Ann Wason Moore: How slack parents are ruining holidays
Opinion: A camping trip is an essential part of the Aussie family experience, but other people’s children should not turn this dream holiday into a nightmare. Read Ann Wason Moore’s dispatch from the family camping front line.
Opinion
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Aussie campgrounds are the great leveller.
Whether you’re housed in a multimillion-dollar motorhome, a comfortable camper-trailer or a simple swag, we’re all sharing the same space – usually a waterfront position worth far more than all those moto-mansions put together.
It’s beautiful to see bogans beside the so-called inner-city elite, a true mix of the latte and UDL set, with children of all backgrounds playing together in the communal streets as their parents celebrate a moment of blessed peace.
But just because social status has no significance when camping, doesn’t mean class doesn’t count.
No matter the environment, manners always matter … but it seems some families missed the memo.
Checking in at our annual SEQ camping destination at Cotton Tree on the Sunshine Coast, there was a special addition to our usual paperwork of park map and amenities code … an actual memo about manners.
“In the last week we have experienced a number of incidents where children have harassed fellow holiday makers and created unnecessary mess in the park facilities,” it read.
“These children have been removed from the park. We will not tolerate children creating an unhealthy atmosphere in the park for other holiday makers who are here to simply enjoy their break.
“We would like to remind you of a few important rules to ensure a pleasant experience for everyone:
“1. Respect for others: Please be considerate of your fellow guests & maintain a peaceful atmosphere
“2. Anti-Social Behaviour: Any form of anti-social behaviour including excessive noise, harassment, disruptive conduct, children unsupervised & misbehaving in the park or any park facility will not be tolerated. Guests exhibiting such behaviour will be asked to leave the park immediately and your booking will be cancelled.
“3. Park Facilities: These are not to be used as a playground for children unsupervised.
These are provided for the enjoyment of all.”
Wow. Imagine the shame of being expelled from a campground, a place where only the most basic etiquette is required and almost all childish misbehaviour and mischief is tolerated.
Somehow we seem to be forgetting that a family holiday is not a holiday from parenting itself.
In fact, these issues at Cotton Tree Holiday Park are not an isolated incident, with social media full of complaints from unhappy campers about other people’s children.
It’s such a shame because a campground or caravan park, at its best, is like time-travelling back to a simpler age … when kids played in the streets and were allowed some independence.
The emphasis there being on ‘some’ independence. I hate to see parents completely checked out once they’ve checked in to the campsite. Look, I understand the allure … it feels like a safe space, everyone is looking out for each other’s kids, but you can’t just get smashed on tinnies and assume the kids will sort themselves out.
Without even delving into the issue of the example these adults are setting, the communal aspect of campgrounds can actually create some dangerous environments.
Take the awful case of convicted child sex offender Barry Coggin, who befriended two boys, aged eight and 11 at a Gold Coast campground before abusing them in his caravan.
Parents always need to remain on alert, not just for the danger posed towards their children, but the danger that children can pose to themselves and, of course, the annoyance or worse that the children can pose towards others.
Other campers are not to be used as the subject of your children’s TikTok pranks or social media dares, and if your children don’t clean up after themselves, you better be one step behind ready to tidy up their mess.
A camping trip is an essential part of the Aussie family experience, but other people’s children should not turn this dream holiday into a nightmare.
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