Hi Everyone. Well, after 15 years the RV-Dreams Community Forum is coming to an end. Since it began in August 2005, we've had 58 Million page views, 124,000 posts, and we've spent about $15,000 to keep this valuable resource for RVers free and open. But since we are now off the road and have settled down for the next chapter of our lives, we are taking the Forum down effective June 30, 2021. It has been a tough decision, but it is now time.
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I know there has been some discussion about the seniors only campgrounds (or essentially no kids). I really didn't think it mattered to me, one way or the other until .... Spring break. We have been at the same park since September with a few kids, maybe 7 and all very well behaved.
Yesterday, a neighbor's 4 kids showed up to spend spring break. They have already collided a bicycle into a coach a few spaces from us, camp host said damage estimate is $2,000. During happy hour the kids raced golf carts. I truly didn't know a cart would go so fast!
The problem is not the kids, it's the lack of parenting! If I had already caused damage, my mother would have me sitting on my sore backside reading. I certainly would not be out racing golf carts!
If kids are racing golf carts......it is the parks issue for letting it happen.....the park needs to set an age restriction and speed limit and strictly enforce it.
I have worked in several parks and the rules needed to be enforced, when safety rules are broken and not enforced the park is liable if they do nothing.
its to bad when families pull in and open the cooler.....and then proceed to take a vacation from their kids!!
My theory.....when you pull in, you sign the rules agreement ....break them and you have 30 minutes to clear out.. no refund , no excuses........its profitable because I can rent that site to someone else with a little more respect pretty fast on a busy weekend!!!
When I did this, every kid and family in the campground grew wings & halo's!!!!
Your their to have fun.....but not at someone else"s exspense
-- Edited by Lucky Mike on Wednesday 12th of March 2014 08:52:27 AM
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1998 ...Harney Renegade DP class A
rers1@mail.com
My Service dog and life partner " Nikki"......Klee Kia Miniature Husky....(she Runs the ship!!)
We are not lost in the Woods.....Just Extreme boondocking!!!!!!
I get it that the park should have control BUT (and I put the BUT in caps for a reason) part of the problem with our kids today is so many put off parenting to others like schools or in this case campgrounds and then get pissed off when they reprimand the kids.
It starts with the parents in my mind period. And I know this is not a popular thing to say but I believe parenting became restricted when the ability to spank our kids became challenged.NOT BEAT or abuse but good old fashioned spanking. There is just no penalties until it's time to go to jail.
There, I'm sure I just lost a few popularity points if I had any to begin with LOL!!
Hdrider, you just earned brownie points from me. Our worst nightmare is trying to enjoy a meal in a restaurant while kids are running, screaming and disturbing everybody (except their parents who don't even look at them) and having to pay for our indigestion. We were never allowed that kind of behavior, didn't even need a swat on the behind, we got THE LOOK.
Dyana, your post had me laughing out loud, when you said "we got THE LOOK" I could absolutely see my mother's face giving me the look!
I agree that it is not up to the campground management to reign in the kids, but they should approach the parents about unacceptable behavior of children in their park. Agreed that the parents are to blame here.
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Jo & Ben
2014 Arctic Fox 32-5M 5th wheel pulled by a 2014 Ford F350 DRW
I hate me when I think about this subject. I hate to see the kids hog tied but I only have about 30 nanoseconds of patience with them. I think the campground is responsible to communicate the rules to the parents and then the parents are responsible to manage the children. The biggest problem is that we all have our own perception and definition of those terms. Some govern by the letter of the rule and others by the spirit of the rule. I wonder if rules and recreation can ever be commingled.
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MarkS & Jackie MSgt, USAF, Ret 2004 Volvo 780 530 HP Cummins 13 speed 2014 Trilogy 3650RE fulltime since Oct 8, 2016
Some parents set horrible examples and those are the ones that really deserve "THE LOOK". Unfortunately that seems to be true at more places than just campgrounds, restaurants, etc. Parenting by words, vs. setting an example just doesn't seem to be working, go figure.
I've been know to give young parents in restuarants the "MOM" look. But also realize that they maybe overwhelmed and not have had good role models themselves, so often a quick distraction of the kids can help parents get their breath and give time for a quick "when our kids were that age we found xyz worked" said with a smile.
We were at Mt. Rushmore and a little boy was having a melt down and parents didn't know what to do. I crouched down and commented on his 'Ichiro' shirt, something like 'I liked him too.' Stopped the kid in mid cry as I was at his eye level and liked something that he liked. Gave the parents a break and he forgot why he was crying.
Barb
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Barb & Dave O'Keeffe
2002 Alpine 36 MDDS (Figment II), 2018 Ford C-Max HYBRID
Hooo boy, could I get going on this one! Jo Ann and I are retired teachers, we had three kids in 14 months, home-schooled our three while teaching other people's kids, and now have a year-old grandson. One thing we did with our kids was count to five when they weren't responding quickly enough to our instructions. Saturday we were visiting two of the three kids, and Jo Ann was entertaining the grandson by holding up fingers and counting. Our son commented that he began to get nervous when he heard his mother counting to five!
One of our daughters is a first-grade teacher. When she was in college the five of us made a fairly fast trip to the D.C. area. We visited Mt. Vernon on a day when there were several school groups there. With two teachers and one more in training it seemed natural to help out with the kids. Surprisingly, no one seemed to mind. One teacher asked how teachers could be there on a school day without kids. We explained that our schools were out for the summer. Some of the kids even asked our names and called us by name later on when they saw us.
I think a lot depends on where you are. A fancy rv resort, catering to older people, is a lot different than a campground at a lake, etc.
If we want more rv'ers in the future, most need to start as kids.
There are lines that should not be crossed, but if you are at a campground that caters to young families, with things for kids to do, expect kids to be kids! And play!
Notice I said play, not vandalism, etc. Kids need somewhere to let loose! Run around, play. Have fun, ride bikes, etc. We enjoy watching them.
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2012 Voltage 3600 2014 RAM 3500 DRW 3 Honda Valkyries
I think the main point here (and forgive me if I'm wrong) was that kids need to be SUPERVISED by their parents. Yes, they should by all means be allowed to let loose, but not on someone else's property, and not doing dangerous things like racing carts in the living or heavily populated areas.
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Cheryl B. in her new RV
(well, not new any more! Full timing since 6/25/14)
2008 DRV MS 36TKBS3 (the CoW: Castle on Wheels), 2005 Ford F550 hauler (the Bull)
I think all parks should have a kid free zone......and all us Old Farts should be able to sit out with our Super soakers and have open season on the infiltrating little varmints !!!!!!
(No child was hurt in the making of this discussion )
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1998 ...Harney Renegade DP class A
rers1@mail.com
My Service dog and life partner " Nikki"......Klee Kia Miniature Husky....(she Runs the ship!!)
We are not lost in the Woods.....Just Extreme boondocking!!!!!!
LOL!!! OK, so tomorrow when we check in at our campground for a spring break visit with the grand twins, I think we need to get a super soaker, better yet, we'll get 2 and turn them loose on each other and we'll sit back in our lawn chairs and snooze, with of course, paying proper grandparental attention to the little varmints
It's for sure the parents fault for not keeping an eye on their children; that give all us families a bad name. If my kids ever did something like that you can be sure their video games and electronic devices would be sold to pay for damage. Also any allowance they get would go to damages as well. I am a very vigil mother who knows where my daughter is at all times. I do have a 5 1/2 year old and a baby on the way. So far the only complaint we have had is our daughter's tantrums being a little loud. But that's only because we don't spoil her and give in to everything she wants. But she is doing much better and getting ready to show her baby brother good behavior.