To think slings vs prams is a daft debate.....

[crackcrackcrak]

I have both so what do I know.....
But I have friends now almost at war about it. AIBU to think its just a personal preference based in ease of use (both) that's just been hijacked as a superior parenting choice?

[CailinDana]

I definitely agree with that YoullLaugh - although it does depend on the crowd you hang around with. When I lived in the south and hung out with my friend's NCT crowd I was often close to tearing my hair out in frustration at the incredibly dull conversations about poo, weaning, slings, blah blah blah. They were just not capable of having a normal adult conversation about things other than babies, and there was a constant undercurrent of competition that made the whole atmosphere really sour. Since moving up north and hanging out with more women who have two or more children I am enjoying being a SAHP much more. We chat about politics, men, tv, the news, and our kids, basically everything adults usually chat about. There isn't the endless pointless nitpicking about the tiny details of parenting and we actually have a laugh. It's such a nice change.

[KitCat26]

Oh my. Yes I have encountered militant anti-buggyists twice. Only in Glastonbury though.

One felt necessary to make a loud PA comment, to which (being a little hard of hearing) I asked rather directly 'What?'. The sling-ist felt too embarrassed to tell me what she had said again and muttered something about there being a lot of polution at that height for a baby...

The irony is that I'd just hiked up Glastonbury Tor with my 2yr old in a backpack and was now pushing my 10mth old around the town to give my back a very hard earned rest.

I loved the ring sling when they were little (under 12mths) but I've loved the buggy longer.

[YoullLaughAboutItOneDay]

CrackCrack - well bang goes that theory! Although please Cailin has met these people too! I know I went through a few months where I talked about weaning, poo, sleep, etc far too much. The sad fact was, I was doing nothing else and I had nothing else in common with these women. I've now met people I actually get on with - you know, books, politics, even bloody television. Just not what the baby ate yesterday (except for the time it was a snail. I do tell that story quite often).

[theodorakis]

Youll laugh, I have VERY important question. Was the snail sugar free?

[theodorakis]

Because what if the snail had previously crawled over a work surface and picked up a grain of sugar? Oh the shame!

[AlwaysHoldingOnToStarbug]

I would like to point out that there is a forum called Natural Mamas so it could have been what a previous posters friend was talking about and hopefully not calling buggy users unnatural!

[theodorakis]

And how does it affect the virgin gut?

[Tailtwister]

Has someone actually said that to you theodorakis? If so, that's very rude indeed but might not merit physical assault though ;-)

[YoullLaughAboutItOneDay]

Well Theodorakis, thankfully she was past the stage of complementary food, so the virgin gut wasn't an issue (gosh, I would have stayed up at night worrying about that one). It was an outdoor snail, so I would hope that it hadn't had access to refined sugar.

I can confirm that a baby who eats a snail smells of snail for the rest of the day, whatever else you encourage them to eat (it was DD2, so this included bourbon biscuits).

[choceyes]

theodorakis - who are people like me? People that use both slings and prams? Did I say that pram usage was unnatural?
And is it only middle class people that fly, go on the tube or go to a festival?? ehh? You sound lovely and non judgemental
yes and actually it is easier to fly, go on the tube and go to a festival with a baby in a sling rather than in a pram - I've done all 3 and however I much I love my Bugaboo cameleon, I've always chosen the sling over that on all 3 occasions.

[theodorakis]

I was saying that same as so much of the other stuff, people who use slings are not necessarily loons, they obviously make good sense and I love the bonding stuff I have been reading. I was holding you as an example of a non loon parent who doesn't think it is child abuse to use a buggy, pram or one wheeled tractor to transport their baby as they wish whilst still making their own choices.

[crackcrackcrak]

Refined sugar!!!!! More heresy!

[theodorakis]

tailtwister, the sling hasn't reached my neck of the woods yet. We are still working on car seats. I wouldn't really punch anyone but wouldn't be very impressed if anyone insulted my parenting by suggesting it was unsafe or cruel.

[theodorakis]

And I speak as a FFer!

[CailinDana]

Ok, I have to ask, what on earth does a snail smell like??

[YoullLaughAboutItOneDay]

Absolutely vile. I really can't describe it, but I can still feel the horror and this was months and months ago. Sort of gone off wet fishy.

[CailinDana]

Lovely. If I ever saw DS eating anything like that I would never recover. Seeing my cat eat a daddy long legs was traumatic enough.

[HipHopOpotomus]

I LOVE slings - bloody brilliant!!!
But they can't carry a packed picnic lunch, a blanket and bucket and spade around for the day can they???

Move away form the silly people inventing Slings VS pushchair debates - slowly and carefully

[YoullLaughAboutItOneDay]

It will take therapy Cailin, it really will. Always be very suspicious of a baby who seems to be playing nicely with their back to you, that's all I can say.

[YoullLaughAboutItOneDay]

Sorry OP, hijack over. Will try and think of something inflammatory to say about slings v prams. Erm, give me a while...

[crackcrackcrak]

I have more.......the sling meet leader lady teaches her child to make snotty comments about prams. The child is 4.

[CailinDana]

You have to admire the gumption it takes to eat a snail though, I mean they have armour and are quite tough and chewy.

Reminds me, my mum and dad had some French friends over and they cooked dinner. All went down a treat then dad unfortunately asked mum what was in the little pie things they had for a starter (he'd heard the French but didn't understand it). Mum blithely says "Oh it was snails." Cue dad hanging over the bed for the night vomiting his guts up. Amazing what the mind can do to the body - up till that point he'd been raving about how gorgeous it all was!

[HipHopOpotomus]

elliejjtiny have you tried the Ergo carrying the 21 month old on your back?

I love my Ergo, but now DD is getting older (18 months) I do find carrying her on my back is much more comfy for any period of time.

[YoullLaughAboutItOneDay]

crack -.

[NowThenNowThen]

Things that I have gleaned are BAD since being on MN:

Baby Bjorns
Playpens
Toddler Reins
Weaning babies with mashed up food and a spoon.

Luckily I wasn't on t'interweb when mine was a baby, so was blithely ignorant to any of these issues, and used all of those things. Vey helpful they were.
I have since got a friend who is anti all of the above, though I still don't completely get why.