Pros and Cons of Sling: A Man's Look

From September 18 to September 24, Russia celebrates the International Baby Carrying Week. However, until now, this accessory is for some reason associated with moms. But dads are also willing to use it. We asked six convinced Slingopap why they prefer to carry children on themselves and how others look at it.

Konstantin: “Hands are free and you can do whatever you want” 40 years. Restaurant manager. Father of three

I learned about slings from wife, before that did not imagine what it is. Then I saw others on the street, and I liked it.

Sling scarf I did not learn to tie, immediately began to use sling backpack. It turned out to be very convenient. He quickly puts on, the child flounders in him as he wants, and your hands are free and you can do what you want.

When I started wearing my first child in a sling, it was not as popular as it is today, and people, of course, paid attention to me. Often they made comments to me. They said that sling may be harmful to the child. But I believe that, because of such conversations, one should not give up the opportunity to be closer to one’s children.

Romance: “In winter we argue whose turn it is to carry a warm little kid” 36 years. Lawyer. Father of three

The very first sensation is free hands. The second is the constant proximity of the child. Andrei is now 9 and a half years old, but he grew up a very “hugging” person. Whether the son was tired or sick, in the sling he always fell asleep perfectly and slept for a long time.

At that time, mothers, and especially grandmothers, at best gave me surprised looks. But in general, it was a set of prejudices: “You can’t torture a child like that!”, “How does he breathe there ?!” and the like.

I also carried my daughter Varia in a sling. I will never forget the terrible flight from Amsterdam. The airport was closed due to a thunderstorm, instead of arriving at 8 o’clock in the evening, we, with a languid and stuffy expectation in Corsica, left the plane at only 2 a.m. All this time, the six-month-old Varya spent on me. And most of the time - in a sling. Only because of this we avoided the vagaries and screams.

In January of this year, Fedor was born with us. It is not only we who wear it in a sling, but also the eldest son. He likes it very much, he happily presses Fedya with his free hands to his chest.

The only inconvenience of the sling is in the summer in a scarf and with a warm child, of course, hotter than without it. At the same time, the rest of the time this turns into a plus - the child warms the parent! On trips, we even argued about who was more cold and whose turn it was to carry a warm little baby. In winter, I carry a child either over the jacket or with an unbuttoned jacket - depending on the temperature overboard. A little cumbersome, but still more convenient than carrying on your hands.

Familiar and casual passers-by have long been accustomed to the sight of a child in a sling, and I can no longer recall the last time they made a remark to me. Moreover, the older children are walking with me. In our happy mind it’s clear that we are doing everything right.

Alexey: “The only thing that should not be done with a child in a sling is to play sports” 38 years. Head of marketing department. Father of three

I don’t know how to manage a child without a sling and still do something else. A stroller, of course, is also an option, but it is suitable only for the street.

If you need to hit the road to a hardware store, just meeting someone, even taking a walk is an amazing thing. The child is warm, safe and calm. And hands are free.

The only thing you should not do with a baby in a sling is to play sports. No bicycles, scooters or rollers.

Of course, the wife brought the sling to the house. And of course, I did not accept this idea and refused to reel it on myself. Moreover, I bought a cool tourist carrying case in which the child sits high behind his back - and sometimes the children ride there. But the main means of transportation for them eventually became a sling backpack.

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At first, it constantly seemed to me that the edge of the sling was crushing the baby's legs. Therefore, I tried not to carry children in a sling for a long time. Half an hour or an hour - no more.

It is difficult, of course, to lay the child out of the sling himself when he fell asleep. "Operation" is best done together. One leans in, holds the baby with both hands, the other unfastens the sling and then carefully covers the baby with a blanket. If the second person is not nearby, then there will be a moment when he will feel cold, but alright - he will warm up, fall asleep again.

There was a time when the child did not fall asleep in any other way, he wanted warmth and motion sickness. Then Slingopap came to the rescue.

Sergey: “It seems to me that the perfect sling is gray” 41 years old. Designer. Father of two

The child is comfortable to wear in a sling, but I relate to this without fanaticism. For example, I do not really like to wind a scarf. Not because I don’t know how (I can), but because I feel hot in it, I don’t like when the ends of the sling hang out, and I’m not a girl — to show off in rags. It seems to me that the perfect sling is gray, no frills.

Wife offered to wear a baby in a sling. At first, I resisted a little, as by nature a conservative. But mastered with a sling not for long: the wife showed how to wind.

I have never seen anyone point a finger at me with a baby in a sling. But in any case, we had no alternative: we sold the stroller, did not buy a new one, so the sling and arms are our only option. I believe that parents should use what they like best. If someone is comfortable stroller - please. I was fine in a sling.

Damir: “You have close contact with the child, but the event is not so frequent with the fathers” 38 years. Project manager. Father of three

My children are now nine, four and a half years old. And I wore all of them in a sling backpack. This is easier than holding a baby in your arms. Wearing it is comfortable and pleasant - in many respects from the fact that you have close contact with the child, and for fathers this event is not as frequent as that of mothers.

I especially like it when the child is in front, it turns out to look him in the eye, communicate with him. This certainly has its therapeutic effect.

We put all three of our children to sleep on Dad’s chest. This number did not work with mom, because the children immediately started looking for breasts instead of going to sleep.

And the sling really helped out during long-distance trips. Traveling with him was good and easy.

Sergey: “Walking with a load is an excellent physical exercise” 47 years old. Systems Engineer. Father of two

Sling is a life hack that mothers and fathers can use for convenience, or they may not use it. It is more convenient with him, his hands are free and the child is less nervous. It is not necessary to try a scarf, you can wait for the child to grow up to a sling-backpack, or start with a sling with rings, which is easier to get comfortable with.

You should not wear a sling at all costs. The main thing is that it is convenient for both the child and the father - physically and psychologically.My wife suggested that I wear a sling, and I did not immediately like it because of my natural conservatism. The choice was stopped on a sling-backpack, where the child sits behind the back of an adult. At first, I was afraid that at some point he might get out of there, so I attracted him harder.

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The wife, looking at me, had fun. Passers-by also usually smile, laugh, outgoing old ladies occasionally ask the baby: “Are you comfortable there?”, “Is it okay with dad's bosom?” I did not meet those who looked disapprovingly, but if I had met, I would not have paid attention to them. And I advise others to do the same.

The only thing I asked my wife was to choose a backpack that was not too bright. A drawing with flowers would definitely not be worn. Now my wife and I use one sling-backpack in turn, we change the length of the straps - this is a matter of seconds.

In general, walking with a load is an excellent physical exercise, strengthens the muscles of the legs and back!

We also read:

• Is sling harmful to a child: truth and fiction
• Slingoculture: Pros and Cons
• How to wear slings (with rings, sling-scarf, may-sling) in the position on the back of the mother
• How to choose a sling? Which one to choose: Sling with rings, Sling-scarf, May-Sling, Sling-backpack, Fast-Sling (pros and cons). Video instructions

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