ARE you a camping virgin? I am even if I do like the idea of my daughters giving it a go – with or without me. Here. 'hardened parent' Tara Cain offers some wise words of encouragement after an unforgettable trip.
LET'S be clear: camping is not and never has been my idea of fun.
Throw in two young children and it becomes the sort of holiday I would pay good money NOT to go on.
I am a creature comforts sort of girl. I like hot showers with big fluffy towels and a generous sized bed to throw myself on at the end of a busy day.
I like my breakfast without the addition of bugs and I like for there to be a brick wall between me and the great outdoors when I am sleeping. So why was I camping with 18 children and a borrowed tent on a recent weekend?
And why did I come home with thoughts of actually handing over my hard-earned cash on a tent of our very own? Simple really. My kids adored it.
I knew they would, but seeing their little faces lit up with the joy of discovering the dew between their toes first thing in the morning and zipping themselves up in their (one pirate, one pink) sleeping bags was such a joy for this hardened parent.
They played until they dropped, they had mini adventures on their own without grown ups to spoil it and they laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed.
They had such a blast it changed my view of camping. The trip was organised by a group of mums at the primary school my son attends.
They go every year and this year the begged, bribed and bullied me into going. To be fair, hubby was all for it from the get go, it was me who needed slapping about the face. I tried every excuse I could think up in the heart stopping seconds after the “you are coming aren’t you?” questions hit me at the school gate every morning for about three weeks before said trip. I was quite honoured to be asked truth be told, as this is a group of friends who have been holidaying together since their babies were just little bumps in their mummies’ tummies.
So I relented. For the children I kept telling myself. The campsite, in Leominster, was idyllic.
All eight families pitched around a huge grassy circle, backed by trees and just a few metres from a small, pretty lake with a wooden platform for the children to laze on all day catching frogs and chewing the fat.
The children ranged from two to 16 and pretty much looked after themselves with the grown up ones relishing the opportunity to 'be responsible' while the adults sat around and chatted or read or went for walks. I haven't been that chilled out since before I had two children.
In fact, I don't remember a holiday ever being that chilled out and relaxing (I was always a 'can't sit still for five minutes' kind of gal on holiday. Yeah, I was a barrel of laughs!)
I'm no expert on camping. I don't know where the best sites are or what the best gear to take is or even how to put a tent up (we had lots of help).
But what I did want to say is, if camping is something you'd never really considered before, maybe it's time to give it a second chance.
Trust me, if I can do it so can you!
NOTE: The weather was all kinds of gorgeous while we were away which obviously makes a big difference.
First signs of rain and Hugh Jackman himself wouldn't have been able to entice me there. Secondly, I didn't give up all my creature comforts. I took the duvet off my own bed (along with white cover) for that touch of home feel!
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