This is a topic that is near & dear to my heart. Maybe more so than first person interpretation & you know how much I talk about *that*!
As a mother, and a reenactor, incorporating my kid into my beloved hobby has been a constant issue, something I ponder on long drives and late at night especially. I didn’t discover reenacting until my daughter was already 5, but thanks to many friends, I have gotten the chance to enjoy reenactor children of all ages & in all time periods. Heck, after over a decade in the hobby, some of those children are full fledged adults now!
There are four distinct stages of children in the reenacting hobby. Each requires a different focus but they all share the need for flexible parenting skills, the patience of a saint, the creativity of an artist & if you’re lucky, the help of a few friends.
The key to reenacting with infants is pretty simple: Comfort.
Your comfort as a new parent, still stumbling around half awake at all hours of the day and theirs as a tiny new human still adjusting to life in the open air is all that really matters. If that means wearing a modern bra because it makes nursing easier and more comfortable, do it. If that means only day tripping to an event, or staying at a hotel at night, do it. If that means they wear disposable diapers or suck on a modern pacifier, fine. The only thing that matters is that you & the little one are comfortable enough just *being* at an event. Bringing your infant to a reenactment helps them integrate into the reenacting world from day one & expands the concept of living history into every aspect of life.
Sure there may be some people, inevitably those without children, who criticize the comfort measures you take because they “aren’t authentic”. You have my blessing to tell them to stuff it, especially if they don’t have an infant depending on them for every need. Frankly, the fact that you are even considering venturing out to an event with an infant in tow, deserves a reward.
The terrible twos and trying threes are tough in the modern world, throw in different clothes, funny food, new people and it could be a recipe for disaster. Some of the comfort measures you took with a baby at reenactments, might still be needed for your toddler as well.
Now is also the time to start introducing your little one to the special things that only happen at an event. Maybe that is a special necklace like the one with a large goat bell that my daughter used to only get to wear in camp (which also helped me find her when she would wander off!). Maybe it’s a special, period correct toy like blocks or a wooden gun that only come out when you are at an event. Maybe it’s the special dessert of s'mores, cooked over the fire before washing up and heading home for the evening. Using a little creativity and being prepared with a few special, camp only surprises, can add an extra level of enjoyment to a toddlers camp experience. Those surprises can also give his parents a little leverage against melt-downs & other unforeseen issues that pop up at the worst moments.
The school-aged years are some of the best times to be reenacting with kids. They are old enough to be interested in history & actively learn from the reenactment environment, can entertain themselves with newly made camp friends easily and can even begin doing their own historic demonstrations. This is the golden age if you ask me. These are the years of cooperation, when they really get involved in everything we are doing at events. There is nothing quite as fun as introducing a fascinated 7 year old to archery, or seeing a 10 year old explain the process of churning butter to her friends. Find what interests them, and encourage them in every way possible. If you are lucky, they will get just as excited about an event and all the activities available as we get. They are the future of the hobby after all.
Just when you thought you had reenacting with your kid down pat, puberty hits & everything goes out the window.
As if it wasn’t hard enough to keep them in historic clothing while they grow! Sometimes keeping up with their changing attitudes can be just as difficult. On top of it all, this is the age when outside activities start to take precedence. Sports, school projects, friends and everything else outside of reenacting can make it hard to even find the time to attend events regardless of their attitude. There is only one way to survive the pre-teen and teen years: compromise. It might be something small like letting your 14 yr old daughter dress as a boy because she doesn’t “do” dresses anymore. It might be big like bringing, & dressing, their friends so they aren’t the only teen in camp. It might even be the biggest compromise of all, letting them stay home.
Rest assured, even if they stop being interested in living history as teens, there is still a chance they will come back to the hobby once they are young adults. I’ve seen it happen with a few friends. Once adult life hits they suddenly remember how much fun reenacting was & want to recapture that feeling.
If worse comes to worse & they never return to the hobby, there are always the grandkids!
What is your biggest tip when it comes to reenacting with your kids?
See you in the past.
The Secret to Reenacting with Children
As a mother, and a reenactor, incorporating my kid into my beloved hobby has been a constant issue, something I ponder on long drives and late at night especially. I didn’t discover reenacting until my daughter was already 5, but thanks to many friends, I have gotten the chance to enjoy reenactor children of all ages & in all time periods. Heck, after over a decade in the hobby, some of those children are full fledged adults now!
There are four distinct stages of children in the reenacting hobby. Each requires a different focus but they all share the need for flexible parenting skills, the patience of a saint, the creativity of an artist & if you’re lucky, the help of a few friends.
Babies - Comfort
The key to reenacting with infants is pretty simple: Comfort.
Sure there may be some people, inevitably those without children, who criticize the comfort measures you take because they “aren’t authentic”. You have my blessing to tell them to stuff it, especially if they don’t have an infant depending on them for every need. Frankly, the fact that you are even considering venturing out to an event with an infant in tow, deserves a reward.
Toddlers - Creativity
Now is also the time to start introducing your little one to the special things that only happen at an event. Maybe that is a special necklace like the one with a large goat bell that my daughter used to only get to wear in camp (which also helped me find her when she would wander off!). Maybe it’s a special, period correct toy like blocks or a wooden gun that only come out when you are at an event. Maybe it’s the special dessert of s'mores, cooked over the fire before washing up and heading home for the evening. Using a little creativity and being prepared with a few special, camp only surprises, can add an extra level of enjoyment to a toddlers camp experience. Those surprises can also give his parents a little leverage against melt-downs & other unforeseen issues that pop up at the worst moments.
Kids - Cooperation
The school-aged years are some of the best times to be reenacting with kids. They are old enough to be interested in history & actively learn from the reenactment environment, can entertain themselves with newly made camp friends easily and can even begin doing their own historic demonstrations. This is the golden age if you ask me. These are the years of cooperation, when they really get involved in everything we are doing at events. There is nothing quite as fun as introducing a fascinated 7 year old to archery, or seeing a 10 year old explain the process of churning butter to her friends. Find what interests them, and encourage them in every way possible. If you are lucky, they will get just as excited about an event and all the activities available as we get. They are the future of the hobby after all.Pre-teens/Teens - Compromise
Just when you thought you had reenacting with your kid down pat, puberty hits & everything goes out the window.
As if it wasn’t hard enough to keep them in historic clothing while they grow! Sometimes keeping up with their changing attitudes can be just as difficult. On top of it all, this is the age when outside activities start to take precedence. Sports, school projects, friends and everything else outside of reenacting can make it hard to even find the time to attend events regardless of their attitude. There is only one way to survive the pre-teen and teen years: compromise. It might be something small like letting your 14 yr old daughter dress as a boy because she doesn’t “do” dresses anymore. It might be big like bringing, & dressing, their friends so they aren’t the only teen in camp. It might even be the biggest compromise of all, letting them stay home. Rest assured, even if they stop being interested in living history as teens, there is still a chance they will come back to the hobby once they are young adults. I’ve seen it happen with a few friends. Once adult life hits they suddenly remember how much fun reenacting was & want to recapture that feeling.
If worse comes to worse & they never return to the hobby, there are always the grandkids!
What is your biggest tip when it comes to reenacting with your kids?
See you in the past.
Comments
Post a Comment