Past Burner...Now a Mommy, need advice!!!

uisce_beatha.SF · Post by **uisce_beatha.SF** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 2:42 pm

I went '00-'02...best times of my life. Many wonderful memories.

My extremely social daughter will be 2 1/2, and my sister and I are thinking of going this year along with two of our friends that are also past burners. Perhaps renting an RV...creature comforts for the kiddo!

We thought about going from Thursday to Sunday...and two of us are "clean and sober", so minding her isn't the issue.

I'd love any advice or input from other moms and dads that have taken their young children.

Chai Guy · Post by **Chai Guy** » Fri Mar 24, 2006 3:40 pm

Here is a thread all about kids at Burning Man:

http://eplaya.burningman.org/viewtopic.php?t=3921

uisce_beatha.SF · Post by **uisce_beatha.SF** » Sat Mar 25, 2006 10:46 pm

Thank you...after scanning the ePlaya for an hour or so, after I wrote this post, I found that discussion board on kids. Also, I now belong to the kidscamp yahoo group.

Great invention this computer thing...

Alchemy · Post by **Alchemy** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 1:53 am

First off I would I found that it was easier to tent with my toddler as she had more freedom of movement and was able to soak up all the juicy sights and sensations of her surroundings. I had an extra large tent that sleeps 10 and made into our room,then I had a smaller tent with a connecting shade structure between with a cheap thro rug. The other tent served as a play space and a toy chamber. I brought small batteris fans and inflatable bedding and chairs,and a comfortable tubb that was a 65 gallon storage tub you buy at Target for like 16 bucks. That was our bath tubb or chill pool with fresh ice and nice soaps.

The really Cool thing we did was make a Suri outta a broken out dresser,by putting wheels on it and padding it,we covered it with canopied fabrics and blinky lights. inside were thro pillows,diaper bag,a portible blue ice cooler,some safety attachments and cuddly toys we pulled it with our bikes and it was like a portable trailer and nap space for going to various theme camps.
what really saved the day was those cool water mats that you can buy for infants. You fill then with water and they have fun little googahs inside em but when it gets HOT they feel awesome to lay on.
I made a dust mask outta stretchy lycra lace and trippled it up into a hoody scarf thing. big ass goggles. a name tag belt with address on it, wings.....and one last MUST have cool thang...

Walmart or K-mart actually had this chair that fits on your bike in front of you between the seat and the basket,on the "crotch bar" ..it was easy and fun two use and made Critticle Tits a mother daughter moment.She loved riding on my bike,and it was secure and balanced. Blah blah blah mememe...ITS EASY and a Blast to bring your baby to the burn so enjoy yourselves!!. They adjust WAY better than we do and the stimulation and smiling people are so good for them . Sleep like stones..
But I found that in an event a large as BM..that the scale of the participants can actually become a little over welming..sometimes you get locked into a flurry of shutterbugs and than you go another 20 feet and its another proud or precious moment shared with a swarm of photo enthused citizens and suddenly you feel a little envaded,your kid loves everyone but is quite clearly ready to do something less populated by fans,and by Saturday your enevitably trying to graciously if not FIRMLY educating the boozy,red eyed sparkly mermaid-man-butterfly-priestess with the smeared lip stick and or the jovial decorated genitalia that " Sorry,I prefer you to not take her pix at this time...shes tired or ...
I love and trust the citizens of the dust more than any other people.But sometimes people dont realize that kids are not objects . In the scale of all the beauty kids just add magic ontop of the magic....oooo pixies!!The other
weird but yet comical situation was at center camp around high tea...we were at drum circle,and my daughter took two steps to the left of my hip and this well meaning super tanned guy with a dick the size of a loaf of bread tried to grap her arm and she frowned and took off with me behind him ..hes between me and her and by all considerations was seemingly unclear of the fact that he was actually chasing my daughter away from mein an attempt to help her "find her mommy". I was like " Dude how do you think her perception of you is anything less than startling if not frightened...your a NAKED stranger ..comming at her with your humongous painted glitter cock at about less than a jog and if you didnt notice she is face level to your shlong if you were to stand in her way.YUCK!! Thats a little awkward, and perhaps saving lost children should be bookmarked as a Clothing attired event. Well meaning people ( so far thank goddess) who are a little inexperianced in child rearing and maturnal instinct ,after ingesting the entoxicant of the moment will sometimes presume that because your monkey isnt tethered to your leg , or cant preceive you as the parent will try to walk off with your kid to go find you...Ha Ha! uh ...funny...well maybe in some surreal way..

is this too much information?..maybe ..maybe not. The Burn will always keep you on your toes.Kids camp is a great place to connect with other parents. Check out the picture gallery of last years burn ....see Passage.

