Oh how nice it is to see our beloved TV icons, politicians and yes even royals, being close with their kids..as a babywearing mother, it really touches my heart when I see celebrities use a sling to carry their little ones..
Here in the Philippines, more and more people are becoming aware of what the term babywearing is.. Well, not that much, but the spread of knowledge and awareness is evidently there.
Looking at the photos uploaded online, despite the bond and the smiles these well-known people show, they are flooded with either positive remarks, or critics’ keen observations. So, I just wanna ask, is it really a smart move for celebrities to use a sling? why is it both a burden and a bliss?
Here are my thoughts:
(Chris Hemsworth, wife Elsa Pataky and their three gorgeous kids)
The Good:
1. Celebrities using a sling is actually a good way of ‘normalizing’ the act of babywearing. Believe it or not, but fans usually emulate and admire whatever their idols are doing and using. So if they see their favorite Hollywood star put on a buckled carrier whilst enjoying summer breeze at the beach, then expect that they will somehow find a carrier and try to practice babywearing. Sometimes, they even take a selfie and share it on their social media accounts–which all the more increases awareness of sling-use.
2. Babywearing celebrities remind us that they too, love cuddles and they also need their hands free. This practice ‘humanizes’ them.
3. Despite their busy schedule, being close with their little ones can somehow make up for the lost time.
The Bad:
1. As mentioned above, fans follow and emulate their idols..sometimes, sadly, we do it blindly. Not all famous babywearing people practice safe babywearing techniques and just one snapshot of that unfortunate scenario can be shared millions online, be copied and saved in different devices — and most often, it becomes a ‘norm’.
2. A picture is worth a thousand words, and sometimes, a bad timing while using a sling, is being caught by a paparazzi and critics bombard the celebrity. All because of an unfortunate timing of a camera clicker.
These are just some of my thoughts at the moment as to how babywearing celebrities affect the carrying world.
Now, let’s take a look at the following photo where Megan Markle, beloved wife of Prince Harry, was seen using a baby carrier while walking her two beautiful dogs. At first sight, one might react that (1) the setting of the seat of the carrier isn’t for parent-facing position, another is that (2) chest clip doesn’t look like it was fastened well, or even at all, (3) her son isn’t on an upright position. Hmmm,.I wasn’t there when this photo was taken, and I do not know the whole story behind this snapshot, but from what I see, my hypothesis is that: (1) Megan was doing a front-facing way of carrying Archie, and with respect to his age that time, I believe that he can carry his head and neck well, (2) maybe after some time, Archie felt tired from all the adventure of seeing the world, that maybe he felt sleepy or tired or needs to feed, or maybe she saw unwanted photo-takers taking snaps so probably Megan, without time to spare, hurriedly repositioned her son without changing the seat.
Despite all the buzz and critics harsh words, do you know what else I see in this photo?
1. I see a child whose head is near to his mother’s face, easy to be seen and observed–close enough to kiss. I see a child whose back is supported by both the sling and his mother’s arm, despite the lack of clip adjustment.
2. I see an ergonomic and safe baby carrier being used. I am not familiar with the brand, but whatever it is, I assume that it’s a safe one.
3. I see two beautiful dogs enjoying walks with their loving hooman.
4. I see a happy mother, smiling, as she enjoys that special moment. Know that motherhood is difficult and isolating, and sometimes, a short walk under the son while replenishing our Vit D requirement, breathing fresh air, makes a lot of difference in our sanity.
I see a mother who chose to secure her son making sure that he is safe in her arms.
I see a mother who loves being close to her son.
I see an optimized mother.
I see a confident, contented loving mother.
How about you, what do you see in that photo?
PS: I am not a fan of the Royal family, I am, though, of babywearing and baby carriers
This is just my speculation and positive, open-minded observation of the matter.
Babywearing celebrities..hmm..no matter what type of carrier they choose, how they use such carrier, whether they observe safe carrying practices or otherwise, one thing is for sure–they too are human beings, parents just like us, who wants to optimize their parenting journey through the use of slings and that they too just wanna be close with their little ones. Before we copy our idols, make sure we follow safe babywearing practices. And before we put on our smarty-pants criticizing just about everything, from the type of sling being used, to how it is being put on and so on, please wear your empathizing cloak. It’s nice to be right, but it’s better to be kind, first and foremost.
Hey, if you want to optimize your babywearing feats..maybe you’re new to this skill, or just want to troubleshoot some concerns with your carrier, do not hesitate to book for a consult. Remember that you can never put a price on your child’s safety–and that a few worth of pesos is a lot cheaper than buying a not-well-fitting carrier or incurring an injury or accident due to improper use of the sling resulting to positional asphyxiation or fall.
Image References:
Anne Curtis-Smith Heusaff – https://www.onemusic.ph/news/anne-pens-first-fathers-day-greeting-for-erwan-5475
Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky – https://www.motherandbaby.co.uk/lifestyle-and-celebs/celebrity-mums/celeb-baby-buys/baby-wearing-celebrities-and-their-carriers-and-slings
Meghan Markle – https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7909443/Meghan-beams-carrying-Archie-walking-dogs-Harry-boards-flight-Vancouver.html
Babywear Smart 