What do you all do with your little ones re. bedtime when camping.
Mine is 27 months and we have a few trips planned, one to a festival (Eden Fest at Moffat this weekend anyone?). We had a practice camp in the garden and camped a few times last year, inc. one festival.
I can't decide whether to try and put him down at his usual half seven bedtime before he gets too overtired and excited, or accept the inevitable and keep him up later and probably just go to bed with him.
I think tentative plan A for the festival is let him stay up late and make sure to get back to the tent for a good long afternoon nap and chill-out.
Camping is probably the only time my kids actually ask if they can go to bed! I know some will say it's important to keep their routine, but if there is too much going, he probably won't settle. At festivals, both of mine have just fallen asleep when they felt like it and have been carried back to the tent when we go! But really, he's your kid, you know him best, just go with what feels right as long as he's not being made miserable. You might be glad of an early night yourself sometimes ( or am I the only one who has used the children as a excuse to go to bed at 8.30?)
We have a 27 month old too, we camped for the first time this season last weekend and we let our LO let us know when it was bed time :-) it was a fab weekend, lots of outdoor evening sunshine games until about 8.30, then pjs and quiet time and stories snuggled up together until she fell asleep by 9 most evenings, which in turn meant she slept in until 7.30/8 each morning, letting our neighbours have a lie-in! Lol.
Last year & year before we kept to routine as LO was younger and in a travel cot. Hope this helps and have fun!
Donna
Bed time goes out the window for little ones. Honestly, you want them to sleep in past 5am! The same amount of sleep will be got, no matter what - so don't worry about that! Don't worry about wrecking your home routine either, it will slot back into place when you return there. My kids are a bit older but a few times I've wondered why it was so quiet and discovered then that they'd gone to bed themselves!
One of the main reasons we enjoy camping is because working to a timeframe and routines go out if the window. ( Mine are usually in bed for a set time come what may at home). If we are hungry we eat and if we are tired we sleep. It was just the same when our kids were little too. We found that they wore themselves out with all the fresh air anyway. Just go with the flow and enjoy!!
We have a 4.5 and 2.5 year old and their usual bedtime and routine is between 1930-2000 bedtime.
We found that they were going down between 2030-2100...but they still woke up at 0630 (usual time), mainly as it was light and noisy (curse the wood pigeons).
The kids loved it but no matter how active they were and how late they settled... 0630 = wired.
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Quote: Originally posted by Basichendo on 02/6/2013
We have just started this camping lark...
We have a 4.5 and 2.5 year old and their usual bedtime and routine is between 1930-2000 bedtime.
We found that they were going down between 2030-2100...but they still woke up at 0630 (usual time), mainly as it was light and noisy (curse the wood pigeons).
The kids loved it but no matter how active they were and how late they settled... 0630 = wired.
Mine were the same and always woke at the same time every day regardless of what time they went to bed! Having said that holiday bedtime was always relaxed which made things less stressful.
You've confirmed what I thought really. We did a practise run in the garden the other week, just him and me in a tiny backpacking tent, and he thought it was the funniest thing ever and climbed all over me, scratched me, licked me (!), counted the flowers on my jammies, etc. for a good hour until it got a bit dark and then he went!
So I think plan A is now definitely to let him have a long nap and then put him in his jammies and waterproofs after dinner so that when he is ready for a kip he can just be stripped and plonked. He's one of those children who turns into a demonic wolverine when you try to undress him if he's overtired.
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Toddler bedtime: can`t commit!