Have an encredible adventure and thank you for raising a burner!

blyslv · Post by **blyslv** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 1:22 pm

FWIW, proabably not much, I am not a parent etc. ect.

I would worry about the effect of playa dust on young, still developing lungs.

headquarters · Post by **headquarters** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 7:06 pm

blyslv wrote:FWIW, proabably not much, I am not a parent etc. ect.

I would worry about the effect of playa dust on young, still developing lungs.

i agree with that, I have gone 5 years and I don't believe that my lungs are the same as before.

we0ne · Post by **we0ne** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 8:44 pm

A child, regardless of the age, whose not "sick" will fair fine with the playa dust. Babies are very resilient and even though they are still developing, a healthy immune system will help them along just fine. Any child who is breastfed or was breastfed will have that added boost of immunity to recognize "benign" irritants versus, infectious ones. Compared to many of the air bourne toxins and pollutants found in the the bigger cities, playa dust is actually pretty harmless, more of an immediate irritant for some than a chronic problem.

we0ne · Post by **we0ne** » Thu Jun 15, 2006 8:46 pm

Alchemy,

Can you PM me. I too am part of kidsville and I would love to ask you a few questions about how you built and attached your make shift bike trailer.

Cheers
skyneedle

blyslv · Post by **blyslv** » Fri Jun 16, 2006 7:58 am

we0ne wrote:A child, regardless of the age, whose not "sick" will fair fine with the playa dust. Babies are very resilient and even though they are still developing, a healthy immune system will help them along just fine. Any child who is breastfed or was breastfed will have that added boost of immunity to recognize "benign" irritants versus, infectious ones. Compared to many of the air bourne toxins and pollutants found in the the bigger cities, playa dust is actually pretty harmless, more of an immediate irritant for some than a chronic problem.

I don't mean to be argumentative (see other threads for that) but I am wondering how you can say with such confidence these things. AFAIK the immune system has nothing to do with nonviral or bacterial particulate matter in the lungs (i.e., playa dust). I once spent a summer reading medical files of people who had died from asbestos, another nonviral, nonbacterial particulate. It is not something you want to mess around with.

I'll be happy to accept the notion that breast feeding can strengthen an infant's immune system, but that is a far cry from being able to block or expell particulate matter such as playa dust.

noxiousnan · Post by **noxiousnan** » Sat Jun 17, 2006 9:32 pm

Babies on the playa need tons of sun screen, tons of water and constant vigilance. If they are healthy, and for all intents and purposes non-allegenic, they should be fine. Be prepated to leave. Have an escape plan that includes a hotel in Gerlach or Reno if you are from out of state and with people who will want to stay. Your baby may not adjust to the heat or sound levels or any number of other things, and knowing you can zip her off to an air-conditioned, modern hotel will do wonders for your peace of mind.

It's hard work for the parent. I, personally, would not take any child not old enough to be at least a little cognizant of the experience. That's my selfish time. You have to work too hard at parenting for it to be much of a benefit to you, and the kid won't remember it. That said, a friend took her two year old and ended up leaving days early because she was worried about the heat. Her daughter was fine, and now at 8 she begs every year to be allowed to go again.

Alchemy · Post by **Alchemy** » Sun Jun 18, 2006 4:05 pm

we0ne wrote:Alchemy,

Can you PM me. I too am part of kidsville and I would love to ask you a few questions about how you built and attached your make shift bike trailer.

Cheers
skyneedle

I dont know how to pm....uh e-mail me and I could give you my Phone..some times its alot easier than the luxury of onlining because my toddler is such a diva,and thinks getting between me and the keyboard are the secrets to the universe... [email protected]

Past Burner...Now a Mommy, need advice!!!

Past Burner...Now a Mommy, need advice!!!

thanks!

How I toddlered @ BRC 2005

Psst! Skyneedle...