[blparent] Baby Wearing

[Judy Jones]

Hello Niko,

We definitely "wore" our girls, and you are right, the more time and attention you give when they are young, the more self-directed and independent they will be when older.  The way it works, they are learning you are meeting their needs, so they won't worry that you won't be there for them when they are older.  When very young, we would not let our kids cry, but be there for them to meet a need.  I'm not talking about a kid crying because they aren't having their way or are being rebellious as an older toddler.  I'm talking about those who can't talk yet or are just learning.

Both our girls have certainly proven this to be true, have not been shy, made friends easily, and are confident young women.  It's been said the more time you spend with them when they're little, the less time you'll need to worry about them when they are bigger.

I would say, take the queues from your baby.  Our girls are now 28 and 25, but fond memories are of carrying them first in a front pack, then later when they can hold up their head and sit, the frame pack.  Both girls loved getting in the frame pack, and I only stopped carrying them when they were tall enough to stand in the frame pack with it resting on the floor.  Each was around 40 pounds more or less when  that happened.

Our eldest was very content to be in a pack and was our "easy'" baby.  Our youngest wanted to do more exploring and more movement, so we used a hand-holder with her more than we did our eldest.

There are times when they want to be close, or you want them close with you for safety reasons, so the pack is good, but if you notice them getting restless and you are somewhere where they can walk with you, do that.

Always carry things like string cheese and bottled juice for toddlers.  They get whiny when tired or hungry, and treats can keep them calm and happy, and replenished.

As really young babies, I tried holding them in a snuggly when doing housework, and that worked some, unless I had to do a lot of bending.  Then you need to make sure the neck and head are supported.  Sometimes they like that movement, sometimes not.

When our eldest was attending classes at the Y, I would have our youngest in the frame pack, and I used to use the rowing machine with her in the pack, also treadmill or bike.

I also helped out every day at the pre-K my older daughter was in, and the younger one would take her naps in the frame pack on my back during that time.

About guide dogs?  I have had four guides, my husband five, and they all adapt marvelously to young ones.  When you are wearing your young one, while the dog is guiding you, you may want to be aware if your child is reaching out to the sides with their arms, to make sure they have enough clearance, that is fine, but if you are in a narrow area, just be aware.  You can tell when they reach, because you will feel a shift in weight on your back.  But using a dog will be fine if you are having no guide problems.

A kudos to my husband.  He went everywhere with a frame pack and a girl, and having the frame pack allowed us to be very mobile.

Hope all this helps.

>From an "old" mom.  (smiles)

Judy

-----Original Message-----
From: blparent [mailto:blparent-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Niko C. via blparent
Sent: Thursday, July 23, 2015 11:06 AM
To: blparent at nfbnet.org
Cc: Niko C.
Subject: [blparent] Baby Wearing

Hi all,

I am a first time father-to-be--my wife is due in December, and I'm wondering what everyone's experience with baby waring is.

If you ware or wore your baby, can you recommend a carrier or sling? Did you switch after baby was a certain age?

I know a lot of people ware their babies all the time, even when doing household chores. Is this practical, and did you do this more than putting the baby in a play pen?

Also, I am a bit worried about running into things when I'm in an unfamiliar environment. I have a Seeing Eye dog, so I don't typically have this issue, and I am very comfortable with my home, so I don't have that problem their either, but I think I will be overly cautious when I am carrying my daughter around.

Finally, if you wore your baby a lot, did you find that he or she was more clingy as they got older? From the research I've done, it seems like the opposite is true, but it is still a concern of mine.

--
Niko Carpenter
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