u/PersonalOrdinary4412

My spouse and I just returned from a two-night camping trip with our four-year-old daughter. Camping was a big part of my life growing up and it's something I'm excited to share with my kid. My question is: does anyone have recommendations to keep a child occupied/entertained on a camping trip? Our trip went really well—we went on an easy hike around a lake and our campsite was right by a little creek she liked to play in. She helped us cook and clean up. She had art stuff. She had her little strider bike. But even with all of that, camping can be full of down time, and we mostly played a game called Zingo that thankfully my daughter loved. We played it so. Much. Any other game recommendations or other activities you'd recommend for a trip, camping or otherwise, with an only child?

My MIL's long-term (been together for 20+ years) boyfriend is horrible. He doesn't respect our home or my house rules around my child. Example: he was watching a violent show on our family room tv and I asked that he turn it off while my three-year-old played in the area. He refused, saying "it's fine!". We went upstairs to play instead. He picks up, tickles, hugs my daughter (now four) without asking. She is hesitant of him, probably picking up on my attitude toward him. He doesn't even speak to my MIL with respect. When my spouse was in middle/highschool and overweight, the boyfriend made fun of him. Now that my spouse is fit and financially successful, the boyfriend is buddy-buddy with him and he and my MIL come to visit and expect to stay at our house, with their dog (we are not dog people). They even bought us a bedroom set for our guest bedroom, without consulting either of us. I have always been polite to the boyfriend when they come to stay and make coffee for him in the morning since we are the only coffee drinkers, and we talk over coffee. He almost always has something unsolicited and ignorant to say about social welfare, race, and/or gender identity. Basically, I can hardly stand to be around him and would prefer he not be around my daughter.

I am going on a trip this summer and we want my MIL to come stay for a few days while I'm gone, to help my spouse take care of our daughter. She insists on traveling with the awful BF. My spouse asked her if she would come by herself this time, so they could have some quality time together. He brought up that when she visits his sister, she goes alone sans-BF and he would like some time with just her, too. (The sister is vocal about hating her BF.) She said no, because she and BF are planning to hike when they come visit.

What would you do in this situation? Do we tough it out and take comfort in the fact that we only see BF a couple times a year? Would you draw a hard line and insist that she visit without him? I do want my daughter to know her grandmother.