ST - Kids and SCA

[willowjonbardc@juno.com]

 Cyniric Cyniwarding
I have raised two sons in the SCA and I believe they will stay in the
org.  I have been in the SCA and  I have seen lots of people raise their
children in the SCA. Many of the kids grow up to hate the SCA. I worried
about this a lots and here is the list of things I figured out not to do.
 
Do not register arms and names for your kid. Normally the children want
to do that for themselves when they grow older. It becomes a statement of
their individuality if they do it. You know they have become a real
member when they want their own identity. 

Do not force your kid to work in the SCA. Always ask them to take part.
Remember this is a volunteer organization. Make working a privilege not a
chore. 

Do not put the SCA above your children. Sometimes  as members we get very
involved with the game but don't let that interfere with your time with
your child. I know lots of SCA kids that feel mad at the SCA for taking
there parents away from them.

Make time for mundane activities for your kid. I heard one SCA kid
complain for hours because he never got to do sports. Often it is more
fun for your kids to go to Scouts or the church camp. There they don't
have to wear plastic tags and have their parents watching them all the
time The other problem with not letting your kid do mundane things is
that the SCA becomes mundane. I know a group of SCA kids in another
kingdom who grew up and started coming to SCA events and playing very
loud rock music. They didn't see that this was bad because they had
always done their own things at SCA events. They didn't really know about
the game or the dream.

One of the most important thing is a do. Do make the SCA special. Stress
it is for big people  and make it a privilege. If possible don't take you
children to events they don't want to go to. 
 Yours
Willow de Wisp

> Greetings!
> 
>    I have some questions about being a parent in the SCA.
> 
>    What are the biggest challenges with sharing this with young 
> children? 
> (For a reference, my son is 3 1/2 years old)
> 
>    Do you pick persona names for them at this age (for example 
> "Wulfric 
> Cyniricing") or let them go by their mundane names until they are 
> old enough 
> to decide?
> 
>     Should I register my son with the Ministry of Children?
> 
> 
>     I probably have more, but my head is not on very straight right 
> now.
> 
>      I kind of like giving my son a name a registering it.  He likes 
> wolves, 
> his mundane nickname is Ric, and Cyniricing would be the proper 
> patronymic.  
> The again if he develops a thing for, say, 14th century Tunisia, he 
> may not 
> be able to get people to think of him that way (that is without 
> moving and 
> disowning me).  There are also variations of his first and middle 
> names 
> (Richard Heinrich) I can use such as Ricihard, Richeard, Henry, 
> Heinrich, 
> Henric.....
> 
>     I would just like to know what is like for parents at various 
> stages of 
> children's lives.  I am divorced and the SCA is a good to travel to 
> see my 
> son (lives in Stargate), take him camping, and still keep him happy. 
>  So I 
> would like to make it as much his as my hobby.
> 
> Thank you,
> Cyniric Cyniwarding
> 
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