Re: babies at Pennsic

[Brenna <sunnie@exis.net>]

Poster: Brenna <sunnie@exis.net>



Brenna wrote:

> >
> > I know that this topic is dealing mainly with having infants at
> > Pennsic, but there is something else that troubles me deeply.  This
> > past April at the demo/event in Wilmington, NC (yes, that would have
> > been Sheep Raids) and another time at an event in the Barony of
> > WindMasters, I have seen a girl who could not be more than 3 or 4 at
> > the oldest running around completely unsupervised.
>
> Okay...by your definition, I'm a good parent.  I leave my kids with a
> sitter while I go, but you don't know that the little girl was
> unsupervised.  I say this because many of our baronial members have small
> children.  At an event, we all watch out for each others' children.  It's
> not expected...it's not discussed...we're just very supportive of each
> other as parents.  If I see a friend's son climbing on something dangerous,
> she knows that I will stop him just as I know that she will stop my son
> from exploring the great outdoors at Moot while I give my report.  In our
> Barony, it is commonplace that the entire Barony is watching out for our
> children.  That doesn't mean that I hold her responsible for my son or that
> she holds me responsible for hers.  It also does not mean that we put
> anyone else out for our child's comfort.  We keep an eye on our own (though
> admittedly often from across the hall) and know that the other within arm's
> distance can pick him up and steer him to Mom when he falls.  Don't assume
> that a child is unwatched just because you don't see leading strings or a
> parent constantly in tow.
>
> > It seemed to me
> > that this girls parents believe that "someone" will watch after her.
> > First of all, THIS IS NOT SAFE.
>
> Yes, and the parents who really do this are not safe, but if you don't know
> them, you don't know their setup.  They may have a group of their household
> who are nurses (more or less) always following her around.  I've been one
> of those before, too.
>
> >
> > Now, I realize that this goes way beyond having an infant at war.  But
> > this was something that I have seen twice now (the same little girl).
> > One thing that should be considered by families with small children who
> > like to wander off is to make sure that everyone in the family wears
> > something with a family device on it.
>
> Excellent idea.  A tag inside the back of a neckline is an even better
> one.  Collar the sucker and read the parent's name off of it.  It's much
> more effective to yell "Brenna of Lyonsbane" at an event than "Per saltire,
> argent and azure, a demi-lion couchant to guardant sinister Or between (on
> a fess) two Celtic crosses sable."
>
> Brenna

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