Why Do I Tell the World about Babywearing?

Many people seem to think it's strange that I'm so passionate about sharing babywearing with the world.  Today, I read a story that clearly expressed what it is that babywearing means to me.  Babywearing changes your outlook on the world.  It changes how you deal with problems with your children or family.  When a parent is struggling to make dinner for their family while their infant cries in the evenings, babywearing can save the day.  As baby grows to a toddler, a babywearing family sees carriers as the solution to a scary situation for a toddler like the hospital or even the circus.  And a babywearing mama faced with a challenge for an older child uses her changed perception to improve things for that child.  This was the case with the mama I read about today.

This mama in addition to being the mom to a toddler, is also a 2nd grade teacher.  She has a student who uses a wheelchair.  The class had a planned field trip to a nature center that included a nature walk that was not accessible for the wheelchair.  The teacher was thinking about how she could solve this problem and it came to her mind that this little girl wasn't much heavier than her toddler, and she wears her toddler all of the time, so why not wear this student?  An altered perception of what COULD be and this little girl got to participate in her class field trip.  THAT is why I love to share babywearing with other families.  I know that there is always someone out there for whom this could be life changing.

If you want to read this teacher's story and see a few photos from the field trip, read her post on thebabywearer.com

Coming Soon! International Babywearing Conference 2012

So, if you've been to a meeting recently, you've probably heard talk about this summer's International Babywearing Conference.  Our group is hosting June 29-July2nd, 2012 in Washington, DC!  The conference is a chance to meet babywearers from around the world and share tips, techniques, teaching methods, and just socialize.  Many creators of your favorite carriers attend, so it is a chance to learn directly from the creators.  You can read about the last conference in these posts. 

We've planned an exciting conference with a little bit for everyone.  Fri-Mon there will be classes to appeal to every level of babywearer, from the newest beginner to the seasoned educator.  There will also be non-babywearing classes on a variety of topics to appeal to parents.  On Saturday, there will be a public day with a Green Baby Expo vending hall, and general basics classes for those with only a casual interest who aren't up for committing to a multi-day conference.  This will be a great chance to see a variety of carriers in person, try some out, and purchase directly from the manufacturer! And as a special treat, Rachel Coleman from Signing Time will be our keynote speaker on Sunday!

This past weekend, we held a photo shoot downtown with Aimee Buxton Photography to gear up for the conference.  If you missed the shoot this weekend and still would like to participate, we will be having a second session with Melody Yazdani Photography on April 17th.  Email us for more details, or watch us on Facebook.  beltwaybwers@gmail.com.  While we wait for the photos from Aimee Buxton to be edited, Here are some unprofessional but still great shots caught by Joy from BWI of Delmarva who came to join us for photos.  It was a great preview of what it will be like to spend time with so many babywearers in our Nation's Capital!

Being models is tough work

A few families grabbed a chance for some fun, too!

So many babywearing parents!

The kids got in the act too!