Sunday, October 3, 2010

Why I do what I do

Apparently it's been over 2 years since I started this blog. I have no idea how that happened. Father Time did not ask my permission for time to move on or my babies to become big kids.

Way back when, I posted an introduction to my babywearing journey here . For me, it was like yesterday. My first baby is now 9 1/2 - a bright, loving, wonderful, maddening girl who loves animals and will nurse and wear her babies as naturally as she will breathe. My second baby is 4 1/2 now - a strong, smart, snuggly, kissy boy who likes the color pink, Star Wars and anything he can "sword" you with. He wears his babies and wants to be just like his sister.

A little later in my journey, I posted this about how babywearing has changed me. It's given me a reason to come out of my shell. It's changed my life to such a degree that even though I don't have any more babies to wear (unless a certain big boy gives in for a short ride with his nostalgic mama or someone invents a way to comfortably carry a 9 1/2 year old) I'm still continuing on my babywearing journey. I've taken the Babywearing Institute's Beginner and Advanced courses and will soon be a Certified Babywearing Educator. I may even go a step further and become a teacher's teacher - creating more Certified Babywearing Educators to spread the babywearing love.

I'm continuing on my babywearing journey because babywearing holds such an important place in my heart. I want mamas to follow their instincts to wear their babies. I want wearing your baby to be as normal to everyone as kissing their warm, soft cheeks. I want you to know how to wear your little ones safely, comfortably, practically. I want you to have access to good, accurate information - and find it more easily than I did. I want my babies to wear their babies because...well, that's just what parents do. I want them to have access to wonderful, soft, squishy, safe slings and wraps and Mei Tais.

And now, at this point in my babywearing journey, I'm writing posts and making calls; writing emails and sending letters to make sure that these things will even be a possibility. You've seen my posts (and those of many others, I'm sure) about some vague and cryptic threats to our babywearing futures - to our choices in carriers - to our rights as parents to wear our babies. What's the big deal lately? Well, the specifics will come in the next week or so - the specifics being the name of the business currently affected as well as the details of how they were put in this position. But, the generalities are these (and I'll post these because they've been posted elsewhere by others): In the next few days you'll hear of another sling being recalled courtesy of the CPSC (the same folks who just saved your lives by recalling 10 MILLION toys because 7 kids got stitches). I don't know what the news will say about the sling or about the reason for the recall but I hope you come back here to find out what really happened. What I do know is that most of the parents out there won't find out the truth without searching for it...and that's wrong. I can tell you that the sling and slingmaker aren't at fault or faulty. There's no basis for the CPSC to recall this product. Babywearing is safe.

Your first good sling is often referred to as your "gateway carrier"...the one that get's you hooked, the one that opens the door to the world of babywearing. What I (and many others) fear is that this recall is the "gateway carrier" for many more (unjustified) recalls in our future - for reasons that will be commented on down the road. As someone in an online forum offered when speculating on which company is being affected, 'a Hotsling is just like a Peanut Shell' which is just like a...If it affects one pouch, it can affect them all. If it affects one ring sling, it can affect them all...and mei tais...and wraps...and... I'm all for conspiracy theories but, once the facts are available, you'll find this one is less theory and more conspiracy.

OK...this is leading to the beginnings of a rant and I've been so good so far :)...only one snarky bit.

I do what I do because I want all parents to have the knowledge to look at a sling or wrap or mei tai or SSC and make an informed decision and say "Yes, that one will hold my baby in a safe position and I know how to use it". So, I learn and I teach. Everyone from parents to lawmakers to goverment agencies to commercial giants has a lot to learn on this subject. There needs to be some logic employed and some resposibility taken. Maybe if their parents had worn them, certain decision makers would be able to make better decisions...

4 comments:

tracey.becker1@gmail.com said...

Good for you! I miss wearing my kids, too. My youngest is only 5 but eldest is 11 and I SO wish I had had access to information about babywearing back then...

designHER Momma said...

I'll embrace your rant. I'm all about it. Long live safe babywearing!

Stephanie Wilson she/her @babysteph said...

That first sling IS the gateway! And how inspiring- I'd love to be a babywearing educator!

Steph

Maura said...

So true! Great post!