IBW2013: Sisterwearing!

 

 

 

 

 

This summer our household went from babywearing to sisterwearing! My three daughters, ages eight, six, and one, all got in on the action, leaving mom not only hands-free but sometimes carrier free.

My oldest wore her baby sister a few times and was not particularly gratified by the experience beyond the fact that she could sisterwear and the middle sister could not for awhile. Once this was no longer the case, she lost interest. However, my second absolutely adored wearing the third.

It started like this...
 

And then moved to this...
 

Funny, I used to pace the length of the house with the second child in a baby carrier while reading books too.

Then, the two sisters went on adventures, like cricket catching.
 

And hula hooping.
 

I'm not really sure how safe that was, but the next action item caused me to add to the safety rules, "No horseback riding."
 

Just as her sisters have done, the youngest will ask to be worn, pulling out the Mei Tai or wrap and dragging it over to someone, somehow winding herself up in it on the way, but now Mom or Dad or Sisters can and will carry her.

Editor's note: always use your best judgment on when your children are old enough, strong enough, and mature enough to safely wear siblings.

Posted by Maria

Babywearing the Next Generation

My girls have watched me wear them and their siblings.  They've seen me teach others to wear their babies.  I know they have some idea that babies should be worn. My 13mo old, when given a baby doll, took her doll, hugged her, and then tried to toss her on her back.  She obviously knows where babies belong.  I tied her baby on to take this picture, she was excited, then fell and Lorelei (her doll) hit her head on a cabinet.  Teagan was VERY concerned that she'd bumped the baby in the carrier, reaching back to pat baby's head.  She even knows how important it is to make sure your baby is safe in the carrier at all times.

Yesterday, the value of sharing babywearing with my children was brought home to me.  We went to visit my oldest daughter in kindergarten with her grandmothers for grandparents' day.  The kids were at computer when we first arrived and my middle daughter was feeling shy in a room of adults.  Her grandmother took her to look at the bookshelf.  One of the books was The Rainbabies by Laura K. Melmed.  I have no idea what the book was about, but it has a lady and 6 tiny babies on the cover.  My mother-in-law asked Siobhan what she would do with SIX babies.  She answered immediately, "wear them in 3 carriers."  Aww, what a good little mommy. 

I'm confident that the next generation is going to benefit from our children knowing that the best way to care for a baby (or six) is to wear them.