Question for Parents (or anyone who's taken children to cons)

[EliseMarie]

Hi I'm posting in here as it's about me trying to attend lfcc but not sure if it should be in a more general forum.

 

I have been to lfcc for longer than I've even known my hubby and we now have a 6 week old son (who I fully intend to raise as a geek) but would love to attend LFCC. He was born the week of CMMK so, surprisingly, I missed it.

 

I was just wondering if there are any parents or people who've generally taken children to any con who have any advice??? I'm trying to convince hubby to come with me (puschair in a virtual queue - no!), but I'm not sure if it would be too much for a day trip. Anyone taken a baby to a con?

 

Thanks in advance,

E

[Queen_Sindel]

First of all congratulations.

 

There's already a similar topic here asking about pushchairs. http://showmastersonline.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=81083

I do not have children of my own, but considering the age of your son and the crowds I'd personally say it may be a bit much for a day trip at the moment.

[jonathan]

I won't even take mine and the eldest is 6. It's mainly because I have too much to do without worrying about them lol. I very much look forward to them all coming with me when they're older though!

[Too Tall]

One thing to maybe think about is that yo ucan come and go as you wish. So you could come in for a while and get your VTs, then back later to get the autographs etc. And of course not both of your HAVE to come in each time, he could come in for the VTs, then you come in to get some autographs.

 

Just a thought. You may wish to stay together.

[dazzlerjames]

Not quite as young as that but I started taking my kids to Cons / shows from the age of about 2. It can be done and like TT says, you can come and go as you please so should be okay. At the end of the day you know yourself better than anyone so ask yourself if you're comfortable with taking a small baby - if the answer is yes then no problem. You've said yourself that you've been doing these events for a long time so you know what to expect.

 

One of my favourite photos ever is my (then) 2 year old handing a star wars toy to a stormtrooper!

[GoldenGreen]

First of all congratulations on becoming a parent !

 

The good news is at 6 weeks they tend to stay where you put them, much more trickier once they get on the move !

 

I've got two sci fi mad sons, who both went to events for the first time when they were 3. The main reason being by that point you don't tend to have to carry quite as much stuff around with you as tends to be the way for babies and toddlers !

 

However, I think the main challenges with bringing a very small baby to a big event in London as we found just with days out in London would be:

 

1. The journey, probably easier if you are coming by car because you have a car seat for them, trains are generally bit of a nightmare, no space to put the buggy etc, especially the bigger buggies the little ones tend to have. Also you suddenly realise that the Underground was built before lifts, and is a nightmare of stairs and escalators to try and navigate and generally grumpy people who don't think you should be there with a big buggy, and a few that are happy to see a baby as well, so not all bad !

2. Feeding / Changing, best to check out what facilities are at Earls Court, but I would think they would have baby changing, baby feeding rooms etc, not necessarily the case everywhere you go in London but worth checking ahead.

3. Other people moaning , giving you hard stares because your baby is making a noise, do you know what, you'd think they had never been a baby, although I do wonder myself with some of them. I tend to find I am far more tolerant of noisy kids in trains and busy places now and understanding for the parents having had my own !

 

And before you know it, they'll be little sci fi geeks all of their own !

[Catavich]

Congratulations! I have a (nearly) 3 and (nearly) 2 year old aND I am soo excited about taking them to their first convention but it's not something I feel confeident enough to do yet. Saying that, I found when my eldest was that young it was a lot easier to do the things I needed or (maybe a bit selfishly) wanted and just bring him along to them because )he was quite happy in the sling or pram and I just needed to stop to feed and change him. Now it's a lot harder as they can (and do!) tell you when they are bored, and they have things they want to look at or run away from themselves which makes it more difficult as you need yes in the back of your head and the patience of a saint.

I think if you can manage with a sling and a 'capsule' changing bag it'll make your life easier and the little one will be fine, all the noise just turns into white noise when they are so small and you'll probably find that they will just sleep through.

