Some advice is easier to give than take! It seems to me that there is a tendancy among many parents these days to be over protective towards their children, to "wrap them in cotton wool", to protect them from the big bad world out there. A typical example is parents driving their children to school and not letting them walk with their friends like we did as children ( I am sure many of you will have fond memories of what you got up to with your mates!). Sadly it is a big bad world and the children will have to deal with it when they grow up and if they are over protected when they are young they will not be prepared. I think you should allow your children to experience as much as they can and not stop them just because it might be dangerous. Whether its horse riding, climbing trees or going to the park with their friends, explain the dangers and make sure they know how to look after themselves, then trust them and let them get on with it. Allowing your children to sleep in the awning will be a big adventure for them and will make them feel very grown up. So my advice would be to take all reasonable precautions you can to see they are safe, then let them get on with it but, as I said, some advice is easier to give than take and it would be quite understanable if you felt you couldnt do it. Jim.