Bringing baby

[Bethan Davies]

Last year, I met 2 groups with small children doing the camino. One
couple had 7 and 5-year-old boys, and the other couple had an
18-month-old boy. The couple with the 18-month-old just took things
slowly, and sometimes stayed in hotels rather than refugios.

In the refugios, they would make sure that their little boy was
sleeping on a bottom bunk, and drape a sheet or blanket from the top
bunk so that it would be dark enough for him to go to bed at about
8pm.

The kid was the centre of attention at every refugio, and very rarely
cried. As someone else pointed out, I think that kids may be less
disturbing than broncadores (snorers) or the rustling of plastic bags
when pilgrims get up at 5.30am.

Bethan

>A tough one.
>
>I've never seen kids younger than 8 or so on the Camino and they can get
>sooooooooo tired and irritable just when you want to get some rest after
>your day's walk.  My own daughters are 16 and 14 but I still haven't
>forgotten the middle of the night screams from the youngest when she was 9
>months old, I really don't think I'd have wanted to inflict my Philippa on a
>room full of exhausted pilgrims.  Think back a couple of years, would YOU
>have welcomed someone bringing a very small baby while you hiked the
>highways and byeways of Spain?
>
>As an ex-hospitalero I'd even have doubts about letting a dog in again
>(sorry Trigo) after a bad experience of a spaniel tied up outside and
>barking through to 2am! (I finaly got up and untied it whereupon it went in
>and slept next to it's owner's bunk for the rest of the night)
>
>Don't forget how hot it will be in the summer too - 40deg C in places.
>
>Pushing a stroller, no matter how rugged, up O'Cebriero would be no joke.
>
>I don't think that baby would suffer but you and everybody else might and
>you don't want everybody disappearing as soon as you hove into view.
>
>On balance, unless you are desperate not to be separated from your little
>girl I think it would be better for you, her and your fellow pilgrims for
>you not to take her along.
>
>That probably didn't help a bit did it?
>
>Jeffrey
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Teri Duff [mailto:teriaPASSITDOWN.COM]
>Sent: 25 April 2003 00:19
>To: GOCAMINO
>Subject: Bringing baby
>
>
>My husband and I are planning to spend two weeks walking the Camino,
>(late June/early July).  We are planning to bring our daughter who will
>be 9 months old at the time.  We have a very rugged jogging stroller
>which I believe will allow us to push her over any terrain.
>
>Do you think we will have any problems being accepted into the
>refugios?  I was just planning to have her sleep with me in a sleeping
>bag made of sheets.  Do other people bring small children?  Is there
>anything special we should be taking into consideration?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Teri