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Market Square => Faire and Family => Topic started by: Harbinger on August 15, 2009, 10:24:20 AM

Title: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: Harbinger on August 15, 2009, 10:24:20 AM
I have a child about 6 months, I'd like to take to trf with us this year, otherwise
it may be a job for grandma's babysitting service, and was wondering if anyone
had any experience with critters at faire they would care to share?
how to you carry them around? stroller backback etc?


thanks for your time
-h
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: Trillium on August 15, 2009, 05:16:29 PM
I took my son to TRF at 6 months and he did fine.  We took a stroller so that we were all more comfortable, plus extra storage space.  Brought snacks and drinks for him plus all the usual diaper bag stuff.  I made comfy garb for him and planned accordingly for weather changes. I'd suggest planning to take him toward the middle of the season when it tends to be more mild.  He had a great time taking in all the sounds and colors.
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: mistressfoo on August 16, 2009, 01:35:19 PM
Our a 15 month old loves faire. The last 4 that we have attended we just used a baby sling/carrier to tote him around and a basket made for storing yarn (Wal-mart w/ drawstring) turned into a back pack for necessity.
This year our home faire was cold and rainy so we just carried him around. He worn furry pants with feet and a matching hoodie under his garb and a biggens to keep the wind out of his ears. He slept though most of it anyway.
When we go tho MN for Labor Day we are taking a Ren-converted wagon (burlap and wood panels to disguise red plastic) since he is walking now and getting heavier by the minuet. Would love to get a pumpkin/goat cart even if its not big enough to ride in, just something for carry stuff.
Bring water, snacks, a few toys cause sticks will loose their thrill sooner or later, change of clothes and first aid kit. We also take an instant ice pack and hand warmers, recent picture of baby and he gets tagged with lost child info, just in case. Saw an ad on FB for temp tattoo that you can write on with marker for vital info; names, phone#, allergy, meds, was very cool might get those. Have fun!
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: Dinobabe on August 17, 2009, 02:38:42 PM
Temp tatoo for baby ID, that is cool!
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: Taffy Saltwater on August 17, 2009, 02:43:51 PM
You can get dog tags made at PetSmart w/your name & cell phone & pin the tag to clothing.
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: Harbinger on August 17, 2009, 04:22:17 PM
thanks everyone for your thoughts, for clarification he will be
8 months old by the time we get to the faire, my wife thought
a wagon might be a substitute for a stroller but I am not sure.

I am still wondering if the wise course would be to leave him
with grandma for the weekend.

thanks again for your time
-h
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: Hoowil on August 19, 2009, 10:53:46 PM
My daughter was about 3 months the first time we took her, my son less than 2 months. My profile pic has me with my son at his first faire.  My daughter is in the background in red and purple. We had no real trouble with either. Make sure you have all the things you need for a normal outing (diapers, wipes, etc.). I have to give the same advice I've given others about it. Do a quick walk through of the site so you can locate easy places to get to off the main path for changings, feedings, and quiet time if needed. If you're on freindly terms with any of the merchants or staff, see if you can arrange a little hide-away behind a booth, or secluded away for breaks if you need it. If the little one is bottle fed, take lots of water for bottles, if breast fed, take lots of extra water for mom. If possible take a stroller with large wheels, like a jogger, as smaller wheels will be difficult to handle in grass, gravel, wood chips, or generally off a beaten path or cement. Deffinitely take something with a sun shade. I'd say stick with the stroller, as it has straps & padding, and may be more secure and comfortable for an infant, again especially over uneven terrain. For a toddler or even older small child  a wagon should be fine. Remember to take it a whatever pace is ok for the little one. It may mean a shorter day trip, or plenty of down time, but thats no reason to not enjoy the festival as a family. At one faire around here I even found a merchant who had infant and toddler sized garb items (mainly hats and shoes) so enjoy, play, get pictures, and live it up. Get the kids used to the crowds, noise, colors, and the feel of faire. After all, as I heard here, how many kids get to play dress up with their parents for entire weekends?
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: Trillium on August 20, 2009, 06:13:27 PM
We went with a stroller because the thought of our son being behind us where we couldn't see him scared the heck out of us.  Even at 6 months he moved quickly!  Just our own paranoia...I see plenty of kids in wagons also.
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: FortuneRose on September 02, 2009, 11:19:43 AM
The first time my son went he was right about 8-9 months and did great!  We obviously had more stops for feeding changing and cooling off, but he did very well.  We brought his graco stroller (big clunkin' thing) and pushed him around.  As Trillium said, the thought of having my son behind us scared us too much and what fun would it be to create a train of one person in front, next the wagon, and finally someone in back monitoring the baby...  so...  yeah.  We just did the stroller.   This year he is WAY to mobile to even want a stroller...  so we're letting him tromp around.  We had fun with him there, he had fun.  Our day wasn't as long as it would have been had it just been me and my husband, but we were okay with that. 
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: THELADYKAT on September 30, 2009, 03:41:34 PM
Well TRF is right around the corner and Little Dorian will be 2 months and 4 days opening Day/Sat. I am getting everything I will need for him ready. Does anyone have a Baby going to Fair List of what to do and bring?
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: Harbinger on September 30, 2009, 03:56:59 PM
we'll be taking an 8.5 month old, and found
a friend with an "off road" stroller we hope to
be taking, apart from that I guess the usual,
sunscreen, a variety of clothes, food (still to
young for meat on a stick), lots of bottles to
keep him hydrated.  I guess the big thing for
us will be pacing, though I suspect he will
most likely sleep through most of the day.

