Here and There: Baby-wearing

THERE, most of the mothers I know own more than one baby-wearing device.  I do.   I even have a friend who "collects" them.  T has been worn in the Beco routinely since birth, and virtually everywhere we go.    I see mothers at the grocery store or the playground with a baby in the sling and a few other kids in tow.   T has spent the majority of our church services being worn, which frees up my hands to wrangle my other son.  Everyone, of course, has an Opinion about baby-wearing.  I overheard an older woman informing a young couple that the sling containing what was obviously their first child could kill that child.  That poor, confused, sleep deprived mother looked like the world had just ended.

HERE,  I've only seen two mothers wearing their babies.  Two!  As the sidewalks aren't very conducive to strollers, this amazes me.  But really, people just aren't aware of the benefits and ease of strapping a baby to their backs.  I overheard a woman exclaim (in Greek) "She's got a baby in that backpack!" as I walked by, and yesterday an older lady blatantly glared at me.  Everyone has an Opinion here, too.   The other day someone informed me that the Beco looked too tight for T.  Thankfully he's my third child and I can feign misunderstanding; at this point I don't get too worked up about criticism.  (Half the time I don't have to fein misunderstanding, either.)