Something bitter-sweet happend to me!..

[isabchi]

We were walking in the park this evening with DH, DD (4 years old) and DS (1 yo) carried in the jogger stroller that we just got. I saw a lady wearing a toddler in a rebozo in her back. I walk right to congratulate her. She told me she came from Ecuador and there they call them "Panho". She don't like babywearing in public place often, because She feel ashamed to feel discrimination. At first I was trilled to see her. Babywearing around here isn't common. Then I was sad because, sometimes in our culture we're loosing the opportunity to learn from them. Later, She ask me about what kind of carrier I use. I took right away my wrap and put DS in my back. She show me also the different ways to use this panho and how to transfer the baby from the front carrier to the back.:
My Dh compliment her and we said good bye.

[ChetMC]

Thanks

Thanks for posting this...

A few years ago I had our second DD on my back in a wrap and somebody asked if I'd learned to do that when we were in Morocco. We'd just gotten back from a trip there, so it was sort of a reasonable question I guess, but it rubbed me the wrong way. The insinuation was that baby wearing was something they only associated with developing countries. I'd been baby wearing for years at that point.

I also have a friend whose mother insisted on calling her sling a "poverty stricken jungle wrap."

Anyway, it was really nice to hear that you had such a positive exchange with this woman. I hope it helps her to feel more confident to wear her child.

[Carrruth]

Wow, thanks for sharing. I bet you made her day! I sure hope babywearing can become more main stream so that it's more widely excepted and understood.

[Quirky]

that's a lovely story! :::

one of my favorite things about living in the washington, dc area was how many women i'd run into (esp. older women) from other countries who would admire my baby in a carrier and tell me how they had carried their babies or siblings in carriers.

[GoGoGirl]

Originally Posted by ChetMC

Thanks for posting this...

A few years ago I had our second DD on my back in a wrap and somebody asked if I'd learned to do that when we were in Morocco. We'd just gotten back from a trip there, so it was sort of a reasonable question I guess, but it rubbed me the wrong way. The insinuation was that baby wearing was something they only associated with developing countries. I'd been baby wearing for years at that point.

I was wearing DD in a wrap last month, and a guy came running up to me to ask where I learned to do that. "The internet!" I said. He said that he's Moroccan, and he was excited to see an American wearing their baby.

I also had a Guatemalan man come up to me on the subway a few weeks ago when DD was sleeping in a sling. He told me his mom used to carry him like that.

I love it when people from other countries where babywearing is more common talk to me about babywearing! I guess I'm lucky that so far no one has said anything offensive to me though.

[almadianna]

In my culture it is very much a "poor" person thing to do and there is discrimination in my family even when I do it in Mexico. I get asked to please not babywear in public by my family but I dont care. I think that it is sad too.

[isabchi]

That it's really sad!... I can't understand the equation?.... poor=bad???

I remember, that my mom said that when She was little one the very poor families eat whole grain bread, because the don't the money to paid for refined bread....... They fooled the kids in the school who eat whole grain breads...LOL:

Usually the poor women wear their babies and had they hands free to work. Wealthy ones , had many nannies to take care of the children, end that don't be in the best interest of the child.

[2sweetboysmom]

I have frequently been asked if I have visited Africa or ocasionally Asia when I am our with my Maya sling or my homemade wraps...Never been off the continent actually, but happy when other women comment and say they carried their babies that way in their home country

[ElliesMomma]

babywearing is very common where i live (chicago suburbs). i see a ton of "mainstream parents" doing it.

[justKate]

Originally Posted by almadianna

In my culture it is very much a "poor" person thing to do and there is discrimination in my family even when I do it in Mexico. I get asked to please not babywear in public by my family but I dont care. I think that it is sad too.

almadianna, I'm in Texas too, not too far from you. I see some people wearing their babies here, but they generally don't look like me. (tall thin white girl) I love the looks I get, especially when I run in to other babywearing mamas in Walmart or whatever. We share a knowing look. It's really a cultural bridge, sometimes.

But I've never had anyone react negatively. Most people think it's cute. Oh, except my Dad, who thinks it's a third world thing. Whatever. It makes my baby happy.

[Prisca]

It's always so nice when someone tells you they wore their baby too....and they tell you this as they smile while looking at you and your baby being worn.

I'm seeing more and more parents wear their babies around here. We just gotta keep spreading the babywearing love and hope that it continues to become more mainstream.

[SubliminalDarkness]

Aw, that is very sweet. And how sad for her that she feels like she can't do something she wants to because of the perception people will have of it.

[_betsy_]

I'm in the pricey northern NYC suburbs. Most people like to see the baby in the sling and have something nice to say, but I notice when I go to "the fancy mall" I get pitying looks as if I can't afford a stroller. We have two very expensive strollers, I just don't like them.

[batsister]

I've had a couple of (positive) experiences wherein a child (young elementary school age) comments on my baby when I am carrying him in the sling, and then the child's mother tells him/her, "I used to carry you in one of those when you were a baby." :-) (This is in Washington, DC).

[GoGoGirl]

I just had one like that happen too, batsister!

I was walking outside with DD in the ring sling when a mama passed by with her 4 year old son. She said, "Do you remember when I used to wear you like that?" and he said, "Yeaaaaaah!!!" Like the same kind of excited yeah that little boys say about super exciting things like ninjas. It was great!