doing PhD fieldwork with DD?!

[dolster]

Hi there - I'm a first year PhD student. My project is international in focus and next year I will be doing fieldwork in a (safe) African country. My partner is planning on taking leave from work and we will take our DD, currently 13 months. I was wondering if anyone else has experience of taking DC's on fieldwork expeditions - I plan on being based pretty much in one place for 3/4 months, but it will be a very different environment from what DD is used to.

Thanks

Hi Dolster, unfortunately my fieldwork next year will just be 100miles away from home!
I'm sure it'll be fine with your DD - she only needs her parents really at this stage, though I expect your partner might need a bit of friendly support and companionship in other parents if possible. Do you have any contacts you can pursue to find fellow parents there, possibly ex pats?

How is your first year going? When are you planning to go to Africa?

Sounds brilliant! I agree that your DD will be fine, we took ours away for 3 months (accompanying partner on his elective) at 2,5yrs & even at that age I felt that all she really minded was whether we were there or not.

Are you going to be rural or urban?

thanks both of you! That's very reassuring - it's strange how people react when I tell them I have a daughter and that, yes, I plan on taking her on fieldwork. Some people look at me like I'm mad. We're going to be both rural and urban but mainly urban I think. Iskra - did you find that your DD adapted quite quickly? Do you have any advice on preparing to take a child of that age away and into a very different environment? She'll be nearly 2 when we go.

Miffy - my first year is going very quickly and also very slowly if you know what I mean.... my plan is to start fieldwork in feb/march of next year.

I asked about the rural/urban because of your partner being able to find other expats to hang out with. Although you will probably find that local people are very welcoming & friendly. We got invited to take DD to a local kindergarten (I didn't leave her there alone although it was frequently suggested!) which was nice, more toys, a little playground, other kids & adults with good English for me to talk to. This depends so much on where you are going, but I did find it a bit tough at times being alone with the kid even though I am at home with her fulltime anyway. We went out everyday - we were in cities with a bit of travelling around, but that was fine because DP was off work then - but days would go by when I didn't really speak to anyone apart from touts, souvenir sellers, taxi drivers & DP, & there weren't any playgroups or libraries or anything to go to. It was a bit of a struggle to find safe (ie free of traffic & rubbish/faeces) places where she could run around.

Our DD was about 2.3 when we went. She adapted fine. Before we went I talked to her about it a bit, & showed her photos of places we were going - especially of children/animals/things I knew she would like. I collected photos of her friends/family/house etc at home for her to look through & talk about while we were away, & explained that we were on a very long holiday. We had potty trained her before we left & she didn't regress or anything. She loved the animals in the streets but missed swings! I felt that she was young enough that she still just needed us there. She is 3 now & I think she would still be fine, but would struggle more to adapt - more tied to her routines & her people.

There's good advice on the Lonely Planet Kids to Go forum on travelling with small kids. Lots of people do it! DD didn't get sick at all (amazingly actually) although we adults both did.

thanks so much for that advice. I'm trying to get in touch with ex-pats at the moment. I think there's quite a lively expat scene in both the capital city and also in the more provincial area that we'll also be staying in. I guess essentially it is a long holiday and should be treated like that. I like the idea of the photos etc. Just one more question - did she settle back into her normal home routine happily enough when you returned?

thanks again for your encouragement!

Yep, pretty much! We actually came back just before Christmas & had friends staying, then went to stay with SIL, so it was a week or two of being back in the UK before we were really back home & in ordinary routine. She remembered everyone she had loved before we went away, settled in fine with everyone & everything again really.

I honestly can't think of a single negative about the trip as far as she was concerned, she was really absolutely fine.

Ah, having typed that, I remember that she didn't have the most varied diet while we were away - lots of chips when we ate out, eggs, tomato & cucumber & bread at home, pasta, crackers & fruit. But she got all her nutrients!

thanks so much iskra - you've made me feel much much better about the whole thing! I was also wondering about diet and I suppose that it must suffer a bit but like you say, if they get all thier nutrients it's fine. thank-you again!