My kids were nursed and in the sling as much as they would tollerate it, because I loved their smells and the closeness, but also liked being able to do the dishes and laundry and go about my daily duties and used strollers and bouncy seats for the child who didn’t like to just be snuggling, but wanted to explore and move around more than what he could in my arms.

Going to the grocery store or outside of a store where you were going to buy a small techno gadget or phone, or without someone shopping with you to provide another hip while you found what you needed in say a grocery store, I can’t imagine you wouldn’t out of convenience not likely put the kid on your hip, but in a cart, not out of convinience but out of practicality. And would that make them developmentally slower? My kids aren’t slower to walk. Both did so much before one year old. Got teeth really early too. The doctor laughted when I thought my first was teething, but my nipples knew otherwise.

While I don’t doubt that statistically most kids could be physically stunted if they didn’t get out of the car seats, stollers and pack and plays enought, I am sceptical that kids could be developmentally lagging now than a couple generations ago. Think about how fast our kids are doing things like reading. Most moms now are taught to read to the kids so early and stimulate their brains with specially designed brainy baby toys, picture books, etc that were not available to most even when I was growing up, and I’m in my thirties. I couldn’t believe it when my son was reading at three, not any doing of mine, just God’s great gift developing in him.

I totally understand that sometimes the strollers and other baby gear are completely necessary. Like I said in my post, there are certainly times when they are the go-to option. What I took from the article (and similar ones that I read) was that I wanted to try to be mindful to carry my babies and include them as much as I could in our day-to-day activities. We transitioned away from using baby buckets in the house, and eventually stopped using them altogether when we found other methods that worked better for us (carrying the baby, babywearing, etc.)

This is a pretty old blog post (I wrote it a year and a half ago), but my intent then and my intent now is definitely NOT to guilt anyone or act like I have it all figured out. I found the original article that I linked above to be really fascinating and I just wanted to pass the word on to others. If there are pieces of it that might work for your family, then great! As I’ve heard many others say, “Eat the meat and spit out the bones.” Even now, I read the article with different eyes because I’m in a different place than I was when I first wrote this post.

As far as babywearing being uncomfortable, it may be worth trying a few different options. My current favorite is the Babyhawk Oh Snap. ( http://www.babyhawk.com/Gallery/?Type=1 ) It is easy to put on and off and is much more comfortable on my shoulders without making me feel uneven in terms of weight distribution. If babywearing doesn’t work for you, though, there are still plenty of other ways to keep your babe in arms during the day. If you haven’t already been there, thebabywearer.com has tons of amazing information and their boards are a wealth of knowledge, as does http://www.gentlechristianmothers.com/community/index.php Many of the women on these boards have an impressive set of knowledge about babywearing and may have experience with some of the specific problems that you’ve had.

Blessings to you and your family! <3

Anywho. The one I constantly carried walked at 11 months. I pushed her a little b/c I wanted her walking before her first birthday. My first, who was carried but not worn, walked at 8 months…b/c she hated to crawl.

My kindergartener was placed in first grade for reading (just the one subject)…so I don’t think there’s a problem with her abilities…and she was in a pack & play, and the highchair a lot at home.

Also, I’ve never had anyone anywhere express surprise that I was carrying either my oldest when she was a baby or my baby now–not even in the Apple store. I have had two people think I’m my four-month-old’s grandmother though, so your mileage may vary.