and inadequate pegs for the sand and windy conditions , patience is sorely tested . Meanwhile , the 11 year old son is “ incapacitated ” with a desperate need for dental floss due to something lodged from lunch in his tooth . Unable to locate the floss , despite clear location instructions from the mother as she battles the flapping tent , he escapes the wind and sits in the car , on the wifi !
Just as the tent was mostly secured , a big gust of wind whipped some dust in to the eyes of the now slightly exasperated teen . While she tries to blink it away and shelters in the car , the Mother laments not having Eye Wash in the first aid kit . Finally , with almost all the pegs in , the usually robust , trusty teen is stricken down again – this time with a bout of dizziness and nausea , extreme enough to need to lay in the car . With insufficient pegs nor arms to hold down the tent fly – whoosh , its off and in the dust , Mother watching in despair . Magically , the son materialises from the car with a perfectly timed “ Should I help ?” Oh so perceptive for someone so young !
At this point , our tenting neighbour “ Ken ”, offers assistance , having had “ a similar situation yesterday ” ( minus the floss , dust and dizziness issues ) and unwittingly , changes the course of our family history . Because , it was almost “ that camping trip we didn ’ t have ”. A timely call from the late-having-hadtheir-own-family- challenges-campingfriend suggested “ Put the kettle on , we ’ ll be there soon ”, was also pivotal in changing the course of history ! So , Kettle on , Tea and Bikkies all round , disaster averted and a new plan drawn up .
After tea , camping friend began her own comedy routine with the tent , teenager and pergola . The pergola seemed like a good idea , but a strong wind gust sent that mother , clutching pergola pole , head over heels twisting her ankle . Again , the first aid kit was called for , this time it yielded , the required bandage and tape . Now , with one of the group nauseous , another disabled , and continuing wind gusts we decided to vacate to the beach to clear our minds and moods . We returned , happy and clear minded to our camp area intact and less windy . Together with some neighbourly assistance , we put up our tents and put down the pergola . The welcome calm after the storm .
We celebrated our challenging day with good old fashioned , easy to prepare Spaghetti Bolognese , and a rousing game of all in “ Uno ”. The ensuing two nights were less than joyous amidst flapping tents and bending tent poles , but we went on to thoroughly enjoy our camping , grateful we were not dissuaded by the initial challenges .
By way of summary , here ’ s a little list of “ Camping with Children hints ”, in case you missed them !
1Always be open to the advise and assistance of friends and neighbours and in return , remember to offer help , whenever you can . It will always be appreciated .
2
“ Together everyone achieves more ”
3Dental Floss , Eye Wash , a Bandage and plenty of patience . And slip in some extra tent pegs !
4When things go awry , have a “ cuppa ” to regroup and always have a quick and easy meal to share .
5Don ’ t give up too soon , things will almost certainly get better soon .
Julie Hale has an MA in Industrial Psychology and has varied career experiences in NZ and Australia within the Medical , Military and Corporate environments , having specialised in aircrew , engineer and nursing selection and training . Travel experiences , have been with and without children , from 1 – 5 star , in NZ , Europe , the Americas and Antarctica . Many and varied travel experiences have included bulldozers in Antarctica , horseriding in Chile , a hike to Macchu Picchu and a visit to the Pyramids with Deaf friends . Julie currently spends much of her time volunteering at the school , taxiing children to sports and cultural events and more recently supervising HSC exams .
Maryanne Sayers
Baby Sleep & Routine Consultant
Babies and Toddlers Newborn to 36 months Consultations Mothers Group sessions CPR / First Aid in-home sessions
maryanne . sayers @ gmail . com www . mysleepingbaby . com . au
Simple and effective strategies that work
0417 068 545
FEBRUARY / MARCH – ISSUE 92 27