Vacation & Baby Carriers
Today I have a guest blogger, my wife Jamie. She is a volunteer babywearing educator with Babywearing International. Wearing our kids on a daily basis, as well as vacation, as been a value to us. Read on to find out more.
You will see in many of our photos one of us is using a baby carrier. Carriers have become an essential part of our day to day life. The practice of people using carriers for their babies goes back thousands of years. It is a traditional practice in many cultures and we have them to thank for it. Mexico, Africa, and Asia are just a few of the places babywearing originates from. Today's modern carriers have been inspired by these cultures and are now manufactured in western culture.
Airports
Early or late flights can be tough. Having your child in a carrier will keep them close and comfortable while you get to your gate. Having baby on the front and your carry-on as a backpack on your back will allow you 2 hands free to pull your luggage or wrangle your other kids. We prefer to use a backpack as our diaper bag on vacation because it is easier to carry, the 2 straps are more comfortable on your shoulder, and it holds more than the average diaper bag. You may have to take your child out of the carrier at security, but not always. Remember to be polite and just do as asked so you can get through quickly and get babe right back into the carrier. Here is some info on travel with children from the TSA.
Road Trip
We rarely fly to our destination, instead we prefer to drive. This allows us some flexibility and we get to see other sights too. Wearing at rest stops are great! Babe will be happy to stretch outside of the car seat but you can keep them safely up and able to see and stretch. Taking other kids to the bathroom with babe in a stroller can be cumbersome. Wearing the little one helps keep your hands free and from needing the largest stall. If your child doesn't travel well in a car wearing them before and during your trip (at rest stops! a carrier doesn't replace a car seat) can calm them and provide comfort before everyone gets back into the car.
Destination
Where you go, the weather, and who will be wearing the child will come into play when you decide what type of carrier you want to bring on vacation. Depending on your destination you may choose to use a carrier only or carrier and stroller. Many of our trips are at National Parks, there isn't much use for a stroller there! When we go to Disney or other theme parks we opt to bring a stroller and a carrier. The stroller is great for theme parks because our older kids can sit for a while when they get tired of walking, also for holding our diaper bag, snacks, drinks, etc...
While on your vacation wearing your younger child can be a huge comfort to them when in a different place and with a different schedule. On our last trip to Disney our son was 8 months old and would not sleep in the stroller. All his naps were in our carrier. This was fantastic because we could continue on our day with our 6 & 3 yr old.
Soft Structure Carrier (SSC) aka Buckle Carrier
Can be used on the front, back, & hip.
pro: put on quickly once adjusted to wearer, 2 shoulder carry.
con: must adjust between caregivers, may need to use infant insert for small baby or a larger size carrier for older child
Woven Wrap
Can be used on the front, hip, & back (stretchy wraps are able to be used on the front and hip only)
pro: many carry positions for woven wraps, one or two shoulder carries, it can be pre-tied to pop babe in & out, short wraps can be tied quickly, easily shared between caregivers
con: long wraps can be overwhelming on a trip, learning curve
Ring Sling
Can be used on the front & hip
pro: quick to put on & adjust, easy to pop babe in and out
con: one shoulder carry
Bei Dai/Meh Dai
Can be used on the front, hip & back
pro:quick to put on & adjust, 2 shoulder carry, can easily be worn between caregivers
con:long straps to tie can be inconvenient in small spaces like airport
Pouch Carrier
Can be used on the front & hip
pro:small easy to put on, easy pop babe in & out
con: sized , can not fit all, 1 shoulder carry
Water Carrier
pro: comes in all carrier types, dries quickly, light weight, added UV protection on some brands, keep hands free in shallow water.
con: material can be slippery when dry, stay in shallow water, not always comfortable with larger children.
There is a carrier out there for every Fandom! Disney? Harry Potter? Deadpool? Even Browncoats have carriers out there! There are a lot of small businesses creating carriers check out these from Shiny Star Designs!
BWI Chapter Near You
If you are local to us:
BWI of NCIL
Babywearing
 |
| 4 yr olds get tired too. Hiking in the Smoky Mountains using a toddler sized buckle carrier. |
You will see in many of our photos one of us is using a baby carrier. Carriers have become an essential part of our day to day life. The practice of people using carriers for their babies goes back thousands of years. It is a traditional practice in many cultures and we have them to thank for it. Mexico, Africa, and Asia are just a few of the places babywearing originates from. Today's modern carriers have been inspired by these cultures and are now manufactured in western culture.
