tires of telling me, you are much more nervous with grandchildren than your own children.

But I entirely take your point - as far as I can see the only thing that is more dangerous outside the home than it was, is traffic.

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PetronellaPinkPants · 29/05/2007 09:43

He lives in teh middle of nowhere, there is no traffic, the garden is secure etc

Unless a stray combine harvester burst through the back fence I think that would not be a valid concern!

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OrmIrian · 29/05/2007 09:47

Well......you never know. Could happen.....

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PetronellaPinkPants · 29/05/2007 09:47

They don't tend to do harvesting in the middle of the night in May though!

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