We at Mars&Stars think that the joys of baby-wearing should be shared between mom and dad. We caught up with a dad and his baby carrier and asked him why he loves his wrap.
What is your parenting philosophy?
We are really trying to keep up all the same hobbies we had before the baby. So she’s pretty mobile. She’s with us at friends’ houses, on hikes, at the gym, working in the garden or fixing things around the house. Also, we try to be pretty relaxed with her, we take care of her but let her poke around where she wants and nap when she wants during the day. I don’t really want to stress the little things, there’s already enough going on.
How does baby-wearing help you bond with your little one?
When I get home from work I’m excited to see her but there is always something that needs to be done. Maybe my wife and I will go for a walk, I have to take some calls or go find something in the basement. With the wrap I can just strap her onto me and she can be there with me while everything happens. Then I get to make up for lost time during the day. Also, once I get home I take the baby for a few hours or my wife will think I’m slacking off – so I really don’t have the option to just leave her somewhere while I do my stuff.
What do you look for in a baby wrap?
I sweat a lot (especially when I’m hiking) even without this little hot potato on my chest. I want something that can help me combat that. Also, I want her to be well attached so I can bend over with something in each hand and not need to worry about her getting out. And my wife and I didn’t want to buy two different wraps so it had to fit both of us (and I have about 100 lbs on her.)
What kinds of things do you like to do while baby-wearing?
Anything really. If I’m doing something with the baby for more than a few minutes I’ll tie her onto me. Our baby gets bored easily so she’s actually a lot happier if she’s along for the ride while I am up to something. I’ve even worked on my car and done renos with her attached onto me…nothing too crazy though. More importantly, my wife likes to rest, nap or accomplish something special when I’m wearing her which keeps her sane.
How does your baby react to baby-wearing?
She loves it. Like I said, it keeps her entertained, keeps me productive and keeps my wife happy. Actually when we go for walks I always make her face out so that other people can see her. She’ll smile and jiggle around when people make eye contact, which usually leads to people telling me how great she is. It’s one of my guilty pleasures…if you put that in then you can’t use my name…the other dads might judge me.
We would be so honored if you invited us to share your adventure with the cool and sweat-free Breezy Wrap