Babywearing is amazing, easy and has so many benefits for both parents and children — babies that are worn in quality baby carriers, slings or wraps are more content, and all the while you have your hands free while baby is snug and safe. Strollers are super popular, but they don't always work well. Here are five situations where babywearing is the best choice.
When you're going on a hike
Babywearing while hiking
Even if you're traipsing down a level, paved path, nothing beats strapping your kiddo on your front or your back for the trip. And if you want to off-road or take a bumpy trail, many strollers don't work well under those conditions. You'll get an even better workout and your child will likely be gently rocked to sleep while you're roaming a forest or a mountainside. Even better? You won't have to worry about walking back, carrying your baby while trying to lug a stroller along, because she cried while you were hiking and couldn't deal with the stroller any longer.
When you need to pee
Picture this: You're out shopping with no other adult and you have to use a public restroom. If you are wearing your baby, you go in, take care of your business and then wash your hands. If you have a stroller, it's more complicated. Do you try to bring the stroller in the bathroom with you, or do you take your baby out and try to hold her on your lap? You definitely can't let her down to crawl or toddle around on the floor. Babywearing makes this situation far simpler by offering hands-free public peeing.
When you're at the zoo
Strollers are great for traveling around a zoo, but if it's a crowded day, it can become a logistical nightmare as you try to weave around the other hundreds of strollers. If you're wearing your baby, you can glide through the crowded displays with ease, even nursing your little one while you're walking around.
While walking the dog
Babywearing while walking the dog
Well-behaved pups work well stroller-side, but if you have a larger dog who, let's say suddenly lunges at a passing rabbit, you don't want to have to worry about holding on to a stroller and a dog leash at the same time. Babywearing and walking the dog definitely go hand-in-hand.
At the stadium
Off to a game? They don't call it stadium seating for nothing. Trying to navigate the steep angles can be treacherous enough when you're not trying to hoist around a stroller (and often stadiums restrict parents to small strollers that fold up and go underneath the seat). Cue babywearing, which makes stadium traveling a breeze. I've been watching a ton of baseball lately due to my favorite team, the Kansas City Royals, being in the World Series, and I have seen so many moms and dads wearing their babies in the stands. It's the smartest way to bring a baby to the park.
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