A Father's Guide To Taking Your Child To Their First Convention
I just brought my eleven-year-old and their friend to their first convention, ConnectiCon in Hartford. We had a great time, but with younger children, things could easily have gone wrong. It took some careful thought and preparation to make sure the day was fun for all of us. This guide is for any would-be first-timers out there looking for advice.
Before getting to the con itself, there were things we had to do to prepare. Chief among them was settling on what we were going to wear. I went simple, shorts, a shirt, and a Star Trek DS9 hat. The two kids, though, wanted full cosplay. My kid went as Toga from My Hero Academia, and their friend was Runa Yomozuki from Kakegurui. I mention this because getting ready was a process. If they hadn’t been prepped beforehand, it would have taken even longer, and we would have been very late. Now on to the guide:
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Be ready to stand in line. Lines at conventions are unavoidable. And lines with kids can be a nightmare. We played a game of how many _____ can you find. We went through Toga and Runa, of course, as well as Ahsoka (One of the Ahsokas had the second-best cosplay at the convention. The best was the lone Jawa that we saw.), All Might and his variations, and a surprising number of Minecrafters. I had my phone at the ready the whole time, but we never needed it.
Bring more money than you think you’ll need. Everything is expensive from parking to lunch to all of the merchandise and autographs. I knew it would be a pricey day, but it was worse than I anticipated.
Scout the premises for break areas. Between the crowds and the announcements and the wrestling (Yes, there was a wrestling ring where different superheroes wrestled each other.) and the music and the lights and the games, it’s easy to get overstimulated. Instead of cutting the day short, it helps to find a place to escape every once in a while. We found the spot in the convention center where businesspeople charge their laptops. It was a calm place that allowed us to recharge before rejoining the fray.
Have a side quest. If you couldn’t tell from our outfits, I’m a Star Trek/Star Wars guy while my kid and their friend are anime people. That meant I knew I would have to pass by the lightsabers and starships with just a glance and spend my time with the kids. I wore my DS9 hat as my side quest. I was trying to draw attention to it to see if anyone knew what it was. Alas, I struck out, but it was a fun challenge.
Be prepared to let your kid talk to strangers. You should supervise them, of course, but it’s the interaction with other convention goers that makes the whole thing worthwhile. Several people asked my kid and their friend to be in pictures which they found embarrassing and thrilling at the same time. The one thing my kid wishes they’d done differently is being bolder about talking to the other cosplayers.
There you have it, five easy steps to a successful convention. The kids are already talking about going again next year. I have a feeling my kid’s Christmas list this year will be nothing but cosplay materials. They got lots of ideas at the con. I’m looking forward to it, too. Conventions are something you never have to grow out of. Hopefully, this will be a new tradition for our family going forward.
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Source: ConnectiCon.org