A lot of people have commented on how amazing our trips are and that the kids really look like they enjoy themselves. I suppose in the moments we choose to share (because no one is really going to snap a photo of one of the kids melting down in the car - we are too busy trying to deal with difficult situations and parent accordingly than document it) it can come across as though we are always having the most fantastic time.

Well I’m here to tell you that half of the time we go camping, it rains. There’s mud EVERYWHERE, if it’s torrential we are all stuck in a tiny space together for hours. Because our van isn’t insulated it gets very cold whenever we free camp, the kids always interrupt our sleep and more often than not there’s four of us trying to sleep in a cramped double bed. There is no toilet or shower in our caravan which means if we are staying in a caravan park it’s a decent walk to the bathroom and I’m not going to lie, I’ve used the kids potty in the middle of the night plenty! Any woman that has birthed children can relate to this night time bladder party. And if we free camp it means no showers and a stinky dump toilet - baby wipe baths all round!

I’m not telling you all of this to scare you, weirdly enough I kind of love all of the inconveniences of camping. We are there to enjoy the outdoors, spend quality time together, experience life away from suburbia and the creature comforts of home. You can only laugh when things get a little crazy and learn from our mistakes, like never ever forget to pack coffee. Try not to get wrapped up in seeing other peoples images portraying a lovely relaxing trip, you are seeing their highlight reel. Focus on what enjoyment you can make in your situation and remember it’s meant to be a fun break for everyone.

Let me know in the comment section below any burning questions you have or if you’d like to share some camping tips!

♡