SC - Children & Solutions

[Mike C. Baker]

- ---Marisa Herzog <marisa_herzog at macmail.ucsc.edu> wrote:
> <snip>
> states that children are cute so that no one will kill them before
> they're old enough to defend themselves.
> <snip>
> I also know of children who are so bright and charming
> that you want to take them home, one I used to take care 
> of at events could recognize people's heraldry on the field 
> at three and tell you who was fighting who, and played with 
> his lego knights in a most chivalrous manner-
> even to the point of having them turn their opponents 
> out of the sun, and checking armor regulations- 
> and would never have destroyed anyones lovely
> gingerbread castle- only stared at it longingly with 
> little fingers twitching.
> -brid
> (auntie and god-mama to a handful despite a fairly tender age)
 
I was cleaning out the mailbox and stumbled back across this topic
(y'all only *thought* it was dead, I tell ya!)

Brid, you nailed at least one of the obvious solutions, one which
really does work in the SCA setting when and where it is allowed to.

"Aunties" and "nuncles" both are period-ish concepts, and godparents
certainly are. All three terms refer to non-parental parental
stand-ins, at least in my lexicon. (Hey, I got promoted to "Uncle
Kihe" for one adorable young lady before she was even born, and have
three boys of my own -- I *know* how this works!)

Combining these in the food-prep & serving-related areana (valiant
effort to drag this item back onto list topic), Aunties & Nuncles &
god-family should encourage their charges in polite behaviour at the
table and moving about the feast-hall, guide their energies into
positive assistance with setting up the table / hall, and encourage
their willingness to help clean up even when they may be tired. 

Example of the last: "Katie, dear, we are *all* tired -- even the
Queen is trying to hide her yawns. If you will help pick up your
things and pack them in your basket, we *all* get to go home and go
to bed sooner."  [Even better when it is true about the Queen
yawning...] 

The common solution of segregating children from the feast hall to
their own separate accomodation is also reasonable upon occasion,
but should be carefully structured upon its own merits. A
pre-planned but inconspicuous lesson in manners and mannerisms may
be a valuable addition to such circumstances, but should be made
relatively unobtrusive. 

If you can obtain the cooperation of the Crown or local nobility and
arrange a visit, it can improve the experience for all concerned. It
is my opinion that certain awards and recognitions are best
presented in this setting. If a matter needs to be "read into the
record" in order to satisfy Kingdom Law, a brief combined
announcement can be made in the official court (hopefully with
reference to the "children's court" proceedings made in such a way
that future participation by parents, dignitaries, teens, and others
is encouraged.

When used, the children's feast area should certainly not be turned
over to *unsupervised* older children! However, by allowing some of
those children with greater practice in these matters input to the
process, the children's feast can become much more than a barely
controlled playroom. Or an autocrat's / architirclinician's worst
fears.

===
Pax ... Kihe / Adieu -- Amra / TTFN -- Mike
Kihe Blackeagle (the Dreamsinger Bard) / 
Amr ibn Majid al-Bakri al-Amra (AoA in SCA, so: al-Sayyid) /
Mike C. Baker: My opinions are my own -- no one else would want them!
     F.O.B. (Friend Of Blackfox)
Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/8661
Alt. e-mail: KiheBard at aol.com MikeCBaker at aol.com

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