A few tips about wearing on vacation
Airports
Early or late flights can be tough. Having your child in a carrier will keep them close and comfortable while you get to your gate. Having baby on the front and your carry-on as a backpack on your back will allow you 2 hands free to pull your luggage or wrangle your other kids. We prefer to use a backpack as our diaper bag on vacation because it is easier to carry, the 2 straps are more comfortable on your shoulder, and it holds more than the average diaper bag. You may have to take your child out of the carrier at security, but not always. Remember to be polite and just do as asked so you can get through quickly and get babe right back into the carrier. Here is some info on travel with children from the TSA.
Road Trip
We rarely fly to our destination, instead we prefer to drive. This allows us some flexibility and we get to see other sights too. Wearing at rest stops are great! Babe will be happy to stretch outside of the car seat but you can keep them safely up and able to see and stretch. Taking other kids to the bathroom with babe in a stroller can be cumbersome. Wearing the little one helps keep your hands free and from needing the largest stall. If your child doesn't travel well in a car wearing them before and during your trip (at rest stops! a carrier doesn't replace a car seat) can calm them and provide comfort before everyone gets back into the car.
Destination
Where you go, the weather, and who will be wearing the child will come into play when you decide what type of carrier you want to bring on vacation. Depending on your destination you may choose to use a carrier only or carrier and stroller. Many of our trips are at National Parks, there isn't much use for a stroller there! When we go to Disney or other theme parks we opt to bring a stroller and a carrier. The stroller is great for theme parks because our older kids can sit for a while when they get tired of walking, also for holding our diaper bag, snacks, drinks, etc...
While on your vacation wearing your younger child can be a huge comfort to them when in a different place and with a different schedule. On our last trip to Disney our son was 8 months old and would not sleep in the stroller. All his naps were in our carrier. This was fantastic because we could continue on our day with our 6 & 3 yr old.
A quick review of carrier types.
 |
Soft Structure Carrier (SSC) aka Buckle Carrier
Can be used on the front, back, & hip.
pro: put on quickly once adjusted to wearer, 2 shoulder carry.
con: must adjust between caregivers, may need to use infant insert for small baby or a larger size carrier for older child
 |
Woven Wrap
Can be used on the front, hip, & back (stretchy wraps are able to be used on the front and hip only)
pro: many carry positions for woven wraps, one or two shoulder carries, it can be pre-tied to pop babe in & out, short wraps can be tied quickly, easily shared between caregivers
con: long wraps can be overwhelming on a trip, learning curve
Ring Sling
Can be used on the front & hip
pro: quick to put on & adjust, easy to pop babe in and out
con: one shoulder carry
Bei Dai/Meh Dai
Can be used on the front, hip & back
pro:quick to put on & adjust, 2 shoulder carry, can easily be worn between caregivers
con:long straps to tie can be inconvenient in small spaces like airport
Pouch Carrier
Can be used on the front & hip
pro:small easy to put on, easy pop babe in & out
con: sized , can not fit all, 1 shoulder carry
Water Carrier
pro: comes in all carrier types, dries quickly, light weight, added UV protection on some brands, keep hands free in shallow water.
con: material can be slippery when dry, stay in shallow water, not always comfortable with larger children.
Themed Carriers
 |
| Photography by Beautiful People Portraiture |
 |
| Water slings with Disney accent! |
 |
| Photography by Beautiful People Portraiture |
 |
| Mr & Mrs Mouse, reversible carrier! |
 |
| Any HP fans?! |
And this one from Cari Slings
 |
| "The Pilot" from Cari Slings 'Verse collection |
Looking for some more Information on wearing your child? Start here!
Babywearing InternationalBWI Chapter Near You
If you are local to us:
BWI of NCIL
Don’t know which vacation destination to start with? Subscribe to our Email list and receive our 15 Top US Family Destinations for free.
Our world is a beautiful place…GO EXPLORE IT!!!!!!! https://www.facebook.com/fantasmicadventures/
Comments
Post a Comment