I don't know if you are or not but if you are local to the event remember, you can always leave if it's too much You might find the biggest hinderance to the day is people stopping you to coo over the LO

[GoldenGreen]

Congratulations! I have a (nearly) 3 and (nearly) 2 year old aND I am soo excited about taking them to their first convention but it's not something I feel confeident enough to do yet. Saying that, I found when my eldest was that young it was a lot easier to do the things I needed or (maybe a bit selfishly) wanted and just bring him along to them because )he was quite happy in the sling or pram and I just needed to stop to feed and change him. Now it's a lot harder as they can (and do!) tell you when they are bored, and they have things they want to look at or run away from themselves which makes it more difficult as you need yes in the back of your head and the patience of a saint.

I think if you can manage with a sling and a 'capsule' changing bag it'll make your life easier and the little one will be fine, all the noise just turns into white noise when they are so small and you'll probably find that they will just sleep through.

I don't know if you are or not but if you are local to the event remember, you can always leave if it's too much You might find the biggest hinderance to the day is people stopping you to coo over the LO

 

From a practical point of view the main thing for mine was to get them toilet trained, so that we weren't in the middle of a queue and suddenly had to dash off and lose our place !

 

The other things to bear in mind were they do get bored quite easily and very tired which can be a challenge, the shows can be quite over whelming as well, just in terms of noise and size and also they can find some of the cosplayers a bit scary. Although I think this depends on how good your kids are with people dressed up anyway, whether they be Mickey Mouse or Darth Vader. My older one who is now 6 1/2 was fine from 3 and wanted to get his picture with Spiderman, Stormtroopers etc, never really bothered about it, where as the younger one is completely different, doesn't really like it all whether it is Peppa Pig or Batman.

[Catavich]

Congratulations! I have a (nearly) 3 and (nearly) 2 year old aND I am soo excited about taking them to their first convention but it's not something I feel confeident enough to do yet. Saying that, I found when my eldest was that young it was a lot easier to do the things I needed or (maybe a bit selfishly) wanted and just bring him along to them because )he was quite happy in the sling or pram and I just needed to stop to feed and change him. Now it's a lot harder as they can (and do!) tell you when they are bored, and they have things they want to look at or run away from themselves which makes it more difficult as you need yes in the back of your head and the patience of a saint.

I think if you can manage with a sling and a 'capsule' changing bag it'll make your life easier and the little one will be fine, all the noise just turns into white noise when they are so small and you'll probably find that they will just sleep through.

I don't know if you are or not but if you are local to the event remember, you can always leave if it's too much You might find the biggest hinderance to the day is people stopping you to coo over the LO

 

From a practical point of view the main thing for mine was to get them toilet trained, so that we weren't in the middle of a queue and suddenly had to dash off and lose our place !

 

The other things to bear in mind were they do get bored quite easily and very tired which can be a challenge, the shows can be quite over whelming as well, just in terms of noise and size and also they can find some of the cosplayers a bit scary. Although I think this depends on how good your kids are with people dressed up anyway, whether they be Mickey Mouse or Darth Vader. My older one who is now 6 1/2 was fine from 3 and wanted to get his picture with Spiderman, Stormtroopers etc, never really bothered about it, where as the younger one is completely different, doesn't really like it all whether it is Peppa Pig or Batman.

 

The dressed up thing is one of our concerns. I think we are going to try with the attitude of assuming we'll be there 10 mins before having to leave so anything beyond that is a bonus!

[EliseMarie]

Thank you everyone! I'd originally thought that this Autumn's would be easier except all he does is sleep, poop and eat - there is no routine and he's relatively easy to please, especially if dad's there.

 

I've already done a long train journey so I'm not too concerned with that and I'm planning on Sunday which tends to be quieter, right?

 

Oh, do I be selfish or consider having to miss an entire year until he's fully weaned?!?

