Kids in there own tents - your thoughts?

[HoMErMY12]

Just want to get other peoples thoughts about kids being in there own tents?

Bit of background info. All of our camping to date has been caravan park based. Our daughter is 11 and we believe she is at that age where she needs some privacy. So we have bought her, her own small 2 person tent and downgrade ours to something smaller and quicker to setup. We still do set them us side by side.

My mother-in-law thinks it's a bad idea due to security. But on the other hand my sis-in-law owns a caravan park and sees no issues with it in her park...

Just wondering what other peoples thoughts are on the topic. Do your kids have there own tent or swag? And at what age do you consider appropriate?

[Azz]

We only caravan park once a year, we have four kids. When we started, Miss 16 had her own tent, Mr 14 his and Mr 13 and Miss 8 shared another.
We positioned the young'uns the furthest from the 'public access'
We did have trouble, young blokes knocking off grog, which I made a citizens arrest on. Kids slept through it all until the Police turned up to take my catch away.

We are all older now and the 19, 18 olds don't come with us and 16 years old depending on work commitments. Miss 10 comes and has her own tent.

When she was out quizzing me on the camper trailer build, she was very keen to learn about the sleeping arrangements, once she knew she was invited in the camper, the look of stoke and glee
on her face that she didn't have to sleep with us and had her own tent was priceless.

She loves teasing her cousins because they are not 'brave' enough to sleep in their own tents yet.

I say yes, but depends on kid

[speewa158]

lMHO  if the kids happy & still wants to go camping with the olds do it .  ,As for security . A Van park , lights , people , Mum & Dad doing the parent sleep thing with 1 ear open for the slightest hint of danger  . lf she dose get grabbed they will bring her back as they eat to much , know way to much & talk/camplain  . Or is that just my kid 

[corynmelnkids]

Both our boys (10 & 12) sleep in swags. My mother thinks it is a bad idea but the boys ?ove it. If we are free camping tey get to choose were they sleep and usually have there own fire.

[Socks]

We are newish to this too, but our kids aged 12, 10, & 10 all have their own swags set up right next to us. Tobe honest I'm such a heavy sleeper that I wouldn't hear someone coming into the camper so it makes no difference that they are in a swag or in the annexe (if we set it up, which we don't). Kids have torches and are just outside where we sleep and they love it. It's their space, their responsibility to set up and pack up.
The decision has to be based on the child and whether you're comfy with it. But for our kids it works

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Nomad]

I set my two kids up in a small 3 man tent for the first time last trip. They loved it and so did we. 

[Bunyip]

We have never had a probl;em witht he kids having their own tent.

When they were young they used to invite a friend to come camping (saved our sanity) and from around 8 would sleep in a atent together.

Now one of the older kids wouldn't come camping if his life depended on it, the other one sleeps in his own tent with his girlfriend. The now 13 year old sleeps in her own tent with or without a friend.

Having said that we don't camp in caravan parks, we camp in National Parks and other camping grounds.

Bunyip

[HoMErMY12]

Thanks guys for the confirmation that I'm not a bad parent and in actual fact other kids sleep in tents by themselves too  .

It's just my mother-in-law being paranoid. I have a habit of sleeping with one ear open anyway, I'm always scared someone's going to steal something overnight so I'm always on edge. As for SWMBO, she can sleep through a tornado.

 

[WilSurf]

My now 10 year old daughter is sleeping in her own tent for the last 2 years and she loves it.

[cogze]

we are at a point were the kids are not keen to come camping and management is not happy to leave them at home alone,girl 15 boy 17.If she is happy coming with you guys i would let her have her own space,they grow up to fast ,while your thinking about the issue she has already discovered things that you are not ready for or prepared for.Keep her camping as long as u can, set boundries, she will let u know if she feels unsafe. enjoy her coming camping as long as u can. mark.

[mr_cougar79]

yes to the kids having their own tent. Eva since i can recall starting camping our boys have shared a tent between them. usually having a couple of amber fluid type drinks after dark was always a worry for the wife, she feared she would step on 1 of them trying to get to bed so we got them their own tent.

[austastar]

Hi,
  our boys were in their own tents pre-teens, best thing we ever did for them.


They loved it.


cheers

[FODFA]

Our son only slept in our camper a couple of times, once he got a swag for scouts he never came back in the camper again. He's 14 and has spent more than a year of his life in his swag.

Cheers Andrew

[Xfigio]

We're still all in the tent together.  Not due to security, just because  we love the antics that eventuate with the five of us all squished together. We simply couldn't plan that type of fun.  They grow us so fast, and certainly don't plan on going seperate any time soon.  Btw, kids are between 9 and 14.