Thank you David for the perspective of a father, I wrote to Simone off line with practical suggestions, but there may be others contemplating the same issues so I repeat. I towed four children around to global field sites (some pretty challenging) with me as a single mom, for thirty years. It was a challenge, but also mostly good for me, my colleagues, and my (not resentful and incredibly grateful adults) children. If the infant is healthy, and, for moms, breastfeeding, then the issues are not insurmountable. Strap the infant as close to your body as possible with as few layers in between as you can manage. That will ensure their heat except for the head where a light wool cap should be easy to find. Use a size or so larger of your own outer gear to cover you both. Carry a tarp or fold-able quick-set-up tent for those times when you have to take a break and need a rude shelter if you are too far from a usable vehicle. Don't expect that your colleagues should make allowances (like slowing down or taking a break or holding something), but be prepared to be surprised that some will be more than eager and happy to do so.
My strategy was that I never thought that my children (or me) were more fragile than the children of the host country I was a guest in. True, there were a few things that my hosts' children were exposed to and that I maintained the privilege of not having to expose my own children to. But I maintained that level of safety and protection was a privilege. Most importantly It remains a choice on whether, when, and how to combine children and career, and I commend and explicitly encourage Simone for wanting to explore her options and being willing to seek help to do so. Claudia On Sun, Apr 8, 2012 at 11:29 PM, David M. Lawrence <[email protected]> wrote: > I wonder if we can redirect this discussion to the task at hand -- how to > find a workable solution rather than point out all the potential flaws in > Simone's plans? > > We were taking my son on hikes in the mountains of New Jersey and upstate > New York when his neck muscles were strong enough. He was probably older > than three months then, but he couldn't have been much older than six. > > This problem doesn't just affect mothers -- it affects fathers who choose > to make similar sacrifices that women make. I took my son to his first > class at Columbia when he was two weeks old. A few months later, my son > and I were kicked out of a class we were in -- with the instructors > permission -- by a fool dean who felt children did not belong at college. > The problem with his backward thinking was that I started going to college > my dad when I was eight or so. I consider myself empirical refutation of > the dean's hypothesis. (My son and I smiled at the grimacing dean as we > walked across the graduation stage together the next year.) > > In other misadventures with my son, I had to change a poopy diaper while > interviewing James Hansen in his GISS office about his work on climate > change. It wasn't one of my favorite memories, but Hansen (a father > himself) was quite gracious about it. > > In our hiking adventures, my son survived cold, hot, wet, and dry > conditions. Some days were bad, some days were good -- but we had roughly > the same split of good vs. bad days in our climate-controlled home. > > The problem isn't Simone trying to figure out how to balance fieldwork and > family life -- the problem is the rest of us who throw unnecessary > obstacles in her way. Our thinking needs to change, not hers. Personally, > I know she'll have to be realistic about how much work she can do with a > short person in tow. It won't be as much as she thinks, but it will be a > lot more than some other folks think. She'll have to be realistic about > certain risks, like sun exposure and insects -- and maybe even bears -- but > let's consider one irrefutable fact: our ancestors endured far worse > conditions (with infants!) that she ever will, and our species survived > just fine. > > So, can we focus on practical answers to her original question? > > Dave > > > On 4/8/2012 9:59 PM, Clara B. Jones wrote: > >> 1. Simone: I commend you for reaching out to your peers for feedback. As a >> graduate student, I would not have been able to be so vulnerable or to >> make >> such a healthy choice. >> 2. I have had a fair amount of experience with babies& children in field >> >> conditions. >> 3. I camped in the (deep) VT wilderness with a 4-day old (Dartmouth Outing >> Club). Bears were attracted to the tent,& I speculated that they were >> >> attracted by the baby's scent(s). This idea, while plausible, is pure >> speculation. >> 4. Many decisions made by caretakers carry risks. Be aware of what risks >> obtain under your conditions, and decide whether the potential costs are >> able to be minimized and whether they are costs/disadvantages you are >> prepared to assume. >> 5. I think that Malcolm is correct to remind you that you are incurring >> risks--for you and your baby; however, babies are more robust and >> resilient >> than his comments would suggest. >> 6. What interests me...and concerns me...about your case is the very >> significant lengths some females choose to go to achieve their goals and, >> sometimes, their dreams. For more than a decade, I have been interacting >> formally& informally with young academic females (American)--both >> >> heterosexual and homosexual--and, for those wanting a committed family >> life >> (however defined), there are, quite simply, no easy answers. >> 7. In my experience, the combination of serious research science career + >> family life is challenging even for females who are independently wealthy. >> 8. Whatever the tradeoffs, tactics,& strategies chosen, in my experience, >> >> most (American) females wanting a competitive scientific research career >> have to manage guilt; sometimes, shame; expectations& social pressures of >> >> various sorts (e.g., Malcolm's well-intentioned response); research output >> that may be considered compromised if not sub-par; undue, and, often, >> self-imposed, stress, etc., etc. >> 