 

Thank you all though. And, yes, dazzlerjames, I know myself best.

 

Hmmm, maybe.

 

Thanks again!

[MrsEllacott]

Congratulations on the birth of your baby boy!

 

Advice from one parent to another, go for it! I take my kids pretty much everywhere. The only way they do not come, is if it states that no children are allowed or if it is something that has been planned to be done without them (which is rare). No offence to anyone on here, but you will always get people who will say not to take your kids to something, but most of the time, they are either parents to scare to take a chance or people without kids (again, no offence). If you feel comfortable in taking the baby, then do so.

 

This is only my third convention but I have always had at least one of my children with me (I have four kids, aged between 9 and 3). Last year's LFCC, I had my three boys with me. My youngest was in the buggy, flirting with every female guest and even got photos with some of them, one of whom, Mickie James, asked me if she could have a photo with him! I am sure the guests will fall in love with your little one!!!!

 

EMS last year, I just had my 7yr old with me as part of his birthday tweet! He loves coming and it now our thing we do together. He is autistic and Showmasters have been fantastic with the support and help they give us for him to be able to cope and enjoy the day. He met Matt Smith and Dean Cain last year and he was so happy to meet him because he actually thinks they are Doctor Who and Superman. But to see the smile on his face was good enough for me and them!

 

As for the buggy issues, if you can cope walking down a high street, where people tend to ignore you and walk right into your path, I think you can cope with a convention, despite it being busier! Yes, you may run over a few feet, but most of the time, it is an accident and most people are understanding! Those who are not, just ignore!

 

Best advice I can give, is what others have already said, break up the day. You will probably need to for feeds and nappy changes anyway, but it helps as it can still get tiring with a child. Don't give up doing something you love just because you have a baby! I have four kids, but I still go out to meet celebs whenever I can!

 

Hope this helps! And again, I am sorry if I offended anyone, it was not a direct thing at anyone on here, just people in general from the experiences I have had in the past!

[MrsEllacott]

Oops double posted, meant edit previous post! Typed tweet when it should had said treat!

Edited July 1, 2013 by MrsEllacott

[alisonloub]

Go for it, your baby is at a age that despite the pushchair (and all the gubbings that go with a baby!) it shouldn't really impact your day too much, it's not like you are taking baby to a festival or a concert, When your baby reaches toddling stages, that is when it becomes harder, they want to get out the pushchair and will be more aware and prob all make a fuss, at six weeks old you do not have that yet, so make the most of it while you can!!

 

However, I have a not diagnosis but possibly autistic son that stays with nanny and grandad con weekends, purely because he couldn't cope with the lights, crowds etc, so he stays at home.

 

Your be fine and you deserve a little treat after all that hard work!!

[jael001]

Personally I'd advise against it, simply because at 6 weeks your baby's immunity wont be well developed and these events are a hive of germs with so many thousands of people, I always come back with a cold or a cough or something of that sort. If that doesn't concern you then go for it :

[clairefun]

I took my almost 1 year old once in a pushchair on a Saturday and vowed never again, but then later that year took him in a sling and it was alright. For me the pushchair made everything so slow and impossible to move, and I couldn't look at the stalls or anything as I was constanty in the way or it was being kicked by accident. .

 

In fact, at 6 weeks my son took his first sling-held train trip to London and met Eddie Izzard - his first of many celeb meetings!

 

He's now 8 and has been to every LFCC for the last, ooh, at least 5 years, regularly does 'the other con whose name we shall not speak' and enjoyed his first Collectormania this year too (it does get easier as they need less stuff with them). He cosplays with me, too. (A simple Naruto headband as a baby, currently we both dress as Stargate people - he's going to be sad about Michael Shanks as he does a mini-Daniel Jackson). He has met many, many people and they LOVE him and it's great for him - show and tell in his class after a con has included photos with The Doctor, or Gimli, or whoever else he's into at the time. Even the ones he doesn't know he gets on with - he and Richard Hatch from Battlestar Galactica spent so long high-fiving each other I thought *I* wouldn't get to say hello.

