Can everyone just remember they are on holiday!
We have just returned from a weekend away at the Caravan Club New Forest Site. We live in the New Forest ourselves so this is the nearest site to us; but sometimes we don't care that we go close to home we just want to have a weekend away as a family and spend some quality time together.
I have two children - 13 and 10 years old, and although I am biased I can safely say that they are very well mannered and polite. So I was absolutely shocked and horrified when I was getting ready to leave yesterday morning and was stood at the rubbish bins only to hear two people talking about my children in a derogatory manner. I listened in on their conversation and could hear that they were moaning about the fact that children were scooting around the site and the fact that it shouldn't be allowed". As I continued to listen I quickly understood that there hadn't been any incident regarding the children on the scooters, it was just the fact that these visitors didn't like the fact that children were scooting around. I decided not to say anything and returned to my caravan and asked the children if they had always been safe and corteous when travelling around the site and was told by my 10 year old daughter that she had actually been shouted at and told off by different people on the site and she was unsure why. My son then told me that he had been stopped by a lady the day before who had shouted at him and told him that “ rollerskating is banned” and that he should stop being naughty.
What on earth is going on?
When I arrived on the site on Friday evening I turned over the map I was given and saw the long list of rules and regulations, and I noted that one of the rules was that motorised scooters and skateboards were banned. I therefore told the children that they would not have their skateboards for the weekend, but they could use their manual scooters. And they used them for the weekend when we were on site.
I just find the whole thing rather disappointing. The caravan club is a place for everyone of all ages – and most importantly can we just remember it is a community made up of people who just want to enjoy their holidays and relaxation time. I stay in my caravan because, as a parent of two (almost) teenage children I want to spend some quality time with them, enjoying the outdoors. Rather than them being in front of screens at home. In the same way that I don’t understand why some people go away for the weekend and spend 50% cleaning and polishing their vans and awnings – does it matter? Everyone is different and we are all allowed to just enjoy our time away without being moaned at. I would never think to say that people shouldn’t be allowed to use more water than me cleaning their vans – why do some people think that it is OK to go up to my children and make them feel bad about enjoying themselves?
Can I suggest that if some of the people that didn’t like scooters being used on the site this weekend look for adult only sites in future to minimise this occurrence. I will certainly not be using this site again; and it has seriously made me rethink being part of the caravan club at all.
Comments
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Oh how sad. So long as your children weren't being noisy or rude, and I don't for a moment suggest they were. Or going the wrong way on a one way system or exceeding the speed limit, they should have been left alone. It's sad but club sites and posters on here can be very negative towards children. (But dog owners are also commented upon) It's a great shame as it should be a safe and social environment for children. Personally I have issues with speed on site and it's not the children 😲 causing that issue!
Your children didn't raise the issue that they'd been 'spoken' to by adults until you posed the question, so does that suggest they consider that sort of behaviour normal?
I don't know what else to say 😔
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We've had similar treatment although my pair are older and don't use scooters. I followed them to the toilet block once and was absolutely disgusted by the glares that were aimed at them.
Hope it doesn't put you off vanning. Most (non club) sites are fine
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@ TheWallsBs
I'm not sure I could have bitten my tongue ...... I'd have had to say something. Just read though the many posts here complaining about dogs, kids, not walking here or there etc etc .... there are just some miserable bu66ers both here on CT & Caravan Club sites in general. Too busy watching & judging what every body else is doing.
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I think it does matter if they ride the wrong way round some sites, not all sites have clear views and I for one would hate to encounter a child whizzing around a blind corner into on coming traffic.
However the OP has a point, folk can be very intolerant of children of all ages. Once your own children have grown up and you have not yet had the blessing of grand children then its quite easy to 'forget' how children play and go about their lives.
Noise becomes more noticeable, because you are used to the house/van being quiet. We have 4 grand children between the ages of 7 and 11 they can be (to us) very noisy at times but I'm sure our own children were just the same, we've just forgotten.
Being rude or bossy to a child however is not on, if anyone has an issue then either talk to the parent or speak to the warden.
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Unfortunately there is no filter in the 'application' for membership which eliminates the inconsiderate, the intolerants, the antisocial! Unfortunately they walk amongst us at all times and in all aspects of our lives, always have done and always will. As long as we experience courteous, polite and behaviours which abide by the agreed rules then live and let live is my mantra. Just enjoy those precious holidays and time with the family. Childhood is brief enough and at the en of the day most of us 'graduate' through this with help from the friendly and caring adults around us.
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Good post TWB, you & your family are the norm, don't doubt that. It's sad that some miserable adults need to bully & verbally abuse children. I'm afraid a lot of users of C&MC sites believe the sites should be a silent & pristine environment free from any form of joy & happiness. There should be no place on LV sites for the intolerant
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A - Don't use a regimented Club Site in future.
B - go abroad and let your children join in with the dozens of other children who thoroughly enjoy themselves from dawn to dusk cycling and scootering around the site in all directions without anyone moaning at them.
There are some miserable campers on most UK sites with too much time on their hands and a critical attitude to anyone else who attempts to enjoy themselves.
Go South, young man, go South!
T
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What a sad post.
My goodness, children running around breathing in fresh air and burning up energy, how dreadful.
