How old is "enough" to let boys in tent w/us in tr

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How old is "enough" to let boys in tent w/us in tr

Postby digimark » Mon Dec 07, 2009 1:59 pm

Is there a consensus on how old children should be before it's safe enough to let them sleep in a tent alongside us in a trailer? That is, to make them sleep in a tent instead of with us? Up until now they've either been in with us (6x10 CT, still pretty tight), or the wife has been sleeping in the tent with them. My boys are a somewhat immature 8 and a mature 10yo. Thoughts? Thanks. -Gary
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Postby bobhenry » Mon Dec 07, 2009 2:35 pm

My daughter was 7 when wife and I divorced and she chose to live with me. She would arrive home from school about 90 minutes before I got off work and was very good about obeying the ground rules we ( she and I )had set up together. I think if the child fully understand and agrees to the rules set forth they will earn the privelege of being in their own camp enviroment. If they don't they will lose that privelege. Discussions about feeding wild animals being a no no. Not getting out of the tent and wandering alone. If they full understand what CAN happen then they will earn that trust and therefore the privelege. They will grow up just as fast as you allow them.
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Postby Eunice » Mon Dec 07, 2009 2:44 pm

my stepsons were 8 and 10 at their first campout with me. They were very nervous about being in the tent next to ours until it was pointed out that they were closer to us than their beds at home. problem solved and they loved it.
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Postby Shadow Catcher » Mon Dec 07, 2009 3:28 pm

Our kids were in their own tent a couple of years before yours, but then so were we, in a tent. Daughter had her own the boys shared. As they got older the tents got further away from us :phew:

I suppose the question might be, do they sleep in you bed room? If not they are OK for close but sepperate.
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Postby kirkman » Mon Dec 07, 2009 7:54 pm

There is no way my wife would let our 12 year old daughter sleep in a tent out side by her self. Not even in a tent next to the tear under the easy-up wit the sides on the easy-up and some kind of alarm. So I guess when that time comes that she no longer fits in there with us, I will be the one out side in a Hammock. :lol:
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Postby Shadow Catcher » Mon Dec 07, 2009 9:18 pm

Seemed to work out for us, she is now 27 married and a teacher, and is the one that likes to camp. We will probably do a camping trip with her and her husband to Lake Superior Provincial Park next summer.
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Postby len19070 » Tue Dec 08, 2009 2:33 am

My son was afraid to sleep in the Teardrop with the doors shut at 4-5yrs.

the Jersey Mosquitoes ate us alive.

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I bought him a pup-tent and he thought he was the King of the Castle, couldn't get him out of it.

But every kid is different.

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Postby digimark » Wed Dec 09, 2009 4:23 am

Thanks for the advice. I think I've seen too many Jason movies and always imagine the worst.
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Postby Shadow Catcher » Wed Dec 09, 2009 6:21 am

My in-laws for a time lived close to us and one year they made the mistake of leaving their garage door open. A pair of barn swallows set up house keeping and they had to leave the door up. When it came time for the babies to fledge (capable of flight ready to leave the nest) the parents took turns dive bombing the nest and knocking the babies off the edge. All flew off safely and the parents had completed their job.
You can attach screening (Velcro does a nice job) over the door closest to where he has his castle, and realize in ten years or less he will be fledging and your job as a parent is to help that process.
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Postby S. Heisley » Wed Dec 09, 2009 11:56 am

Shadow Catcher wrote:
My in-laws for a time lived close to us and one year they made the mistake of leaving their garage door open. A pair of barn swallows set up house keeping and they had to leave the door up. When it came time for the babies to fledge (capable of flight ready to leave the nest) the parents took turns dive bombing the nest and knocking the babies off the edge. All flew off safely and the parents had completed their job.
You can attach screening (Velcro does a nice job) over the door closest to where he has his castle, and realize in ten years or less he will be fledging and your job as a parent is to help that process.


Beautiful story, Shadow Catcher, and beautiful words!

I'm a worry-wart. If it were me, I would find a way to attach the tent to the trailer so that a door or window in that area could be left open. That way, everybody is comfortable and the boys have their own "room" but, if there is any trouble or mischief, you'll be more likely to hear it happening. If the tent window is attached to one trailer door somehow, then the boys would still have their own exit and so would you. If the tent is shorter than your trailer, you could back the tent window up against the trailer and rig a rain fly between your window (or door) and the tent window so that you can not only leave your window and their window open but also you could hear and see right down into their tent without weather worries.
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Postby bobhenry » Wed Dec 09, 2009 12:27 pm

S. Heisley wrote:I'm a worry-wart. If it were me, I would find a way to attach the tent to the trailer so that a door or window in that area could be left open. That way, everybody is comfortable and the boys have their own "room" but, if there is any trouble or mischief, you'll be more likely to hear it happening. If the tent window is attached to one trailer door somehow, then the boys would still have their own exit and so would you. If the tent is shorter than your trailer, you could back the tent window up against the trailer and rig a rain fly between your window (or door) and the tent window so that you can not only leave your window and their window open but also you could hear and see right down into their tent without weather worries.


Or just make them build their own teardrop !

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Postby S. Heisley » Wed Dec 09, 2009 3:39 pm

Great pic, BobHenry! I noticed that even that one has a "rain fly" so that Mom and Dad can keep an eye and ear on the little ones. :lol:
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Postby Arne » Wed Dec 09, 2009 5:48 pm

When K and I took her g'son, he was 7 and slept in a tent, but he had one of our dogs with him... no problem at all.... but I'm sure the dog helped a lot so he did not feel alone. And he knew we were only feet away.
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Postby Oasis Maker » Wed Dec 09, 2009 6:41 pm

This has to be the single most all time great family teardrop shot. Not a practical solution for most, but still pretty amazing to see.

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Postby mikeschn » Wed Dec 09, 2009 6:45 pm

Wouldn't a slideout work good in this application? That way you wouldn't have to tow 2 teardrops, if you are even allowed to in your state.

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