Part Two: The Kids
So now that the non-com adult is entertained, what about the kids? The following tips apply mostly to the preteen and under crowd.
First off, lose the idea that Ragnarok is a giant playground that is safe for kids without any supervision. With hundreds of people of all ages from all across the country, you have to think of it like any big event. You wouldn't take your kid to the mall and not keep some sort of tabs on him. Same thing at Rag. There are also hazards like a creek, lake, cars, and dogs who may or may not like children - for breakfast.
I recommend that you take the kids camping before Rag if they've never been before. Attend a local campout or just do a weekend at your nearby campground. Let them get a feel for camping (noise, bugs, dirt, portacastles, heat, weather, cold, fresh air). If they hate it, do yourself a favor and take them to Grandma's for the week instead of bringing them to Ragnarok. One of our kids loves camping and one has decided he hates it. It's not fun for anyone, including our unit-mates, to camp with Mr. Sullen so we spare everyone the experience. You may compromise and rent a nearby hotel room. If so, consider a small tent in camp for a playroom/nap area/storage. If you do stay onsite, recognize that the bath house is a quarter mile from the nearest camp, so don't plan on being able to use it when Little Susie needs to go to the bathroom - urgently.
Packing:
When you pack for the event, remember to bring kid-friendly items as well as fun things and treats to make the event special. Kids need toys (electronic and non), snacks, drinks, bedding, clothes... Pack the first aid kit with children's medicines, bug bite medicine, hand sanitizer, baby wipes and sunscreen. When packing clothes and bedding, pack more than you think they'll need. Kids get colder faster than adults and they also tend to thrash in bed and kick off blankets. Even in the summer it can get quite chilly at night and you'll want warm clothes and warm sleeping bags/blankets for them. They will also invariably find dirt, mud, and water to get into and will need spare clothes, both mundane (like socks) and garb. Bring leggings for little girls. They will both keep her legs warm and prevent her from flashing people.
Consider bringing cots for the kids to sleep on so they are off the ground and you don't have to fight with an air mattress. A tip from one of our youngins is to put the pillow in the foot of a sleeping bag and then use another bag or blankets on top. That way the pillow won't wander off in the night and it also makes the cot cozier.
Where to camp:
You may want to choose your camp space by where the kids will get the most rest without being bothered. Consider parking on the far side of your group's space so laughing or drumming from the fire pit is less likely to keep the kids up. Or you might want to be well inside the perimeter so no one trips over your kids' tent in the dark. If you know there are other families camping, consider camping near them, both for the noise factor and for the close proximity of playmates/extra adults. Also bear in mind the need for shade. If your kids are likely to need naps, ask for a space where the tent will be protected in the afternoon. Whether your tent has "rooms" or the kids have their own tent will depend on your children. Older kids may enjoy their own "space," especially if there are younger siblings.
Plan your day:
At a long event like Rag, you'll want to have some sort of routine that balances your wants and needs as an adult and their wants and needs as children. Do something fun in the morning before battles and in the afternoon after battles are over. Go to the lake or pool (note that only very small kids and their chaperones can swim in the pool. All others must go to the lake).
Remember to sunblock the kids and nag them into keeping hydrated. Kids never want to stop and do boring things like these, but it's very important that they don't get dehydrated or burned.
At least once, consider getting out of camp and going to the movies or getting dinner in town. At night, ensure each kid has his or her own flashlight, preferably on a lanyard. Keep a bedtime ritual and schedule - get dessert, brush teeth, visit the portacastle, read stories and then tuck them in.
If you do take the kids around, consider which camps are appropriate for your children. I find that children remember and understand more than we often give them credit for, so if your buddy is starting to tell bawdy stories, it may be best to take your leave and put the kids to bed.
Plan your night:
After the kids are in bed, you don't always have to be tied to the camp. You can trade kid-watching with a trusted friend that the children know well. You can invest in a battery powered baby monitor, or for older kids, a set of walkie talkies. Test the ranges on these items before you or they wander off, though.
Nighttime at Rag is fun, but there are also a lot of fires, parties and things kids shouldn't get into. Marti Gras is not for kids. Neither is Sin Nite. If you want to party on Sin Night, consider what other parents have done - hire a responsible teen or two, set them up in a hotel room and order pizza. Pay the sitter(s) well. Some parents go in with other parents on this arrangement. If the kids are offsite, they won't sneak peeks from a hillside and you can party all night long.
Other things for kids to do:
Underage kids can also spar on the sidelines, both with your friends and with each other. You will often see roving packs of kids with kid-sized swords running around away from the battle. When they hit 16, watch out, because they've done it all their little lives. Just make sure they stay off the field when there's a regular battle going on.
Find out when Goblin Trick or Treat is being held and make sure the kids get to participate.
Get the kids cheap water guns and let them have a water fight.
Send them to the playground by Botch's Kitchen.
You can also give them jobs. They can pick up your campsite, run errands, walk someone's dog (but please provide baggies for cleanup), take things to and from Weapon's Check, and act as messengers.
Ragnarok and the single parent
Be it you're the only parent that was able to attend or you're a single parent who doesn't have much choice but fly solo with the kids, if you find yourself wrangling kneebiters alone, here are a few special tips:
You may want to keep it a short week, especially if this will be the first weeklong event with the kids. Hit the end of the week instead of the beginning of the week to get in on the biggest battles.
If you are not arriving with other people or will be arriving late, ask a friend to take your tent and have it set up in advance. It is much easier to arrive in bad weather/in the dark if all you have to do is throw the essentials and the kids in the tent and deal with the rest in the morning. This will also help your family tent to be in the right place, before tents start getting set up in odd places as more people arrive.
Pick and choose battles and events. If you plan ahead for Osgiliath, you can arrange for the kids to be entertained while you get to do the battle you like best. By focusing on your favorite scenario, you may get more bang for your battle instead of using your limited time to be in a battle you are only mildly interested in.
Team up. This is especially important if you're the only one there with your kids. If you know that someone else from your chapter will similarly be flying solo, work together on wrangling the kids and/or giving each other a night off.
Other random tidbits
- Teach your children to use your battle name. You're much more likely to hear and respond to someone yelling "Oron!" than "Dad!" Plus, if you're out of earshot of the kids, other Dagorhirrim will realize who the kids belong to when they hear your battle name.
- Ensure they know your camp, where it is and who is in it. Show them where Troll is.
- Teach your kids to point flashlights at the ground. People don't like having lights in their faces.
- Teach the kids to hail a camp and not just go barreling through.
- It's dinnertime - do you know where your kids are? Please don't let your kids wander around until they find someone else's dinner to invite themselves to. Feed your kids or ensure they have an invitation.
- You can bathe little kids in a large pot. You might also want a solar shower for the water or to hose off muddy kids in camp.
- One year, we tagged our youngest campmate with the same fabric we used to mark our weapons. We tied the cloth to her Rag Tag, an item she'd wear every day anyway. Similarly, consider glow sticks or glow necklaces of a certain color for your children. It makes it easier to see them in the dark and kids like glow stuff.