Posts
 |
| Jennifer babywearing in Milan |
But somehow I always seemed to have the
stroller with me too. It was great for storing things and giving my
back a break. Luckily we live in a city where my stroller fit most
places I wanted to go.
As I read this chapter, I was
fascinated by how Kenyans start to teach their children to walk at 8
months . We Americans are famous for valuing independence, yet we
don’t “teach” our kids how to walk. We just let it happen when
it happens, and we often lament when it happens sooner or later than
we expected or hoped. This got me wondering if we deliberately try to
teach our kids particular skills at a young age that other people
would find strange. I’d love to hear what you have observed in the
U.S.
What I also found interesting in this
chapter was how research is now proving the benefits of traditional
practices, and we are finding out how our latest contraptions have
their downsides. To me, it makes sense to keep your baby close so you
can bond as well as easily feed and soothe your child. But in many
place in the U.S., we don’t live in communities of extended
families, and I think it’s too much to ask one mother to hold and
carry her baby 12 hours per day, everyday. Often there is no one else
around to hold your baby for you, so in order to take care of
yourself as a parent, it’s okay to put your baby in a swing or a
bouncy seat. What works in one place doesn’t always translate well
to another.
We’re planning a trip into Boston in
the near future, and while I won’t be “wearing” or carrying my
2.5 year old, I’m contemplating whether we navigate the T and city
streets without a stroller. She hasn’t used it in a while and
chances are she won’t stay for long in it. I’ll keep you posted!
Jennifer
Want to learn more about babywearing?
Visit the Boston Babywearers at http://www.bwiboston.com/
They will hold their April 10th meeting at MIT.
When my son was young, we used to live in Cambridge, have no car, and go on walks all the time. I enjoyed this time so much as I could carry/wear my baby and feel him so close to me. As time went by, we moved away from the city and got a car. When my daughter was born, I was always driving from on place to another, getting to a bigger grocery store faraway, picking up my son from school,... She would fall asleep in her carseat and to make simple, I would snap it to her stroller and go. I didn't carry her as much as her brother, the stroller seemed easier, and now that she is 30 lbs there is no way! I do have regrets about it though. I hope, if I ever have a 3rd child, that I will take the time to put him/her in a carrier even if it doesn't seem to be the easiest way.
ReplyDeleteAdeline
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThough I love wearing my kids, I cannot conceive not having a stroller. However, I can understand how in some places there is no place for it. I lived several years in Peru and I traveled to rural areas and towns where babies were always carried. Not only, as in Kenia, because strollers are expensive and there are not appropriate paths for them (too narrow and damaged sidewalks in the best case, or just dust roads to share with cars in most parts), but also because, as Jennifer mentions, there is always somebody from the extended family ready to hold and help with the babies. I guess that lack of human help increases the need of material help in the form of car seats, swings, bouncers, ... in the USA, Spain, and in many other "developed" countries.
ReplyDeletePrecisely not having too much help around is a big reason for me to constantly wear my newborn (and before him, his sister). I believe in the benefits of having him close and I want to hold him, and he wants to be held too! In fact, contrary to Adeline, for me wearing my baby around is the easiest way to function, since he usually won't sleep in the car seat or any other "baby holder" but will in the carrier. Even to do things around the house or just to sit with my daughter or by myself to read a book, I love the hands-free that the carrier provides.
I am flying to visit my family in April and I will try traveling without the stroller. I can see how it will make things easier at the airport and I imagine once I get to my parents' I will find plenty of arms willing to hold the baby when I need some rest.
By the way, thanks for the link, Jennifer, very useful.
Macarena
Keep us posted about your trip in April Macarena! We decided to go stroller free when we visited the Aquarium with our daughter and it worked out great.
ReplyDelete