-harb
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: switch on October 08, 2009, 05:30:23 PM
Quote from: mistressfoo on August 16, 2009, 01:35:19 PM
Our a 15 month old loves faire. The last 4 that we have attended we just used a baby sling/carrier to tote him around and a basket made for storing yarn (Wal-mart w/ drawstring) turned into a back pack for necessity.
This year our home faire was cold and rainy so we just carried him around. He worn furry pants with feet and a matching hoodie under his garb and a biggens to keep the wind out of his ears. He slept though most of it anyway.
When we go tho MN for Labor Day we are taking a Ren-converted wagon (burlap and wood panels to disguise red plastic) since he is walking now and getting heavier by the minuet. Would love to get a pumpkin/goat cart even if its not big enough to ride in, just something for carry stuff.
Bring water, snacks, a few toys cause sticks will loose their thrill sooner or later, change of clothes and first aid kit. We also take an instant ice pack and hand warmers, recent picture of baby and he gets tagged with lost child info, just in case. Saw an ad on FB for temp tattoo that you can write on with marker for vital info; names, phone#, allergy, meds, was very cool might get those. Have fun!

Our boys are 17 months and 5 months, we are thinking of bringing them next year or the year after.  We saw many families that had a cart, toting them around.  What a great idea.  I can build one of those this winter, shouldn't be too tough.  Next year, the youngest will be old enough to eat normal food, so we won't have to bring milk/forumla.

Thanks for the tips though, a long wait for sure...

Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: Hoowil on October 09, 2009, 01:24:46 AM
We're getting ready to take our two little ones to a smaller local faire next weekend. It'll be the second one for my 6 month old, and the 2 year old has been to well near a dozen, and loves it so very much.
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: THELADYKAT on March 27, 2010, 02:43:54 AM
Dorian is about to go to Scarby and see it for the 1st time!
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: LadyFae on May 20, 2010, 06:30:05 PM
I brought my oldest daughter to her first faire right after she turned 1.  She was walking and refused anything else until late in the day when I forced her into the stroller so that she would nap.  My second daughter attended her first faire just before she turned 1 and she was not walking yet so I carried her the entire time- well, except when my sister held her.  The ground was not stroller friendly for the most part.  The next year she walked, was carried and the one time I got my husband to faire he pushed her in the stroller.  My youngest daughter attended her first faire at 10 days old so I just wore her in my 'Moby' style wrap.  She will be 8 1/2 months at her first faire next month and I will just carry her (unless I make another wrap that will look nice with my noble garb!)  I'm not worried about that faire because it is a very small faire that we will be attending.  We'll also see how things go come August for the start of MNRF- if she is walking by then I'll let her do that when I'm not carrying her.  I'll have the stroller in the car for emergency purposes, however!  Of course the ground will have to be stroller friendly for me to pull that out...  Thank goodness my kids are small for their ages!
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: ladyecho on May 20, 2010, 11:21:05 PM
I took my older niece to her first faire at 7 months old, she was just begining to walk so I would either carry her or let her waddle while holding my hand. Her little sister I took to her first faire at 3 months old and carried her the entire time. Instede of a diaper bag I had a big wicker basket with all the nessities inside wrapped with scrap faire garb fabric. When they both got mobile I dressed them as fairies and put them in a red wagon decorated with ivy vines and fake flowers. This past faire they were 3 and 4 years old and old enough to carry their own stuff on their own belts (they felt so grown!)

