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23 GENERAL CAMPING: Dirt:




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This article is from the Outdoor Activities for Young Children FAQ, by Gloria Logan glogan@atk.com with numerous contributions by others.

23 GENERAL CAMPING: Dirt:

>How bad is it for a baby this young to eat dirt? I've never even
>laid him down on the ground outside. He should be crawling by the
>time we go on our first car-camping expedition. What happens when a
>baby crawls on the ground outside? He must get incredibly dirty, and
>get very scuffed knees on the rocks! Should I take a blanket for him
>to crawl on? Maybe this could be the same blanket I sew into a
>sleeping bag for him. At least the place we're planning to go to
>doesn't have fireants yet. What neophytes we are at this parenting
>business.

I tried not to worry about dirt too much (but that was hard with my
upbringing). Most dirt or even insects, in the quantities that a
toddler would eat, won't hurt the child. My friend who went
backpacking with an 18 month old, just dressed her in a sweat outfit
(which gives some protection) and let her play. I think they learn a
lot by feeling and tasting the earth.

I would be more worried about him DRINKING WATER. Make sure you
either get water from a faucet (in the campground) or treat it (filter
or boil). Ghirardia is a very big problem and almost NOWHERE is safe
nowadays.
-----

>How bad is it for a baby this young to eat dirt?

We took our daughter camping at the beach a lot and let her crawl on
the sand. She put some in her mouth, but I don't think she swallowed
it, and it didn't seem to hurt her. Then she reached that age where
they don't put things that aren't food into her mouth. Yeah, her
clothes got dirty but we just washed them.

>Small questions, but important. If you have any major or minor hints,
>please share them!

Minor hint:
Make sure you use tent stakes with rounded edges on top, no sharp
edges, because a toddler is bound to trip on a tree root and scrape
her knee on a sharp stake.
-----

 

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