[Gocamino] Camino with kids

[deb berman]

Hi Katie,I saw this link---  http://kidsoncamino.com/ --- on Susan Alcorn's website, http://www.backpack45.com/inthemountains2.html
Only problem was that the link no longer works. You could contact Susan's website to find out whether there is another way to reach the people, who, according to the website, did the Camino from León with their 16 month old. 
The Camino with children of any age would be a much longer journey than the one you and your husband did by yourselves----for all the reasons travel with kids is much more of a "production" than is traveling without them: supplies, boredom, physical and nutritional needs, laundry etc. etc. It's not as if the two year old can live on chorizo and cheese and yogurt, the way we adults do! And, if you are nursing the 9 month old, you would need to take extra care with your own nutritional needs and calorie requirements. I can't recall where, but I read about someone who hiked with their children who were a bit older, maybe 7-10 years old---but what I do remember reading was that the Camino Francés took them five or six months. I'll look through my books and see if I can find that info. 
Besides using a hiking stroller and staying at hostels, it would be prudent to have a local cell phone and list of emergency numbers, phone numbers for taxi services in each area (in case of injury or if the weather were to turn bad all of a sudden, which can and does happen), as well as fluent Spanish capabilities and copies of medical records already translated into Spanish. I have always been impressed with accounts of "Camino Angels" appearing at just the right moment, but I myself wouldn't take anything for granted when it comes to the safety of a child. I'm sure you would take the utmost precautions as regards the safety of your children.
 Please consider---just like baby-proofing the house is for a couple who are expecting a first child and now need to learn to look at things from the baby's viewpoint down on the floor, the Camino route would need to be looked at in an extremely new and different way---- a major shrinking of the daily mileage expectations and pretty much a "way of life" for the duration---and for a much longer walking period than that required for an adult walker to complete the trek. There would definitely be a need for some careful planning, for the entire route and especially in some of the more difficult or remote areas. Some adults try to just "wing it," but with children, winging it would be a recipe for disaster. There are parts of the Camino that are difficult terrain, where no stroller would be adequate---one would need to opt for the asphalt instead. And considering the way people drive in Spain, you may not have looked at the numbers of traffic accidents and fatalities, etc., well, I would think twice about walking along some of those paved roads, even and especially out in the middle of nowhere, while pushing my precious children in a flimsy stroller. 
The thing is, one needs to look at it all from the children's point of view as well as from the adult's. The Camino with children would certainly be a different sort of adventure. I had a momentary fantasy of what it might be like to walk it with my four and a half year old niece, then thought about the 2 1/2 hour hike I made with her last summer and how she was so bored and tired after a short time. And she was enjoying all the distractions afforded by walking, until she got tired of it and begged for us to carry her and we took turns doing so. When I thought about how long it would take us to get anywhere each day on the Camino, I also remembered that I am not independently wealthy, and my meager funds would need to extend to cover a journey of many months! The Camino would be quite a cultural and educational experience for an older child, but I don't know if there are many kids who would put up with the rigors of the Camino for very long. Even with an older child, it seems like the trip would have to be greatly modified in order to be a successful venture.
Something important to think about would be how the children would feel, riding for such long hours in the hiking stroller for days on end. Their little bodies would be tired and sore from riding, then they would still need to get their "ya-yas" out when you stop---even though you yourselves would be tired from walking. Besides this, think about how their little muscles and bones are developing so quickly now. Riding in one position for so many hours over such a long period of time may have potential to cause curvatures of the spine. Also, children's immune systems are immature and could encounter unusual challenges during the trip. My ex-sister-in-law is a Spanish pediatrician and she tells me about all the cases of intestinal flu she treats--and the problems there with the drinking water and food storage issues. Anyone who has had any intestinal problems while in Spain knows what I am talking about. The difference is, adults have major fatigue and diarrhea for a few days, whereas in children, these water and food-borne illnesses can become life-threatening. The decisions made by parents now, during these important developmental months, affect children for their entire lives, so it is important to consider every aspect from the point of view of the children's needs. It would be quite a feat to juggle all of it successfully. 
Perhaps the scarcity of information about people hiking the Camino with children is something to think about. I'm not saying don't do it, I can certainly understand your desire to go again and to share the experience with your children. Just please think everything through thoroughly, consult with someone who has had this experience and, above all, put the safety and well being of the children first, as I am sure you will. 
Buen Camino,Deborah (mother of 3, soon-to-be-grandmother, Maternal-Child Nurse for 30 years, Camino traveler for 6 weeks)
> Date: Sat, 7 Mar 2009 22:20:31 -0800
> From: kholland25 at yahoo.com
> To: gocamino at oakapple.net
> Subject: [Gocamino] Camino with kids
> 
> 
> My husband and I have walked the Camino - French route.  Like many others we are itching to go again, except this time we have 2 sons.  They are 2.5 years and a 9 months old (as of today).  Does anyone have any information about walking the camino with kids?
> 
> Our thoughts right now are hiking stroller and staying in hostels as opposed to the alburges. 
> 
> Thanks, 
> Katie
> 
> 
> 
>       
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