advice for going to a game with a 1 year old
August 6th, 2017 at 12:19 AM ^
August 6th, 2017 at 12:23 AM ^
August 6th, 2017 at 10:56 AM ^
August 6th, 2017 at 11:04 AM ^
August 6th, 2017 at 12:23 AM ^
Save your money and buy a sweet TV and watch it with her in your arms in the comfort of your own home.
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Dear all young parents, if your kid is too young to understand/enjoy what's going on or too young to be explained what's going on...don't bring him/her!
And once he/she IS old enough to understand or enjoy what's going on...choose your seats wisely. Especially at football games. I don't like the guy who curses all damn game any more than the next person - but I also hate when one person slips a "SHIT!" or "FUCK!" after a tough play and everyone crucifies that person because there's a kid in the section.
I almost wish there was a designated parents with kids section. Not to say that all parents with kids HAVE to see there, but if you sit outside of it...you're in the mix with the rest of us heathens.
August 6th, 2017 at 12:26 AM ^
August 6th, 2017 at 11:07 AM ^
Only problem with this is youl wind up buying three tickets for one person to enjoy the game. If you go in knowing that, and still want to spend the $150+, that's fine. To me, that's a lot of money to pay for a picture of your family in front of the stadium.
August 6th, 2017 at 12:27 AM ^
August 6th, 2017 at 12:44 AM ^
August 6th, 2017 at 12:52 AM ^
I don't understand why you want to do this. But if you're going to do it . . .
- Bring an RV with a high def TV.
- Tailgate.
- Go into the game all together.
- Take requisite photos.
- Have a designated person to leave the game when your one year old is done.
- Go back to the RV, change your one year old, give your one year old a bottle, put your one year old down to sleep, and watch the rest of the game on the TV.
August 6th, 2017 at 12:53 AM ^
kid right? Unless your baby loves to sleep for 4 hours around 110,000 then its a big mistake.
August 6th, 2017 at 12:57 AM ^
I am about the biggest proponent of taking kids to Michigan football games there is. My dad started taking me really young. I can't tell you if I was 4 or 5. I just remember that I was so young that I can't remember if I was 4 or 5. And I went to every home game for about 16 years.
Taking a one-year-old has no purpose. At the young age I started going I was SUPER advanced in terms of actually paying attention to what was going on in a football game and I still had a lot of trouble seeing over other people. I think 5 is about the minimum age that can have any enjoyment from the game and that is probably only if you have a super-football obsessed kid like I was. Probably 6 or 7 is better. And I still most likely annoyed the crap out of the adults around me at the games!
Don't do it. Leave the kid with grandparents or a sitter and just enjoy the game yourself. Take the kid when she is older. It will be better for you, for the kid, and for everyone seated around you. A 1 year-old has exactly zero interest in a football game, and will have no idea she was ever there.
And that was over 16 years ago.
Still had to change diapers and haul him at times in the kiddie backpack. Can't imagine doing it any younger than that and being any fun.
Went to the athletic garage sale prior to the scrimmage. Shook Jamie Morris' hand.
At games when they are young they have to stand on the bench seat in order to see over people in front of them when they stand.
I remember standing on the bench seats for several years just to see when I first started going to the games as a kid. I had to stay crouched down to not block the view when everyone was seated but then be ready to stand up if anything big happened. My dad also bought me a pair of binouculars so that I could see things better, but that may have been at 6 or 7.
August 6th, 2017 at 10:10 AM ^
August 6th, 2017 at 10:11 AM ^
I completely get why you want to do it, but I recommend waiting.
No to the Michigan State game. Our daughter is 6 now and I won't take her to either of the State games for quite a few more years.
We took our daughter to her first game when she was six months old. She went to one game each year for every season after until last season when she went to every game (she was 5).
I went to my first game at 2 weeks old but that was in the Ricky Leach era.
Until last year, we only planned to stay until a little after halftime. Earlier home games can be pretty hot so bring hat, sunscreen and lightweight clothing that doesn't expose a lot of skin.
If you sit near the top on the east side you will get almost a quarter of shade (the boxes block the sun). Bring a few contraband kid snacks (like those squeezy pouches) and contact the athletic department about their current baby stuff policy (it seems to change often). You can bring some things in but they change in what form (ziploc bags, I've seen whole diaper bags, etc...).
She won't remember the game but I totally understand the desire to bring her and did the same thing. I had to change my view of games with a baby/toddler and be willing to leave early which I never did before. If you are driving from quite a ways think about if this is the right choice for all of you and your husband needs to be ok with leaving the game early.
have a back up plan. Listen to the kid before leaving the house and every minute until you turn around.
