the sling connection
Yes, and you will put them down sometimes. Babies need to be held, carried, or worn much of the time, but, especially as they get older, they also need the opportunity to move around and explore. . . And before you know it, they’ll be taking their first step. . . then running! and you’ll wish you took more pictures of your little sling baby. :)
I like the way Dr. Sears explains what he calls “the baby wearing mindset” in the following excerpt from The Baby Book:
“In case you are wondering how much parents should carry their babies, certainly parents have to put down their babies sometimes! In fact, it is important to take a balanced approach to baby wearing. But this style of parenting means changing your mindset regarding what babies are really like. You may envision your picture-book baby lying quietly in a crib, gazing passively at dangling mobiles, and picked up only to be fed and played with and then put down; you may think that “up” periods are just dutiful intervals to quiet your baby long enough to put him down again. To understand baby wearing, reverse this view: Carry your baby much of the time, and put him or her down for longer nap times, nighttime, and to attend to your personal needs. Take a balanced approach to baby wearing. Allow baby to enjoy down periods of freestyle movement on the carpet, but pick her up when she signals the desire to be carried. You will note an interesting contrast in behavior. “Down” babies learn to cry to get picked up; “up” babies learn non crying body language signaling their need to get down. The amount of holding time naturally decreases as your baby increases in age and motor skills. Even your toddler, however, may show occasional high-need periods when he or she wants to be picked up and worn.”
If you have well-meaning friends or relatives telling you that “you need to put that baby down,” you may be interested in this article by Dr. Sears: The Shutdown Syndrome.
my big girl
Shouldn’t babies be put down sometimes?
