single/single parent camping?

[Campcharlie]

Im a single parent with 3 kids......1 x 43 year old, 1 x 12 year old and 1 x 15 year old...i manage ok with them

[lloyd]

Im a single parent with kids......1 x 43 year old:lol:

Not to be personal, but is that you or Brian?


Actually I am being personal

[Ian Hulley]

Get a TV/DVD player with freeview for when you camp on your own, that way your offspring(s) can still watch CBeebies and when camping with 80-90 you too can host the other kids your kid will be bringing back to watch a film. Never yet come across a single kid who none of the others would play with ... (although I do remember a couple from 5 or 6 years ago)

Ian.

[Campcharlie]

Im a single parent with kids......1 x 43 year old:lol:

Not to be personal, but is that you or Brian?


Actually I am being personal

eh Mr Lloyd...i can always put the lamb back in the freezer ya know and not give u leci young man!!!! and i can also spill the beans on "our secret" ...me thinks u ought to be very nice to me

[lloyd]

eh Mr Lloyd...i can always put the lamb back in the freezer ya know and not give u leci young man!!!! and i can also spill the beans on "our secret" ...me thinks u ought to be very nice to me

Yes dear.

Now, is the 43 year old kid you or Brian?

[Campcharlie]

eh Mr Lloyd...i can always put the lamb back in the freezer ya know and not give u leci young man!!!! and i can also spill the beans on "our secret" ...me thinks u ought to be very nice to me

Yes dear.

Now, is the 43 year old kid you or Brian?

tis Brian...im much younger than 43..

[ricicles]

camped with my kids alone since they were babies, the longest trip we did was around france in 5 weeks, it was great. seemed to me i could get more involved with them. we did everything together including washing up. they are all much older now and we still spend time camping together. get out there and do it

[Mooch]

I like this thread, I'm single (my kids are with me half the week) & my daughters & I camp for the sake of it on our own, go to VW shows, camp with friends, do Womad with friends & our only holidays are in the van - I totally relate to the pull of the TV & the difficulty of an age gap (6 &11, hmmm!) but usually they're both quite happy with a bit of prep. - think it must be easier for me with 2 who get on well too. I'm a bit paranoid though so it took me a while to realise they love running off on their own at shows & are actually quite safe & very happy! I also make sure I get at least one show a year without them, but with copious quantities of red wine! Roll on the camping/show/festival season I say!!

[rainman]

Actually she now seems quite excited by the idea of camping as she saw the pop-top was up the other day to give it an airing (see 'mould in my pop-top' whinge thread). She just doesn't like the idea of sleeping anywhere other than her own bed but maybe she's growing out of it at last. Just have to hope we actually get a summer this year.

[Campcharlie]

really i would not worry about camping with ur kids alone....the kids we have met at c80-90 meets have all been really nice, very friendly and extremely polite..regardless of the age...we have found them to be all entertaining and seem to thrive on meeting other kids, they certainly appear to "look out" for each other...and of course one of the best things..well certainly for me anyway...is just watching them run around, laughing and entertaining themselves...and if u need some chill out time im more than happy to look after them

we have only met 2 kids who were gob-she-ites at a campsite and not c80-90 related who appeared to thrive on winding my great danes up ..'orrible kids

[Miss Syd]

I go away camping on my own all the time! You know how men have their sheds at the bottom of the garden? Well, I've got my van! I have even been known to go off to the campsite about two miles from home for the odd night when I need a bit of space (sad, but essential I find...). My Nancy (Westfalia Atlantic) and me love our down time together - ha! I have been to Bug Jam, Van Fest, etc on my own and never feel weird or out of place. In fact, things only get tedious when some well meaning person decides you cannot possibly be a woman alone and insists you join their group.
I once drove through France to Barcelona on my own, only to be "befriended" by a scottish couple in Lloret De Mar who I overheard telling their neighbours how worried they were for my safety and how they would fret all the way home that I would not be raped/murdered/robbed!! I'd only done about 2000 km on my own by then...
The other funny experiences I have are at Caravan Club Campsites where a single female camper under 65 is a very rare creature indeed! I usually have a number of older gentlemen coming across to say hello and offer assistance at every opportunity. I used to growl at them, but I have mellowed and usually find a small task I need help with to make them feel useful now. You never know when I might actually need help.
So, get in your van and get off - it's liberating, empowering and really really peaceful!

[rainman]

That sounds idyllic, i knew I couldn't be the only one. I don't get the offers of help though, just some funny looks from the occupants of those huge gleaming white things when I come chugging along in my old brown rust-bucket. I do like a bit of peace and quiet sometimes but last time I went to a campsite I pitched up next to someone who had brought their telly and were watching Corry at full volume, it makes you wonder.

[Nij]

I cannot comment on single parenthood, but I can comment on how friendly 8090 camps are.

I took my daughter to the last Pikey meet (she is two in a week), and I was worried about her not enjoying it/her being a grump, but no, she was happy running about, saying hello to the doggies and generally just having a fun time. I took some of her toys, but she was more interested in exploring and having fun.

[Silky]

Anyone else go camping on their own or as a single parent, or am I just a bit weird?

Sorry, but I just can't miss an opportunity for some outrageous self promotion here.....

I started http://www.SingleWithKids.co.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; with my business partner 4 years ago for this very reason. I used to go camping a lot with my ex - when he moved out, a Cocker Spaniel and a new tent moved in. There wasn't any problem putting everything up (even with 2 very young girls "helping"), the problem was evenings, being sat like Billy no-mates whilst lots of other campers were in traditional family set-ups - I ended up going to bed with a torch and a book at 9pm

Anyway, "Single With Kids" started off with camping and a couple of cheapy hostel trips, we now have all kinds of holidays, from camping weekends in the UK through to luxury, all inclusive 4 star hotels on the Med. We've had 10 camping weekends this year with anywhere from 25 to 100 families coming along, some who've been with us for years, others who've just fallen across us on the internet and have jumped straight in. The families are all single parent families, much to the dismay of my daughter's school friends, who regularly ask their mum or dad to pretend to being single so they can come along

The families that come on our breaks are nothing like the single parent, Vicky Pollard, stereotype (which is a complete fallacy anyway), but are mainly professional, 35-55 year olds who just don't want to be sat along on holiday or seen as "weird" . There are quite a few with T25s too, a few who are on this forum, some of us have been along to a couple of the main shows this year.

Whatever you do, you really don't need to feel weird, I've actually found it much, much easier camping without a grumpy ex, and much more fun in a group.

Silky

p.s. I've just spotted this is an old thread resurrected, but I guess it may still be relevant to some.

[DarkPoet]

Loads of trips away just me & the boy aged 12. He wanders off on his own doing his wildlife thing & doesn't nick too much of my cider. In 3 or 4 years, I'll be the most uncool thing on earth but until then, happy days...................