Yesterday Bailey went off to school camp and tomorrow it’s Sophie’s turn. Despite going on many camping holidays as a kid, I now adhere to a strict No Camping Policy, so basically school camp is the only time of year my two get to experience the joys of showering with their shoes on and sleeping in a tent.
Camping Woolcott Style. Now if that’s not luxury, I don’t know what is!
Not that Sophie will be sleeping in a tent. Apparently she’ll be enjoying school camp in an ensuited cabin complete with balcony and key pad entry.
I don’t know about you, but school camps have changed a bit since the one I went on in 1987 where we tramped (that’s kiwi talk for bushwalked) up a mountain for 5 hours before settling in for the night UNDER A ROCK WITH NOTHING BUT A SLEEPING BAG, A BUNSEN BURNER, A PACKET OF MATCHES AND TWO TINS OF SPAGHETTI TO SHARE BETWEEN 6 HUNGRY AND MILDLY SPOILT GIRLS. AND YES I’M SHOUTING BECAUSE I’M FAIRLY SURE I’M STILL TRAUMATISED BY THAT EXPERIENCE ALMOST 30 YEARS LATER!
But back to my strict No Camping Policy. It’s a controversial stance, but seriously, why I would want to do everything I do at home (cook dinner, clean up, read a magazine, go for a swim, entertain the kids, get Scott to mix me a drink etc) outside on a dirt floor with no access to running water in a location that miles from anything except a kiosk and a communal toilet block?!
Me, my Dad and my brother. Camping in style, circa 1977
All of my camping friends laugh at me whenever I ask them that question and tell me camping is nothing like that anymore and that maybe I should try it because I might just like it. To which I of course tell them they obviously drunk and have we even met?
So you can imagine my horror when I saw on the news last night that there are parents camping out the front of a Brisbane state school at the moment just so they can get their child’s name ON A WAITING LIST for prep next year. At last count, there were 40 families having quite the camp out on the footpath, with the first family in line getting there at 4am two days ago. Mum’s doing the day shift while Dad’s stuck on night shift. I don’t know who that Mum is, but I’d say she’s one clever lady.
“I’ll get there nice and early love and set everything up. Then I’ll sit there all day. If you could pop down at around, oh I don’t know, say 5ish, and we’ll tag team each other. I’ll go home and sleep in our nice comfortable bed while you enjoy a few nights on the footpath. It’ll be just like re-living your 20’s all over again!”
If nothing else, you’ve got to admire their dedication and genuine commitment to ensuring their children receive a top notch education. And how good is that Dad, prepared to sleep on a footpath for his son or daughter, while also being told by the school admin officer that if they do get a place at the school they’ll be expected to attend EVERY sporting event AND actively participate in ALL school functions throughout the year.
I’m not entirely sure I could devote 4 days of my life to living on a footpath on the off chance I might get my kid’s name on a waiting list, let alone traipse along to every sporting event and function on the 2016 school calendar, could you?!
Are you a camper? Or maybe you’re a school waiting list expert? Feel free to share your camping secrets with me!
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