Basket (diaper) essentials

DIAPER WIPES!!!!!!!!!
Diapers
bottle and/or sippy cup
sunscreen
blanket or fabric for nap time
pacifer
Snacks and/or baby food


Some of the best times with the girls as babbies at faire was just letting them do their thing. When they were crawlers I would find a patch of grass by a show, sit down and let the faire pass us by. . .or as the case was, let the faire come to us. People would stop by to see the girls and they would be in awe of everything! *sighs* good times. . . .
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: Keno on June 25, 2010, 07:29:20 PM
lol the only time I was ever recognized at my faire was when I was walking around with a friend baby.  A wagon is ok but always keep an eye on them, I know most parent say they do but it sometime happens..  I would also have a way to keep the kid out of the rain and warm or cool cause the weather changes quickly.
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: Hoowil on June 25, 2010, 08:53:59 PM
I used a stroller for both little ones when they were under a year. Now we've been using one of those plastic wagons with built in seats and harnesses. There is a model with a cover, which I remade to be a little more aesthetically fitting for faire. I would not recommend it for newborns at all, but for toddlers, it works great. I like that it has three point harnesses in each seat, so the kiddos are fairly well secure. And its portable shade. The one we have, the seats fold down for a more traditional wagon bed, which works great as a changing table in you don't mind changing a diaper on your knees.
(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c154/squisheez/May292010085.jpg)
(http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c154/squisheez/Ren%20Faire/035.jpg)
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: THELADYKAT on September 13, 2010, 10:11:12 PM
dorian is getting ready for his 2nd year at TRF and  I can't wait he is walking now and he will be  like 14 months and 3 days or so lot's of fun....

We are trying to find wheels for his woodend wagons any help plz
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: LadyStitch on January 17, 2011, 10:37:37 AM
My friend Kelly found out she is pregant and due in mid september.  She really wants to go to TRF this year and stay in the camping section.  But she is curious if this will be possible?  The kiddo would be about 4-6 weeks old when they go.  They don't have a grandma's babysitting service, so that isn't possible.  Do you think their best bet would be to just get a room, and then if they need a break at faire just head back to one of their friend's camps?

Anything I can tell her would be a big load off her mind,
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: LadyStitch on February 11, 2011, 01:24:26 PM
Kelly moved to Massacusuts to be closer to her family, However now I need the info.  I swear something was in the water around christmas.  ::)

Anyway I'm bumping this back up.  The fuzzlet (the nickname Grandma has given the kiddo)  will be here in late September which means TRF will start in 2-3 weeks later.  We really do want to go to TRF this year but the kiddo will just be too young to camp with us. I need to keep the kiddo close since the fuzzlet will be so little.
I need advice here. The last time we had a wee one in our camp he was 5 months old and his parents rented a HUGE RV for the weekend.  Not sure how we can make this work.
A question to all the parents out there,  would it be best to sleep at a hotel, but we could still get passes to visit/hang out at our friends camps with the kiddo until traffic goes down?
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: PollyPoPo on February 11, 2011, 05:29:42 PM
Things have changed greatly since my kids were babies, so I would suggest you check with both your ob/gyn and the pediatrician before embarking on a faire trip with a baby that young and yourself still in recovery mode. 

