The first family trip I planned was too long and too ambitious, and it nearly put all of us off camping for good. Then I read a piece on Swords Camping Supplies that said to start small. Which is obvious only after you have done it wrong.

So we started with one night, a field a short drive from home, and a leaving time I did not feel bad about. Short trips first, then longer ones. If the whole thing goes sideways, you are home before lunch, and nobody remembers it as a disaster.

Letting them help changed the mood more than anything I said. My youngest carries the pegs in a small bag. The older one works the pump and holds the pole while I thread it. It takes twice as long and it is worth it, because a child who helped build the tent does not want to leave it.

Meals stay simple. Pasta with a jar of sauce, bread and cheese, something from the pan in the morning. I stopped trying to cook proper food outdoors. Nobody has complained yet, and there is only one pot to wash.

For the evening we have one game and no screen: a torch and a walk to find things in the dark, or cards by the lantern. It ends when they are tired, not when I am. The point is to fill the hour between dinner and bed, not to win anything.

Warm layers, more than you think. Kids get cold sitting still and then they are miserable, and so are you. Hats, one extra fleece each, dry socks in the bag.