[Ansteorra] OT?: SCA baby

[Jennifer Dudley]

For the first few years of my daughter's life, she and I would go to events
alone.  I made sure that I had friends to share a pavilion with so that I
didn't have to cart that around.  I didn't travel as much and usually went
to local events and didn't camp with her until she was 3 and I was sure she
would sleep thru the night and wouldn't disturb other campers.  If I knew I
was working at that event, she either helped me or I had a friend watch her,
or she stayed home with daddy who didn't mind that either.  I made good
friends with a couple who had a child that age and shared duties.  Now that
my lord attends events with me again, we tag team.  I never carried a play
pen or stroller with me, since I liked to sit under the pavillion with my
baby and let her play on a large blanket.  many people in the SCA like to
"steal babies" (to get their baby fix) so I always got a break.

Make sure that you do bring your children so that they learn at the toddler
age what behavior is appropriate.  Play the "hold" game when they can walk
and listen.  It's kind of light red light green light, but you tell them
hold, so they learn what that means around list fields.  My 4 yr old has
learned to be quiet during court (even though she complains about sitting
there), but I make sure she knows that everyone goes to court and is quiet
and listens.  She is also getting into archery now so goes and stays with me
at the range, and is learning the rules for behavior there.

YIS,
Lady Brenna MacDonald
Westgate


On 7/10/07, Susan McMahill <sueorintx at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> My son was older when we started with the SCA, but there is one thing I
> have thought of while watching parents of young children at events. Hire a
> 'nurse' or 'governess' for the event. It is perfectly 'period' to have
> someone else to assist with the care of young children so that in the event
> that mom and/or dad want/need to be somewhere, their child/ren are being
> cared for by someone they know and trust. I see plenty of tweens and teens
> wandering about looking bored. Perhaps there is one in your group that
> wouldn't mind earning a few pence or a bauble or trinket for babysitting for
> part or all of the event. If you have a non-SCA babysitter that you trust,
> perhaps paying their site fee and providing them with a t-tunic or something
> in the line of garb in addition to some compensation would entice them to
> help you out at an event. I know it's an added expense, but it's worth a
> thought as well as piece of mind and less frayed nerves.
>
> Lyneya
>
>
>
> > Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2007 10:49:28 -0500> From: kitharis at gmail.com> To:
> ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org> Subject: Re: [Ansteorra] OT?: SCA baby> >
> The best advice I can give is: children of active SCA folks should go to>
> events. At any age. If you leave them at home with babysitters all the
> time,> they'll never learn what the SCA is all about, and they may learn
> that the> parents care more about events than about the children. (You know
> you're in> the SCA when you teach your daughter how to peel a potato safely
> by telling> her, "Hold it like a crossbow!")> > You've probably already
> realised that even one child can double the amount> of stuff you take to
> events.> > When you go to events and the children are small, one of you
> should be with> the child as much as possible. This means you'll probably
> have to work out> who gets to do what at an event. When Tivar and I were
> both fighting, we'd> decide who was going to fight that event, or make sure
> that one of us was> off the field while the other was on it. Sometimes I'd
> run a list with the> baby at my side while he was fighting or marshalling.
> Sometimes he'd be the> baby-tender while I ran around as deputy steward or
> head cook or something.> You just learn to take turns so no one gets shorted
> on what they want to do.> If you're a single parent (which includes parents
> where the other half> doesn't go to events), try a cooperative with other
> parents or single> parents. Group parenting, if you have the same ideas
> about child-raising, is> wonderful, and the kids have companions.> > Get a
> body-harness leash for the toddlers, especially for large events like> Gulf
> War. You'll probably get some grief about it, but the value of being> able
> to ensure your child cannot disappear in the blink of an eye is>
> incalculable. The child feels a lot of freedom, being able to explore a
> bit,> and you have control over the child's distance from you. You also know
> the> child cannot slip between two people and vanish.> > Have a patch with
> your arms on it applied to the child's clothing, perhaps> with your name
> embroidered on it as well. If the child cannot remember your> SCA name(s),
> anyone even remotely adept at heraldry can match the arms to> the banner at
> your campsite or pavilion.> > There are plenty of wooden toys that will do
> for "period" looking. Try to> keep the modern stuff in camp, though that
> won't always be possible. I've> seen nice wagons you can give them rides in
> (and kids love helping out on an> ice run!).> > I'm sure others will think
> of more things.> > Aethelyan Moondragon> Bryn Gwlad> > On 7/10/07, Natasha
> Brown <texas_roberttash at yahoo.com> wrote:> >> > Those with advice please
> do post. I am returning to the SCA with a wife> > and 1 yr old I didn't have
> when I played before and have been trying to> > muddle through the whole
> baby at an event thing myself.> >> > Thank you,> > Gorm> >> >> >
> ---------------------------------> > Don't pick lemons.> > See all the new
> 2007 cars at Yahoo! Autos.> >
> _______________________________________________> > Ansteorra mailing list> >
> Ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org> >
> http://lists.ansteorra.org/listinfo.cgi/ansteorra-ansteorra.org> >>
> _______________________________________________> Ansteorra mailing list>
> Ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org>
> http://lists.ansteorra.org/listinfo.cgi/ansteorra-ansteorra.org
> _______________________________________________
> Ansteorra mailing list
> Ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org
> http://lists.ansteorra.org/listinfo.cgi/ansteorra-ansteorra.org
>