First-timer

[twistpeach.livejournal.com]

Hello Arisia,

I will be bringing my three-year-old son to Arisia for the first time. I excitedly signed him up for Turtle Track and can't wait to see him engage in all the neat programs. I was wondering if folks had any advice for how to handle the day, pitfalls to watch out for, and what is good practice for little children while at this particular con beyond the FAQs.

I've been to Arisia for a few years and feel a little clueless about how to balance my traditional Arisia activities with my excitement to include my son and facilitate him having an awesome experience. Any tricks of the trade to skating this transition like a champ? I hope my son and I will attend Arisia together for many years because we both have a great time.

p.s. I just opened up a thread about parenting. Please be forgiving and thoughtful in the comments. Non-parents, please be deferential. Parenting is hard.

Comments

[tisiphone.livejournal.com]

- Bring appropriate food. Arisia does as much as possible for adult attendees, but adults can make the choice to live on hot dogs and snickers bars all weekend. It's not as cool for kids.
- Transitional objects and familiar blankets to make staying in a hotel less stressful.
- I also suggest taking a picture of him every morning with your phone so if he gets lost you can show security and others exactly what he looks like that day, which is way better than a vague description.
- For Arisia-specific things, I found that my daughter enjoyed the child-oriented programs for a while, but she didn't want to stay all day, so when she was younger we often spent the afternoon doing other things. For example, the science museum was a big hit. She also enjoyed the dealer's room even at a young age, and there are sellers of stuffed animals and children's anime that can be relied upon for a bit of a treat.
- If you take him to panels or events, I'd suggest making sure you get an aisle seat, so you can sneak out if possible.
- Also, to be honest, make sure the weekend doesn't become all about him. Hire a babysitter for Saturday night if you want to go to the parties, for instance. (There are many older teens that are trustworthy and willing to trade a few hours wandering the halls for filthy lucre.)

[deguspice.livejournal.com]

The Children's Museum is about a mile from the Westin. Depending upon the weather you could either walk, or take a taxi