Polly PoPo



Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: Sitara on February 11, 2011, 07:32:49 PM
There was a 2 week old baby in the tent across from mine at MNRF and he seemed to do well. He is now 3 years old and still there every week.  I have no suggestions to offer since I have never fested with small children personally, just wanted to mention that it can be done in a tent.
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: dragongirl on February 12, 2011, 03:11:35 AM
While it wasn't a faire, my mother had me camping with the family since I was 4 weeks old and I'm ok.  Also my first Pennsic there was a 6 week old baby in camp.  The only problems we had was the fact she was feeding on tap as it were, and If you were holding her around meal time you would end up with a hicky.  I do remember that about 5 days after I arrived she was fussy so her mother took her home for the afternoon( they live that close) but that was after she'd been there almost 2 full weeks in a heatwave.  Heck I was fussy and cranky and I was an adult. :P
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: Leyla on February 18, 2011, 06:36:39 AM
Speaking with recent experience, do as much as you can to insure that you'll get plenty of rest. We took our firstborn to faire at 3 weeks old. I think the stimulation was a bit much for him as he ended up sleeping A LOT more while at faire and didn't nurse nearly as often (although I've read that this extra stimulation tends to yield one of two results; shutdown with increased sleeping, or increased fussiness). Also, at 3 weeks postpartum I wasn't nearly in shape enough to wander the grounds as aggressively as before so we took it easy and had a shorter day, mostly took the opportunity to catch shows we'd missed and show off our beautiful baby.

I'm really more concerned with how well you'll handle going to faire at 2-3 weeks postpartum, rather than how your baby will fair. The baby will still sleep a lot, you not so much. Postpartum hormones and baby blues can be quite challenging as well, trying to cope with a potentially fussy newborn in tents could be emotionally challenging if you're concerned with waking your neighbors (not only because they'll hear the baby crying, but because you'll likely be making noise to sooth her back to sleep). If you run into any drama at faire your emotional response is likely to be exagerated (so if there's anyone there who makes you anxious or stressed, you will be even more so if you have to deal with them).  Your body will still be recovering so you'll be more tired. If you're breastfeeding you'll also have increased needs for fluids and calories. Then of course there's the issue that you may not have stellar bladder control yet (not great in the limited camping settings that I've been in), will still be going to the bathroom more frequently, and you'll still likely be bleeding heavily.

If camping is typically a low stress, easy to handle, comforting environment for you I think you'll do fine. I don't camp frequently enough to be adept or terribly comfortable with it. Baby should be fine no matter where you are, just make sure you are diligent about limiting the number of people who hold him and making sure they wash their hands thoroughly first.

If you do decide to go for a hotel I would suggest using hotwire or priceline. I've had pretty great luck with getting decent hotel rooms (like Country Suites) using Priceline with a $30 bid.
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: THELADYKAT on April 01, 2011, 12:43:13 AM
Dorian will be 20 months on the 6th and we can't wait for Scarby this will be his 2nd year there and this year should be better cause I have a wagon to pull him in and keep him out of the sun and he can run around with me and not need to be held as much. Then after this comes TRF and this will be his 3rd year I love having my baby at fair he loves it and it is so much fun :)
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: Hoowil on April 01, 2011, 09:13:02 PM
It may just be my experience, but taking our nearly 2 year old, and his sister when she was a similar age, was much more of a challenge than taking either as an infant. You can't blame them, but they want to run, explore, and get in to everything.
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: LadyStitch on May 13, 2011, 01:20:50 PM
We are looking at getting a good stroller for Faire.  We want to put it on our registry but we wanted to all of your ren-parent opinions.  The one we are looking at is this one.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10870672 (http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10870672)
This way we only have to get a new convertable car seat when fuzzlet get's to 20 pounds.

So thoughts?
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: maeven on May 13, 2011, 01:31:23 PM
Quote from: LadyStitch on May 13, 2011, 01:20:50 PM
We are looking at getting a good stroller for Faire.  We want to put it on our registry but we wanted to all of your ren-parent opinions.  The one we are looking at is this one.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10870672 (http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10870672)
This way we only have to get a new convertable car seat when fuzzlet get's to 20 pounds.

