Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2007 18:54:16 -0400
Reply-To: BJ Feddish <bfeddish@NETREACH.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: BJ Feddish <bfeddish@NETREACH.NET>
Subject: Re: toddler camping
In-Reply-To: <BAY101-F1909424663D5E67897F57CAC020@phx.gbl>
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My daughter was colicky for the first 18 months of here life. We canceled
all our camping trips during that time. Last year when she was 2 1/2 years
old we took her to the closest place from our house on the Jersey shore. Of
course we asked (as we always do) for the quietest area of the campground.
The first problem was my wife tried to put her to bed at her normal 7 PM
bedtime. That was not going to happen. We had also purchased a nice child's
cot from a list member here. She played on the cot for 30 minutes then said
"can we go home now?" My wife then ended up having to "sleep" with her on
the bottom bunk which just entailed her staying up most of the night. I did
not sleep well because if I can't see my wife and "the look" she gives off
mental vibrations that did not allow me to sleep either. We got up around 6
AM and she just was cranky and just started screaming as loud as she could
for as long as she could. Since we were in the "quiet" are of the
campground I could see people "rustling" around in their tents, also giving
off mental vibrations. We packed up and drove home as quickly as possible.
Fast forward to this year. I decided to do it "my" way ( a list member
suggested this last year) and took her by myself up to Green Lane (last
years Busses by the Depot). I did things with her all day and let her wear
herself out. At about 7 PM I put on her jammies and told her she could watch
videos as long as she wanted. (A big deal since she does not get to watch
allot at home.) She watched and played around in the camper for about 2
hours while I read outside and enjoyed carefully hidden cold refreshments
(State park, you know the drill). At about 9 she asked to go to bed. I
read her her stories and she played in the van for little while in the dark.
I could tell because the van was still shaking and a little head peered out
the window occasionally. She fell fast asleep around 9:30. I read for awhile
outside then crept in through the passenger door later that evening and
climbed up top. I did the same thing the next day, she even took a short
nap for me.
Last week the 3 of us went to Lancaster, PA for 2 nights. We were at a place
that was full of those "Greyhound Bus" campers. That's a whole other story.
The first night she wore herself out and went to bed around 9:30 but the
second night my wife tried to put her to be early again. Not a good idea.
On a scary note. My daughter likes to play up top which I let her do when
I'm right there. She was up there playing when my wife was up there and my
wife came for something. I had just moved out of the way and was about to
look up when I hear my wife scream and look to see my 3 year old mid flight
to the ground from the top. I caught her right before she hit but her head
still hit the floor and gave her a nice bruise. Pretty scary stuff.
So the child's cot just sits in the garage and maybe we'll use it, maybe not
but her sleeping downstairs and us up worked out pretty well. It's just
when you need to use that porta potty when things get tricky.
The moral of the story. Forget everything you do at home and let them go to
bed when they want.
Bryan