Make it fun... for the kid.
Thanks for asking.
no advice is going to make this bearable
what a horrible idea
But reading your last comment, OP, I want to double down on one thing: you should not go. Your husband can handle the kid for 4 hours. Get him to agree to sunscreen and earmuffs, and then get out of the way and let him try it.
I took my 1 yr old to M v Washington in 2001, worked out fine. Additional suggestion, bring a baby carrier front-pack. My favorite is the Kelty, but there are plenty of other options. It allowed me to bounce a little, pat my daughter's butt (this combo has been a winner with all three of my kids at many various venues including law conferences which, by design, put anyone to sleep) and use the sun screen cover to keep the rays off.
That said, DON'T sit in a student section.
Drink lots of water -- risk of overheating for you both. Be aware and very cautious of the little one overheating.
Be ready to miss key points of the game. I wouldn't go if your husband wasn't willing/able to do the same.
BRING SUNSCREEN AND APPLY LIBERALLY TO YOURSELF AND CHILD.
Worked out fine for me -- except the resulting loss to the Huskies. Was easier than taking kids at 3 and 4 (they were bored). Around 6-8 years old is when the kiddos can sit through and actually get something out of the experience -- especially an exciting game.
Took my middle child (8 yrs old) to UTL, and when Denard willed us to victory and the stadium rocked wild, it was incredible. Took her to the Forcier miracle too. Maybe she's my lucky charm.
I would NOT take your child to MSU -- too likely to run into drunk and unhappy Sparty showing no discretion at all.
I work at gate 10, purses /bags for diapers, drugs, diabetes paraphenalia,etc are allowed. A doctors note would help expedite the process but you go to the "solutions desk" at any gate , they inspect the bag, ascertain that the crying baby does indeed shit, and will need the diapers, they tag the bag and away you go to annoy your seatmates with your bundle of joy.
and do your own analysis. how calm is your child? are they able to be settled easily? predictable schedule to their wakefulness? easy feeder? jon06 has given the best advice along with rosie. i would've been hesitant to do this while our first born was collicky for a bit, but the next 6 kids would've been fine. accept that one of you may be missing some substantial portion of the game while wandering the lawn outside or changing/feeding. no big deal. do think it's a good idea to get some earcovering for junior, and try them out a lot ahead of time so they won't be a problem at the game.
that said, i would be less likely to take junior to the state game. even with nice weather i could see that experience going sideways any number of ways, none of them having to do with your child.
August 6th, 2017 at 10:00 AM ^
August 6th, 2017 at 11:02 AM ^
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"Do you own analysis but listen to me anyway."
And especially not as dumb as your "post."
i just might qualify as an expert. there are a number of mgobloggers/lurkers who have met some or all of our children, so i'd let them opine about how the kids are. also, see the posts a bit below this set where a number of parents have done this and report positive experiences.
how many children do you have steve? ages?
The "my kid played with knives and didn't get hurt" argument.
solid analysis, but unsure why you didn't use the 'played frisbee on the freeway' line.
and you, gremlin, kids? ages?
Even better logic: Comparison is the same as equality.
And whether or not I have children is not a prerequisite for pointing out the obvious flaw in your argument.
You're essentially saying that just b/c ONE example of someone not suffering the likely consequences means it's a good idea for someone in the future to try it anyway.
Psst: you can't train a one-year-old how to deal with a roaring crowd. And you have no idea how to genetically predict that any one child can handle it or not.
7 and 5.
Tried the spring game a few years back. First TD and the parse spring crowd reaction scared them so we left. Took oldest to his first real game last year--he was six at the time. He was fine with the noise but got bored (which tends to happen when it's Scott Frost U. and it's 28-shake with three minutes gone).
Look, there's worse things parents can do than take their one-year-old to a football game and I don't doubt that some got lucky and it worked out. That doesn't make it a good idea.
and good that they are michigan fans. but i would add that luck doesn't have much to do with it. i of course think some children would be tougher than others, but here is the part no parent wants to hear: the parents have a whole lot more to do with whether or not its a good idea, and that pattern is cut much earlier in the child's life than many realize.
we (read 99% my mgobride) taught our kids to settle even when very young. other than our oldest who was colicky for about 5 months, taking them to events wasn't a problem. oh yeah, our oldest also turned away from the circus clown at barnum and bailey's when she wasn't quite 2 yrs. i wonder if she could sense something.