9. It is my personal opinion that the major disadvantage for females in >> research science careers concerns how to arrange UNDIVIDED, UNINTERRUPTED, >> FOCUSED TIME...sometimes, for protracted&/or unpredictable periods. >> >> 10. My own "solution" was to surrender custody of my children; however, I >> am not recommending this choice to anyone else and know, from personal >> experience, that this decision is one that most females are averse to >> thinking about. >> 11. May I suggest that you read Francoise Giroud's biography of Marie >> Curie >> (available @ amazon.com)? >> 12. Francoise Giroud's autobiography, *I Give You My Word*, will introduce >> you to the type of woman (not, in this case, a research scientist) who >> loses a child and shows up on time the next day without appearing to "skip >> a beat". I read this book when I was an early grad student, and it >> permanently changed my life...long story. >> 12. There is rather general agreement among female research scientists >> that >> theory (modeling, statistics, etc.) or bioinformatics (tekkie) >> concentrations are more forgiving of the realities of the sorts of choices >> some females elect (e.g., caregiving, committed partnership) than, say, >> fieldwork or bench-work. >> 13. all best...I hope you can find a way to make it all work out to your >> satisfaction...clara >> >> p.s. As a final *opinion *to listserv readers; I consider it, possibly, >> irresponsible for major professors, mentors, parents, etc. NOT to advise >> female graduate students of the disadvantages associated with certain >> personal choices (marriage, motherhood) IF they desire competitive >> research >> careers. >> >> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- >> From: malcolm >> McCallum<malcolm.mccallum@**herpconbio.org<[email protected]> >> > >> Date: Sun, Apr 8, 2012 at 7:09 PM >> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] Backpacking with an infant? >> To: [email protected] >> >> >> Simone, >> >> I am not criticizing or anything, but I would not bring an 3 mo old >> infant into a situation like this. >> There are just so many things that can happen and you are so far from >> any medical help. >> I know a lot of people do it but I would strongly advise against it. >> Not only is it a much higher risk for >> the infant than an adult, or even a child, it also creates a higher >> risk for yourself. >> >> 3 mo olds are very delicate. >> Consider this, if something happened and the child got hurt seriously >> or even died, can you imagine the field day the press would have with >> it? I can imagine some stories that could portray you in a much >> different light than the loving caring parent you almost certainly >> are. >> >> Malcolm >> >> On Sun, Apr 8, 2012 at 11:56 AM, David M. Lawrence<[email protected]> >> wrote: >> >>> A good backpack carrier is worth its weight in gold -- especially one >>> >> with a >> >>> clip-on diaper bag. Just take some extra plastic bags to wrap the >>> diapers >>> in. >>> >>> Here's a photo of me with a rig and a twerp 15 years ago: >>> http://flic.kr/p/b6g6Lp >>> >>> Later, >>> >>> Dave >>> >>> >>> On 4/8/2012 12:03 PM, Simone S. Whitecloud wrote: >>> >>>> I'd love to pick up some pointers on how to bring my 3 month old into >>>> the >>>> field. I work in the alpine zone, so cool temperatures, wind and rain >>>> are >>>> the issue. Any favorite gear items you found helpful? I'm already >>>> finding >>>> she is totally soaked by the time we get to the peak from my own sweat. >>>> Know >>>> where to buy wool onesies? Tips on packing out dirty diapers? >>>> >>>> Thanks for your input, >>>> Simone Whitecloud >>>> PhD Candidate, McPeek Lab >>>> Dartmouth College >>>> >>> >>> -- >>> ------------------------------**------------------------ >>> David M. Lawrence | Home: (804) 559-9786 >>> 7471 Brook Way Court | Fax: (804) 559-9787 >>> Mechanicsville, VA 23111 | Email: [email protected] >>> USA | http: http://fuzzo.com >>> ------------------------------**------------------------ >>> >>> "All drains lead to the ocean." -- Gill, Finding Nemo >>> >>> "We have met the enemy and he is us." -- Pogo >>> >>> "No trespassing >>> 4/17 of a haiku" -- Richard Brautigan >>> >> >> >> -- >> Malcolm L. McCallum >> Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry >> School of Biological Sciences >> University of Missouri at Kansas City >> >> Managing Editor, >> Herpetological Conservation and Biology >> >> "Peer pressure is designed to contain anyone with a sense of drive" - >> Allan Nation >> >> 1880's: "There's lots of good fish in the sea" W.S. Gilbert >> 1990's: Many fish stocks depleted due to overfishing, habitat loss, >> and pollution. >> 2000: Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction >> MAY help restore populations. >> 2022: Soylent Green is People! >> >> The Seven Blunders of the World (Mohandas Gandhi) >> Wealth w/o work >> Pleasure w/o conscience >> Knowledge w/o character >> Commerce w/o morality >> Science w/o humanity >> Worship w/o sacrifice >> Politics w/o principle >> >> Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any >> attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may >> contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized >> review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not >> the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and >> destroy all copies of the original message. >> >> >> >> > -- > ------------------------------**------------------------ > David M. Lawrence | Home: (804) 559-9786 > 7471 Brook Way Court | Fax: (804) 559-9787 > Mechanicsville, VA 23111 | Email: [email protected] > USA | http: http://fuzzo.com > ------------------------------**------------------------ > > "All drains lead to the ocean." -- Gill, Finding Nemo > > "We have met the enemy and he is us." -- Pogo > > "No trespassing > 4/17 of a haiku" -- Richard Brautigan > -- Claudia J. Ford [email protected] <[email protected]> 401-215-4774 *"If you want to walk fast - walk alone; if you want to walk far - walk together." African Proverb* **