As others have said, go to any continental site and children are allowed to play. If you find kids so revolting and such an intrusion on your peaceful quality of life then there are enough adult only places to go and stop in.
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How miserable some people are. I always think weekends and school holidays are family times, if you don't like the noise (and children are noisy, weren't we all!!) go elsewhere. When we want a little peace we go to adult only sites or go during term time. Sometimes i think these people were never children. If you have a problem with children, cycling or scootering around toilet blocks, etc speak to the parents
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How dare you let your children behave so poorly, fancy forcing them out of the van to annoy others while you relax in peace🤣
My granddaughters are also well behaved and polite and have usually made friends with others while we are still setting up. They are taught to observe the rules & regs and to make good use of the PLAY facilities, weather permitting. Unfortunately too many want the club to be their own private environment where kids/dogs etc are not tolerated.
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Your a better man than me TWB's I would would have said something to them there and then. Don't let a few miserable sod's spoil the precious time you have with your family.
BTW, For what its worth, I've been know to wipe down my caravan on site, not all of us have the luxury of keeping it near to or at home so needs must sometimes
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I’m happy to concede I’m not a fan of caravanning amongst lots of children enjoying themselves but it doesn’t make me a miserable person. Im not of a pensionable age, late 40’s and very much into enjoying life to the limit, but, I don’t have children of my own and as such, don’t care much for being amongst the noise and on occasion, frenetic malaise that can often come with youngsters getting together and having a fun holiday. That’s may point though, the children are on holiday too and as such, you can’t blame them for enjoying themselves.
Children have every right to do what they do on their holidays and I would never expect them to be permanently tethered to their parents when on a Caravan Club site. To escape this is my responsibility so when appropriate, you’ll find me on an AO site.
but... i’m DEFINATELY not a miserable person, i’m just not the model family guy
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Earlier in the year we spent a weekend at Clumber Park and I don't think I had ever seen so many kids on a campsite. They were riding all over the place on their bikes and scooters. Even going round the site roads the wrong way. I don't anyone, including us, were particularly bothered and the kids were certainly enjoying themselves. Isn't that the way it should be? After the weekend it soon gets back to normal with nobody talking to each other!!!!
David
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If the OP lives in the New Forest area there are many more suitable places and sites where children can enjoy much greater freedom than the car park like ambience of the site used. It wasn't a good experience, which is sad, but it isn't the best place I can think of for children to stay. If parents do decide to use that site others need to be kinder and more generous in their outlook.
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Believe me MM. They do exist. No idea which site I was on when a child of about 6 came the wrong way around a blind corner with head down and bottom up on his cycle. AT 4MPH i stopped easily. I was expecting the lad to still smash into the front of the car. In the event he panicked and fell off finishing not quite under the front of the car but out of my view. As I got out of the car one of his parents was rushing over to pick him up and gave me a black look.
I was glad that he fell off rather than hit my car as not only did it save me from hassle of being accused of running him to him, car repairs etc but also probably saved him from greater injury.
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We see kids doing what kids do everywhere we go. As long as they don't touch our equipment (or us), they are welcome to get on with it and enjoy themselves. Kids relax by burning energy = fact.
I would say to the op, don't give up on taking the kids to sites where there are lots of people also relaxing. There are some miserable s..s about, and your kids already know this and handle it very well from the sound of it. We don't take our great, great, grand children away with us because they don't "do caravans", but we like to see families enjoying themselves. I think we are normal and the mizzery gutses who told your kids off should simply be ignored.
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You can always try the other club's sites. Pevensey bay for example has lots of kids around during school holidays, its open, friendly and the only accidents youngsters have is when they fall off their bike, skates, skateboard etc. A fun, but noisy site.
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May I also suggest the possibility of joining your local centre and give rallying a try, you'll find that lots of rallies are family oriented and children actively encouraged to join in the fun. After all, if we don't welcome children, then where o where is the next generation of our wonderful hobby coming from ????
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Sad, but well said. In the last few years the National Trust has tried to change from being a dull, stuffy, boring 'middle class/middle aged' Club and tried to get children involved in activities with worksheets/things to look for. Love the book "50 Things To Do Before Your 11 3/4 " Its time the Caravan and Motorhome Club came into the 21st century - and that means more than changing its name and website layout. On most sites there is very little to do and they are not encouraged to go and explore the great outdoors. Try and ignore those ignoramuses or better still tell them what you think!
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Sadly I have never had children but I love to see and hear children on site enjoying themselves. I cannot bear the thought of adults only sites and really miss the children when away during school term time. As long as the children are sensible and well behaved which in my experience of 30 years caravanning is the vast majority of caravan owners children then no problem. As noted in previous posts it is lovely to watch children when abroad as the interaction between children who speak different languages is often an example to us more reticent adults. Keep taking your children with you and ignore the grumpy whingers, the future of caravanning depends on the young.
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Good post.
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My advice is... don't go abroad go where you want and stand up to these bully' s. Like some people on here I'm not particularly fond of a lot of children scooting/running around but that's not because I dislike them it's just I work with them and like to escape so more often or not I go to an adult only sites, maybe that's what these people who are moaning about your children should do so perhaps if it happens again suggest that to them ?? Enjoy your holiday it's a free world.
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