 

At 6 weeks your bubba won't really notice it's anything out of the ordinary and should be easy enough to carry around with you, I would imagine in queues etc people would save your spot if you have to run to change a nappy. (If not, find me. I will! ;D) You might need to miss the talks, as baby might cry, but generally it should be fine. Good for his immune system, too!

 

At 1 year 6 weeks it'll be slightly more awkward, and the same again for the next few years until you reach a plateau and then before you know it it'll start getting easier again and now it's something my boy and I look forward to doing together, I wouldn't consider not taking him. We've already agreed that in a 'few' years he'll be taking me instead! We just lay the ground rules out firmly on the way there - my most important is either that he holds my hand the entire time or if I let go to take a photo, he holds the hem of my jacket or similar so I can still tell he's there, and he knows that if he runs off in the crowds I won't take him the next time - or wont let him buy something from the stalls

[MrsEllacott]

Personally I'd advise against it, simply because at 6 weeks your baby's immunity wont be well developed and these events are a hive of germs with so many thousands of people, I always come back with a cold or a cough or something of that sort. If that doesn't concern you then go for it :

 

The baby's immunity will be fine at this age as they still have their mother's antibodies, which usually last a few months. Even then, you need to build their immune system by taking out, not avoiding it.

Edited July 2, 2013 by MrsEllacott

[Jumpyghostface]

He cosplays with me, too. (A simple Naruto headband as a baby, currently we both dress as Stargate people - he's going to be sad about Michael Shanks as he does a mini-Daniel Jackson).

Ooh, are you doing that this year? We will look out for you - my 11-year-old is going as Skaara! (If I can finish the costume in time....)

 

I don't cosplay, though it's fun to make the costumes.

[GoldenGreen]

Personally I'd advise against it, simply because at 6 weeks your baby's immunity wont be well developed and these events are a hive of germs with so many thousands of people, I always come back with a cold or a cough or something of that sort. If that doesn't concern you then go for it :

 

The baby's immunity will be fine at this age as they still have their mother's antibodies, which usually last a few months. Even then, you need to build their immune system by taking out, not avoiding it.

 

I certainly wouldn't worry about this. By 6 weeks new babies have normally met just about every member of family and friends you have and they have all had a cuddle, you may have also started to take your baby round to the health centre as well full of lots of other babies and toddlers, maybe even to play group (our younger one started going to play group almost as soon as he was out of hospital), full of lots of little ones with all sorts of germs. So bearing in mind what I said before, I would tend to say go for it !

[MrsEllacott]

Personally I'd advise against it, simply because at 6 weeks your baby's immunity wont be well developed and these events are a hive of germs with so many thousands of people, I always come back with a cold or a cough or something of that sort. If that doesn't concern you then go for it :

 

The baby's immunity will be fine at this age as they still have their mother's antibodies, which usually last a few months. Even then, you need to build their immune system by taking out, not avoiding it.

 

I certainly wouldn't worry about this. By 6 weeks new babies have normally met just about every member of family and friends you have and they have all had a cuddle, you may have also started to take your baby round to the health centre as well full of lots of other babies and toddlers, maybe even to play group (our younger one started going to play group almost as soon as he was out of hospital), full of lots of little ones with all sorts of germs. So bearing in mind what I said before, I would tend to say go for it !

 

My youngest avoided catching Chicken Pox at 3 weeks old (which can be fatal at that age) all thanks to him having my antibodies.

 

Get the feeling my last comment probably came off a little rude and defensive. Sorry if it did, just a habit of mine when it comes to parenting advice!

[xxc]

Personally, I wouldn't do it. But that's mainly because I am going to be so busy and want to get everything done in time without worries or delays. But really, that's just me.. I think you can decide this best for yourself. Whether you're comfortable with it.