My name is Lisa, and I'm a babywearing addict.
Hi, Lisa...
One of my favorite things to do is to get together with other babywearers and compare notes. What kind of carrier is your favorite? How do you like to wear your toddler? Can I try your new wrap?! It's a great way to learn new things and make new friends. But how do you meet other babywearers? Someone on a babywearing chat board said recently, "I wish there was a secret sign for babywearers who are really into it. I keep making a fool of myself geeking out on every mama with an Ergo!" Her comment made me think about what it means to be a "Babywearer" and how I've connected with other moms because of our shared interest.
First, let me say this: every mom and dad and nanny and grandparent and sibling with "just an Ergo" or Baby Bjorn is a babywearer. There is no magic number of wraps or type of carrier that makes you more of a babywearer than anyone else. But for sure there is a difference between those caregivers who occasionally use a carrier as one of many means of transporting their little ones and those of us who post weekly (lets be honest, daily) pictures (or blog posts :-/) of ourselves and our little ones BWing all over the city. It's a passion and a hobby, just like any other collection or sports activity, and there are great ways to meet others who share your enthusiasm.
Local Babywearing Groups:
In Chicago, our group is a chapter of Babywearing International. BWI is a non-profit with chapters all over the US (still working on the "International" part) with trained leaders called Volunteer Babywearing Educators. These leaders are great resources for caregivers who are interested in learning the basics of BWing. The group also has a lending library, and for $30 a year you can check out one carrier at a time for up to 30 days! It's a really neat way of "trying before you buy". Our group meets twice a month and I've met some lasting BWing friends this way.
First, let me say this: every mom and dad and nanny and grandparent and sibling with "just an Ergo" or Baby Bjorn is a babywearer. There is no magic number of wraps or type of carrier that makes you more of a babywearer than anyone else. But for sure there is a difference between those caregivers who occasionally use a carrier as one of many means of transporting their little ones and those of us who post weekly (lets be honest, daily) pictures (or blog posts :-/) of ourselves and our little ones BWing all over the city. It's a passion and a hobby, just like any other collection or sports activity, and there are great ways to meet others who share your enthusiasm.
Local Babywearing Groups:
In Chicago, our group is a chapter of Babywearing International. BWI is a non-profit with chapters all over the US (still working on the "International" part) with trained leaders called Volunteer Babywearing Educators. These leaders are great resources for caregivers who are interested in learning the basics of BWing. The group also has a lending library, and for $30 a year you can check out one carrier at a time for up to 30 days! It's a really neat way of "trying before you buy". Our group meets twice a month and I've met some lasting BWing friends this way.
Online Babywearing Communities/ Chat-boards:
Facebook and YouTube are great venues for making new friends! Especially if you can manage to connect with local mamas who you can have real, face-to-face interactions with. There are several large, international groups that I've participated in. Babywearing Love and Support and Babywearing 102 are two really popular (15K+ members!) groups on Facebook that post daily or weekly fun. These might include "Try it Out Tuesday", where an admin will post a new carry for everyone to try and post pictures of their attempts, or "Stash Shot Saturday" where members can share photos of their entire collections.
Babywearing Playdates:
This is by far my favorite way to meet others who share the addiction (and to convince others to drink the Kool-Aid!). I have recently started hosting a monthly BWing playdate in our home for new and experienced moms. These have been advertised through a local moms group and the response has been great! We have had two meetups so far with one more scheduled next month, and each has had a significant waiting list of moms eager to attend. It has been really great to meet new friends who are already wearing their little ones and to encourage other moms who are just getting started in their BWing relationship.
Facebook and YouTube are great venues for making new friends! Especially if you can manage to connect with local mamas who you can have real, face-to-face interactions with. There are several large, international groups that I've participated in. Babywearing Love and Support and Babywearing 102 are two really popular (15K+ members!) groups on Facebook that post daily or weekly fun. These might include "Try it Out Tuesday", where an admin will post a new carry for everyone to try and post pictures of their attempts, or "Stash Shot Saturday" where members can share photos of their entire collections.
Babywearing Playdates:
This is by far my favorite way to meet others who share the addiction (and to convince others to drink the Kool-Aid!). I have recently started hosting a monthly BWing playdate in our home for new and experienced moms. These have been advertised through a local moms group and the response has been great! We have had two meetups so far with one more scheduled next month, and each has had a significant waiting list of moms eager to attend. It has been really great to meet new friends who are already wearing their little ones and to encourage other moms who are just getting started in their BWing relationship.
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