Bringing a baby?

[SophieMiriam]

Has anyone ever brought a baby to a Ladyseed? Is this entirely insane? Is it even allowed? I promised my daughter I would take her to a Ladyseed for her 10th birthday and didn't think through the timing of our new baby. 

Baby will be about six weeks old so still very little, definitely in the non mobile potato stage, and I already have audiologist approved baby ear protection.

(Obviously this would not be done without the approval of the specific shoot boss! Just looking for people's general opinions/experiences if anyone has tried this.)

[ScubaSteve]

As a ShotBoss and Sr Instructor myself I would recommend against this.

Hearing would be my first concern. It sounds like you may have some hearing protection, but kids don't like to keep it on. Just getting it misaligned a little bit and you can be causing hearing damage. Remember any hearing damage is likely permanent.

You also have a very small concern about lead. Lead positing can happen from lead dust and you can encounter lead dust at a shooting range. It is of almost no concern for the occasional person that goes shooting. An adult would need to be on a shooting range very often to almost all the time to be of any concern. But a baby, I am not sure how much lead is too much.

I have worked over 100 shoots with Appleseed and have never encountered a baby on the firing line. I am kind of hoping I don't have to make that decision as a shootboss to allow it or not. I am leaning to say I probably would not allow it as I just don't know how to handle making it safe enough for the child.

Just my humble opinion.

[SteelThunder]

I'm with ScubaSteve on this one.  Technically there is nothing PREVENTING a baby at the shoot, however it doesn't feel like a great idea...for the reasons stated above.

[Roswell]

When I first started Appleseed, I had a Shoot Boss who always brought his whole family to the events, which were outdoors. However, he had a 1-year-old, if I remember right. So, his wife would set up a playpen in the shade about 50 yards away from the firing line, and they would all wear ear protection. I remember another young couple who were both Instructors bringing their toddlers to play too. I thought it was the coolest thing ever. BUT this was definitely a full-time job by the SB wife to watch them and make sure their ear protection was on, etc. She got to hear the history, but there was no other participation possible.

It was a very special set of circumstances, and took a lot of work to accomplish. I'm not sure it would be possible with a 6-week-old, to be honest. In addition to the reasons Steve listed, that is a long time for a baby to be wearing uncomfortable ear protection or to be outside all day.