I took a risk this week.
I was walking through town with the children and we ambled into Millets and looked at the tents in the sale.
I want a new tent, mainly because our current tent annoys me but partly because I like shiny new things. I know I won’t get a new tent though because I’m too rational. Our current tent suffices. It does the job, not brilliantly well, but it does the job. I cannot justify the expense associated with replacing it or, as is the case with most things we buy, the new would sit alongside the old as we’re not very good at “getting rid.”
In order to maintain the interest of the children I suggested we could be looking for a tent for them – just for them. I told them that at Hannah’s age I was allowed to camp in a pup tent which was pitched alongside my parents’ tent. I was pretty sure we wouldn’t buy the children a tent as we had our old two man tent in the loft that Dave and I had used pre-children.
The conversation gradually moved on to that two man tent and the idea of putting it up in the garden.
Ten minutes later when we were home, that is exactly what we were doing. Putting up a two man tent in the back garden.
The conversation had also resulted in me agreeing to (and if I’m honest encouraging) the idea of the children sleeping in the tent in the back garden.
In theory this isn’t a big deal except…
- We had badgers in the garden this week
- We don’t have a secure back garden and usually leave the back gates open
- The children would need access to the house during the night which would mean leaving the back door unlocked
We went ahead anyway and whilst the children enjoyed the adventure, they decided they preferred their own beds.
All of which means that two days later we still have a tent in the garden that needs to be taken down.
