Backpacks for Hiking with Baby

Two types of parents take their kids out to experience nature first-hand:

Dyed in the wool hiking types: These are the REI-member parents, the couples who, before having kids, may have met in an outdoorsy setting.
The newly converted nature buffs: These are the parents who want to show their kid the world, want to impress upon their baby the beauty, fragility, and importance of nature.

Whether you’re a 1 or a 2, you need the same type …

Baby Carriers: The Wearable Cure for Colic?

Trapped gas bubbles after eating, tummy upset, painful bowel movements, and acid reflux are all contributors to the discomfort your inconsolable baby experiences with colic.  As the digestive system matures, colic tends to disappear between 3 and 9 months.  Of the 25% of babies with colic, 90% are free of it by 9 months.  With numerous medicinals, swaddling techniques, and “guaranteed” colic remedies circulating in parent lore, its amazing what a simple baby carrier can …

Baby Carriers – A Dad’s Guide

When your partner is pregnant, it’s a guy thing to want to do everything you can to lighten the load.  So you cook dinner, fold laundry, massage swollen ankles.  A friend I have has even said he’d go through the pregnancy for his wife, if this was possible. Comforting and pampering your expectant spouse is something you’re probably pretty good at.  If you weren’t, she probably wouldn’t be expecting a foot massage, let alone a …

Memory Devices for Most Popular Wrap Ties

This is a follow up to my related article, “Untangling Baby Wrap Tying Techniques.” Here, we’ll unwrap the directions for two popular carrying styles – the hug wrap is covered in the previous article.  Reading that one before continuing here will help clear up how mnemonic (memory) devices, as they apply to baby wraps, can be helpful in quickly learning to use your wrap.
The Cradle Hold (Great for Nursing and Newborns)
This tie technique puts …

Untangle the Baby Wrap Tying Techniques

If you’ve purchased a wrap-style carrier like the Moby, or if you’re thinking about it, take a lesson from your high school or music teacher.  Remember “I before E except after C” or “Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge”?

We may be parents, but we’re not too old to use mnemonic (memory) devices to ingrain techniques for using baby wrap carriers.  This article will explain how …

Better Bonding with Baby – Slings as Mother Nature’s Tonic

Bonding with your baby is itself a natural experience. Nothing could be more deeply ingrained in us than the instinct to love, protect, and spend time with our children. Bringing a love of nature into the mix will only improve and integrate the experiences you share with your baby at a deeper, more tender level.

Keeping Your Baby Close

Physical closeness is an ancient form of parent-child bonding. It lets you show your love and constant …

Make a Quiet Haven for Your Child: Slinging Out Stress In Your Home

Stress can often end up so much more than just a residue left over from your day at work. It is a destructive but commonplace entity that insidiously affects your entire household. Just like any other emotional state, being stressed out is contagious – it can and will spread to your children! Yes the simple old adage of “coughs and sneezes – spread diseases” needs updating with a psychosomatic cocktail of emotional …

Organic Wraps and Lifestyles – A Smaller Impact on Our Environment by Starting with a Joyful and Greener Household

Newborn babies bring lots of joy and lots of concerns. Parents today are not only faced with colic, diaper rash, and night terrors; they also have to contend with the dangers of everyday household products. Chemicals used in food and cleaning supplies give Mommy and Daddy plenty to worry about, and it’s easy to forget those materials that spend all day against a baby’s skin. If you’re concerned about the effects that …

From Front to Back – The Basics of a Child Carrier Pack

Whether you’re hiking through a mountain pass or simply running errands, a baby backpack can provide you with both mobility and a closeness to your child. Child carrier packs come in all styles and formats – from softly structured front carriers to framed baby back carrier hiking packs that are designed for long treks. Whichever one you choose, pick one that’s going to match your lifestyle and needs. This article will go over the …

From Womb to Wrap: Newborn Baby Carriers

Babywearing is a popular component of childcare – one that lets parents keep their hands free and also soothes and calms the baby. An infant baby carrier that’s designed to hold the newborn close to the parent has been proven to reduce crying and promote healthy emotional development by providing a secure and safe environment that’s so closely linked to mom or dad and their daily rhythms. If you’re new to babywearing, this article …