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 don't think there's any smugness about it, there's a huge range of slings out there, some are far better than others, just like any product you buy. I borrowed a tomy and a baby Bjorn when my dd was a baby, both were in my opinion, awful (for me). The weight of dd wasn't balanced properly and the strain on my shoulders and back were huge. It really put me off slings at the time. I decided to try again when ds was born, and I found a website that hired out slings, and knocked off the hire cost if I decided to buy. I found the baby hawk this way, and the difference was amazing. I could walk for miles in it with no strain at all. There are a lot of really good carriers like this that aren't found in mainstream shops. I think it's quite ignorant of accusing people of being smug, when all they are doing is information sharing about products they have found to be good.

It's odd. Slings are one of the very few products that evoke accusations of smugness or evangelicalness (if that is a word!)

No-one ever levels accusations of smugness at someone saying "oh you should try the bugaboo/stokke/maclaren" because it is just personal choice, just like the choice of sling.

We plan on using a sling - either a Kari Me or a Mei Tai. I don't massively like the concept of buggies/prams in principle but dear god - mentioning that amongst my friends has me labeled as "massively alternative". HA, whatevs :)

I do get tired of explaining that the more you carry your child, the easier it becomes simply because you get used to it (not exactly rocket science!), and I really dislike our culture of extending our babies far away from us, and prefer the involvement in my activity that a sling affords.

But - with the usual caveat (because god forbid someone doesn't realise it) of horses for courses, OP mainly you're just guilty of being a bit ignorant about slings. You've said yourself, on reflection, it was the 5 year old on the scooter not so much the baby in the sling.

They're not dangerous - Jesus Christ, I grew up in a seaside town and my dad is a cab driver. Mid season, the amount of times I've been in his cab and he has literally swerved out of the way of a holidaymaker pushing their baby out into the road first, with no regard for traffic on a busy road, made me swear never to use one

And what, there's never endless debates over which kind of plastic/metal contraption - sorry, prams! - is best either?

I couldn't believe the difference when I swapped from a BB to a Kari me stretchy, and then again I couldn't believe the difference when I swapped from the stretchy to a Mei tai and woven wraps... Much more supportive and easier to carry a heavier wrigglier weight. Not smug, my experience.

I think it's whatever works for you. I sling 2.3 DD and have done since her birth. waves at NMs on here No Oschas though, but I've loved my mei tais, wrap conversion and wraps.
I'd say that 10 months is teeny tiny wrt slinging and she should maybe think about back carries if she wants to. Most children not born in the modern west never used a pram and grew up just fine. So it's possible, just not that common in the UK.
I don't personally care how other people transport their kids - its up to them!

I sling 16mo DS3 still sometimes if DS2 needs his wheelchair. And he is a tall 16mo. WTF is wrong with using a sling? At what age does it magically become 'unsafe'?

I have carried my older DC in Back carriers at 4yo when hill walking before.

I carried DD (10 months) in a sling rather a lot whilst we were on holiday a few years ago. She got to see the world, I kept my hands free for drinking wine carrying things and all was well.

I have a ring sling and a mei tei.

I slung DD from birth to 6 months. Now she tries to wriggle as she wants to see things (it's a manduca). She's too short to go on my back though so can't see very well. So she goes in the pushchair but I use the sling sometimes if she's tired.

It Is really tricky wrestling a toddler and a larger baby in a sling - that's partly why I put DD in the pushchair when DS is on his scooter as he goes too quickly. If we're just walking I'm ok and can put DS under my arm if need be my biceps are massive. But I much prefer the sling TBH.

Yabu. She just needs a different sling by the sound of it. I carried ds2 till he wanted to walk and even now at nearly 3 he goes on my back when he's tired in a wrap.
It's only unsafe in icy snowy weather IMO. Am not being smug either

and now I'm sat here wondering what all of your NM usernames are. :D

I carry my one year old twins, one on the back in either a madam googoo or my babyhawk mt, then one on the front in a wrap or the mt AND chase my four year old on his scooter... Then i set myself on fire for a laugh! :o

Those Madam GooGoo carriers are gorgeous!

Must. Resist. Buying. One.

They really are easily, i got mine from nm fsot board!

Tis beautiful!

^If you don't mind me asking, was it really expensive?

I paid £85 including special delivery

There is a facebook group where she advertises the carriers, not sure if they are all customs or if they are off the peg as it were?

Im hoping i will get that back when i sell it!