So thoughts?

My husband and I were looking at that one and we liked it too (we aren't expecting but we hope to be around TRF time). I like that you can pretty much go on any terrain with it, which is helpful if you're using a stroller at TRF.
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: Once Debauched on May 13, 2011, 02:22:55 PM
Quote from: LadyStitch on May 13, 2011, 01:20:50 PM
We are looking at getting a good stroller for Faire.  We want to put it on our registry but we wanted to all of your ren-parent opinions.  The one we are looking at is this one.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10870672 (http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10870672)
This way we only have to get a new convertable car seat when fuzzlet get's to 20 pounds.

So thoughts?

That should be PERFECT!

When I was expecting Chicklette I looked for something exactly like that and found the Jeep strollers.  I swear by them.  Big tires = mobility.

You'll be able to take that thing anywhere and if the back reclines it's a cinch for naptime.  Lot's of storage underneath which is handy when you have an itty bittty - bottles, water, diapers, food...

Just make sure you always pack the pump for the tires!

Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: LadyStitch on May 13, 2011, 02:32:46 PM
We liked the Jeep strollers BUT they can't be used with an infant less than 6 months old.  Granted Fuzzlet's first time to faire is most likely going to be Scarby next year, and she will be 5-6 months old, but we would like to use it in the mean time.
This seems like we are meeting in the middle. It's getting good reviews at toys r us, AND amazon.  I just wanted to run it by the other rennies for thier thoughts. 
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: LadyFae on May 13, 2011, 06:01:02 PM
That looks like a great one!  Great find!  =D  Did you get to see it in person and try it out yet?  Fold, unfold, lift it, try out all of the doodads and contraptions on the stroller and both the carrier and base!  =D
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: maeven on May 14, 2011, 08:55:58 AM
Since my husband and I are still in planning stages we have been looking at strollers and stuff here and there, I was wondering where can I find a good baby sling? (is that what it's called?)
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: LadyFae on May 14, 2011, 06:13:29 PM
Well, what type of sling are you thinking of?  I made a Moby for myself- two actually, for under $8.  I love it so much though that I would totally buy one for regular price ($40 or so) and still get my money's worth!  I still wear my youngest from time to time and she is almost 20 months.  There are LOTS of options for slings and carriers- I went with the Moby Wrap (or Sleepy Wrap) style because I loved the versatility of it and because I'm cheap and didn't want to have to buy more than one!  There are plenty of tutorials on YouTube for the use of and the construction of various types of slings and wraps.  With mine I bought 5 yards of a not too stretchy material that I liked the pattern on- it didn't shred when cut so I didn't have to use a sewing machine, I just cut the fabric in half and had two slings.  (Though I would recommend buying about 6 yards and tapering the ends- you can find the dimentions on Moby Wrap dot com.) 
I had a structured carrier for my second daughter and hated it.  She had to be so big in order to even fit in it then I couldn't wear her all day without being sore and I gave up on it way sooner than I wanted to.  (Not all are as bad as the one I had, though.)
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: maeven on May 14, 2011, 11:16:18 PM
Quote from: LadyFae on May 14, 2011, 06:13:29 PM
Well, what type of sling are you thinking of?  I made a Moby for myself- two actually, for under $8.  I love it so much though that I would totally buy one for regular price ($40 or so) and still get my money's worth!  I still wear my youngest from time to time and she is almost 20 months.  There are LOTS of options for slings and carriers- I went with the Moby Wrap (or Sleepy Wrap) style because I loved the versatility of it and because I'm cheap and didn't want to have to buy more than one!  There are plenty of tutorials on YouTube for the use of and the construction of various types of slings and wraps.  With mine I bought 5 yards of a not too stretchy material that I liked the pattern on- it didn't shred when cut so I didn't have to use a sewing machine, I just cut the fabric in half and had two slings.  (Though I would recommend buying about 6 yards and tapering the ends- you can find the dimentions on Moby Wrap dot com.) 
I had a structured carrier for my second daughter and hated it.  She had to be so big in order to even fit in it then I couldn't wear her all day without being sore and I gave up on it way sooner than I wanted to.  (Not all are as bad as the one I had, though.)

