AIBU to think that having a 10 month old in a sling is a bit dangerous?

[lolaflores]

My friend wears her baby she also has a ds aged 5 who is handful. Today we all walked back from school, baby head butting friend as was tired or hungry. Elder child drove at mum on scooter twice. Would I be a big old whinge pants to suggest that time for baby to go in the buggy? It scared the shit out of me. He is a big baby too and can wriggle out of the sling thing with ease. He doesn't look very comfortable either.
What would you do

i once borrowed a friend's pram and found it much harder to get on the bus, and keep up with my 4 year old, and on top of that needed to carry youngest for her nap as she wasn't going to nod off in a pram.

it was useful to cart my handbag though

If she had wrapped the baby properly with a woven wrap then no amount of wriggling would enable him to get out.

If she was unaware of the 5 year old I doubt a buggy would have changed that.

i think your babywearing friend was having a bit of a bad moment or five then...

I'd have thought a wrap sling could be back-worn for a wriggly older baby?

Fabric, but stretchy or not-stretchy(woven)?

WorraLiberty you win

YABU if, as the others have said, the sling is okay for the child's age. I carry my 19mo charge around in a sling, much much better and easier than a buggy, not to mention how much easier it is going up hills (of which there are a lot where she lives!)

Waves to Puddlejumper - slight wrap geekery but I've just treated myself to an Earthy Rainbow and it's sooooooooo fab!

like i said, i have carried babies for years out and about on public transport in asia and here in all weathers with an older child and i have never, but never, fallen over. they are tied to you in such a way that they become part of your geography so you aren't any more unstable than if solo.

Its fabric, not stretchy from what i can see and baby was like an octopus, arms and legs a go go in every direction and head butting. She readjusted him over and over again but he kept on getting free. It looked very hairy at one point

Depends on the sling as baby doesn't sound too secure, but I would hazard that YABU. Sounds like eldest child's behaviour is the problem. I think babywearing can look odd because we don't often see it. The amount of pressure for me to get a pram is ridiculous. People telling me baby can't be comfy 'all squished up' (newborn in 'froggy' position), will overheat etc. If prams were a Victorian invention, how do people think we transported babies in the past?
Agree baby Bjorns etc crap for bigger babies.

But if a child drives a scooter straight at you full force? Is that not likely to distabilize even the most confident?

well, op, just tell her she's an idiot with no regard for her child's safety then, if that will ease your mind.

What has the sling got to do with her being unaware of the other child? Or carrying two bags?

How would being in a buggy help?

And why on earth is it now "time" for the baby to be pushed around on wheels rather than carried on his mum? What difference will that make?

I carried DS1 until he was 2 1/2. I have carried DS2 since he was 3 days old and he has been on my back since 5 days old. If you said anything to me I would tell you quite bluntly to mind your own business.

My daughter does some impressive flinging about in our sling (I have wovens and buckles) but she's actually fine and secure. Sometimes she likes to scare passers by. Nothing wrong with carrying a 10 month old in a sling. She might want to learn how to back carry though. Less risk of headbutting, but there's still the hair pulling risk.

5 year old seems to take advantage of the situation, as they might, He is unpredictable and has been aggressive to the baby from the go. By the way people I had slings for my own kids but this put the wind up me, no part of it looked secure

I suspect she either needs to learn a new escape proof way of carrying - recommend Giselle's back carry to her if you like OP, or was just having a bad day.

My DD can escape from her car seat no matter how tight I pull the straps, but she can't escape if I've wrapped her! I suspect if he's that good at escaping a wrap he would probably escape a buggy straps - which could be worse as she might not know until too late that he was working loose.... with a wrap you instantly "feel" if something has gone slack....

It's those fucking scooters again!

Falling with a pram would or could be disastrous too.

If you were concerned about her safety at that moment, maybe you should have tried to help calm the 5 year old down if you genuinely thought she was struggling?

Can I get some advice from sling mums whilst you're all here? I have a baba sling but I'm not loving it and want something a bit more hippy chic and basic if that makes sense! Ds is 8 weeks and will keep carrying for ages.

You know what, it is the fucking scooters. Mine is now no longer allowed on hers on the way back from school. Perhaps it was a bad day. I do not think she disregards her childs safety.
Falling is never a good idea buggy or sling, either would be tragic. The sling and the scooter did not appear to be making her life any easier.

If it's about the scooters, why were your opening posts focussed on the sling?

I took the 5 year old to one side whilst she got herself sorted out, took the other bags off her and walked with them to her house. DD1 wasn't best please, but too bad, she was pretty stressed by the time she got home.