I've seen Moby's and I do like the support of it, but I was looking for something thinner to wear with my garb (I've noticed that Moby's have sleeve-type thingies on their slings). The prices for a Moby aren't bad considering that I've seen some slings that are around 60 bucks. I'll have to take a look at the tutorials online-I'm not much of a seamstress (I can't draw a straight line to save my life! lol... ) but it would still be something to check out and try!
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: LadyFae on May 15, 2011, 11:32:03 AM
That was the nice thing about making my own was that I could pick my own fabric- so you can find something that coordinates with your garb.  I made mine wider so that I could double it for extra warmth if need be.  I know some people who make some out of football jersey fabric for "breathablity," and others from t-shirt jersey knits.  Don't worry about being super straight with your lines, just fold your material in half and cut along the crease, close enough!  =)  The way it gets wrapped and folded anyway you don't need it to be perfect.  =)
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: LadyStitch on May 16, 2011, 10:46:05 AM
Quote from: LadyFae on May 13, 2011, 06:01:02 PM
That looks like a great one!  Great find!  =D  Did you get to see it in person and try it out yet?  Fold, unfold, lift it, try out all of the doodads and contraptions on the stroller and both the carrier and base!  =D
We did a test run on Saturday at the local Toys R us.  That thing glided one handed.  Easy seat in and out, the closing was a little ackward, but nothing deal breaking.  Considering that it is a jogger stroller we expected a little ackwardness.
We registered for one of the baby slings, and I got the moby wrap, just in case.  You never know what the kiddo would want.   The PP is still plotting on how to turn the jogger into a pirate ship or even princess carriage.  You know anyplace else people would think us odd that we specially were registering for baby transportation devises  just so we would have an easy time at faire playing with them.  ;D
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: Adriana Rose on May 24, 2011, 05:19:53 PM
I loved my sling! It helped alot that way when my little one was tiny he could still be all scrunched up like newborns like and it was comfy for me too and when he got bigger he could sit up and check things out then if he fell asleep I just had to switch him around. My brother in law was convinced it wasnt safe but I never had a problem.

But for faire you have to keep in mind that it may get hot and a hot baby = a very fussy baby. I liked the stroller you could stash all the stuff the kiddo needed and there is stash space for your stuff too
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: LadyStitch on June 20, 2011, 11:04:09 AM
We don't plan on camping, but given that Sherwood is in Texas Febuary;  Do you think it would be ok to take the fuzzlet to Sherwood. She would be 4-5 months old? 
We are going to try for 1-2 weekends this year, and grandma is already asking for a weekend of grandbaby spoiling.  I'm trying to weigh the options of taking the fuzzlet, or giving her grandparent time.
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: Lady Kett on June 20, 2011, 10:46:27 PM
Quote from: LadyStitch on June 20, 2011, 11:04:09 AM
We don't plan on camping, but given that Sherwood is in Texas Febuary;  Do you think it would be ok to take the fuzzlet to Sherwood. She would be 4-5 months old? 
We are going to try for 1-2 weekends this year, and grandma is already asking for a weekend of grandbaby spoiling.  I'm trying to weigh the options of taking the fuzzlet, or giving her grandparent time.

Not that we were doing Faire when our daughter was that age, but being two parents far from any grandparental support, we took ours every where we went, no matter what we did. Weather be the decision maker, I suspect. Exceptionally cold/wet or to the contrary, exceptionally warm weather and you might wish to reconsider, but honestly, anything in between and the fuzzlet should be fine. Remember, babies have been around for an awfully long time and in all weather conditions. It's just defining what attire makes sense and what pain in the tushie the parents are willing to accept! Babies are quite adaptable, at least according to my memory. [At 21, they are very adaptable!!!]


Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: Hoowil on June 21, 2011, 12:29:09 PM
My daughter was 3 months old at her first fair, my son was 6 weeks. For infants, aside from the baggage train required, its not too bad. Just keep in mind to let the renfant and momma have lots of oppertunities for rest. Even camping isn't too bad, both of my kids were under a year on their first campouts. (We haven't done camping and faire at the same time though)
Its the 18 month to 3 year range that gets challenging, as all they want is to be loose and explore, and can quickly vanish into crowds.
I'd say read back through the thread for a bunch of suggestions.

If you want a 'parents only' weekend, and have the oppertunity, take it! If you're not sure you need it, let the little one have a weekend of dress-up.
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: Leyla on July 11, 2011, 03:12:42 AM
Quote from: maeven on May 14, 2011, 08:55:58 AM
Since my husband and I are still in planning stages we have been looking at strollers and stuff here and there, I was wondering where can I find a good baby sling? (is that what it's called?)

I couldn't possibly be a bigger fan of the Maya Wrap (https://www.mayawrap.com/)! Our son is 10 months old, 20+ pounds, and we still carry him comfortably in this sling. We used it ALL THE TIME. It's much easier to put on/take off than the Moby style. We had him in and out between stores and car seats in a pinch, never having to futz with hauling around the car seat or lugging out and unfolding a stroller. He spent the day in this sling at 3 weeks old out at MNRF too. It distributes the weight very well once you get the hang of it (making sure the padding is wrapped over the round part of your shoulder, and not like a backpack strap closer to your neck). The Maya is still my husband's preferred carrier. Yes, they are a little more expensive, but it's a great investment.

If you keep an eye on craigslist they do occasionally pop up there. There are currently 2 in my local listing one for $35, the other $40.

I also love my woven wraps for longer carries. They're styled the same as the Moby, but are more supportive and can be used for front, back, craddle, and hip carries. My fussy boy is so much calmer in this carrier, and being able to throw him on my back I can actually do other things around the house. Check out some of these images (http://www.google.com/search?um=1&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft%3A*%3AIE-SearchBox&rlz=1I7EGLC&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=woven+wrap+carrier&oq=woven+wrap+carrier&aq=f&aqi=&aql=undefined&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=11858l12920l0l8l8l0l7l0l0l78l78l1l1) of babies in woven wraps.

You have to sign up, but The Baby Wearer (http://www.thebabywearer.com/) has tons of forums on all different types of carriers. It's a fantastic resources (once you get past all the goofy abbreviations).
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: PollyPoPo on July 15, 2011, 05:49:28 PM
QuotePosted by: LadyStitch 
We don't plan on camping, but given that Sherwood is in Texas Febuary;  Do you think it would be ok to take the fuzzlet to Sherwood. She would be 4-5 months old? 
We are going to try for 1-2 weekends this year, and grandma is already asking for a weekend of grandbaby spoiling.  I'm trying to weigh the options of taking the fuzzlet, or giving her grandparent time. 

For a day trip, she should be okay, depending on weather.  2011 we had a few cold mornings where we used capes (I think it got below freezing for us campers one night), but then 80s in the afternoon.  The last weekend I did see a very small infant (I swear only a couple weeks old) in the ladies room getting a hand bath with water trying to cool him down.  Six month old will probably be really fussing before she gets to that point.  Like others have said here before, it might be a shorter day than you would normally plan. 

I believe Sherwood is going to have wee ones wagons for rent.  If you have not been to Sherwood, it does have lots of dappled tree cover, and it is easy to avoid the direct sun if one so wishes.  Running February through first part of April, Sherwood might be freezing or in the 90s – you just never know.

Polly PoPo
(aka Grannie)
Title: Re: Taking an infant to faire?
Post by: LadySeasan on July 25, 2011, 07:35:27 PM
I am due August 18th, depending on when the little renlet decides to show up, we will be going to faire late September/October.

We have an awesome vintage pram that a friend snagged for us at the farmers market.  We will be decorating it to look somewhat renaissance-y.  When I don't feel like pushing her, I will carry her in a ring sling.  I find the moby wrap to be too much fabric and tying and wrapping to tote around fair.