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Ridiculous things people say.

post #1 of 40
8/20/08 at 12:29am
Thread Starter 
I took DD out shopping today for DN's birthday. I ended up going to an outdoor mall, and wore DD in my beautiful ring sling. I was in Carters Outlet, and one of the employees started fawning all over DD. Then she started saying things like, "your mommy doesn't want you to ever walk, does she? 'Cause you're not going to if she keeps you all wrapped up in that thing." and "Tell your mommy how squished you are!" Nevermind that DD was smiling and comfortable - obviously NOT squished. (And can I say how annoying it was to have a grown woman making comments about my parenting TO my child???)

Why is it that children worn in slings will never walk, yet children riding in strollers will? I have a Zippy that I've used a couple times when it was the better choice, and NO ONE has ever said anything about her never learning to walk. This is the 3rd time I've heard that she'll never learn if I keep carrying her in the sling. DH's grandma swears she will never learn to sit by herself. Do these people not realize that if this were true, a large portion of the world population would not be able to walk or sit up????

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post #2 of 40
8/20/08 at 12:49am
"ahhh, you're just mad 'cuz you wanna squeeze her and you can't get to her, aren't ya?"
(It's worked for me)
post #3 of 40
8/20/08 at 12:14pm
Usually no one makes any comments, or only positive ones, but yesterday at my doctor's office the medical assistant came rushing out from behind the counter to "help" me adjust DD in her sling because "she looks so squished!" Yeah, my beaming, gurgling baby is terribly uncomfortable and just very good at hiding it.
post #4 of 40
8/20/08 at 3:03pm
My favorites are "she looks so uncomfortable in that!" about my fast asleep infant and "can she breathe?" immediately after commenting on her cute little nose. If you can see the nose, she can breathe people!!

I get the "will never learn to walk" thing occasionally too. Funny thing, since my kid was holding most of her weight while standing at 8wks. She's VERY close to sitting unassisted at 3months. I'm not really sure how a stroller or just carrying her in arms would teach her to walk, I mean, until they really can walk, you have to carry them somehow!
post #5 of 40
8/20/08 at 3:06pm
I got "Can he breathe in there?" and I sassed back with, "No, I have to take him out once in a while and resuscitate him."
post #6 of 40
8/20/08 at 8:45pm
I HATE when people make such ignorant comments. I never know how to respond to them afterwards. Then moments later I think of some snappy comeback but then it's too late. Oh well.
post #7 of 40
8/20/08 at 9:37pm
ugh I've gotten the "He looks so uncomfortable" and "He looks squished in there!" comments too. Um, I would only hope that he would somehow let me know if he were uncomfortable, as he DOES let me know at even the slightest discomfort and is very very picky about his comfort.
post #8 of 40
8/20/08 at 9:42pm
People are definitely funny. Yesterday I just got the "she may never learn to walk because you carry her around all the time." WHAT???!!! Weird. As for looking comfortable, in my experience babies generally let you know if they're uncomfortable!!! I don't think babies do "stoic"!!
post #9 of 40
8/20/08 at 9:44pm
Wait, what? You have a 3 month old and they are worried about her walking? I'd be tempted to say, "oh she can already walk, I'm just giving her a break." Silly questions deserve silly replies.
post #10 of 40
8/20/08 at 9:46pm
Oh...and my favorite while wearing DD in a sling was always, "they didn't have THOSE THINGS when my baby was young." Oh-kaaaay. I guess we'll just ignore that most of the world wears children in soft carriers?

I always just replied, "yeah, aren't they great?"
post #11 of 40
8/20/08 at 10:16pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by hannahsmama468 View Post
People are definitely funny. Yesterday I just got the "she may never learn to walk because you carry her around all the time." WHAT???!!! Weird. As for looking comfortable, in my experience babies generally let you know if they're uncomfortable!!! I don't think babies do "stoic"!!
LOL, DD definitely doesn't do "stoic"! She will let me know - loudly and abruptly - when she is uncomfortable! And, resting her head on my shoulder, patting my boob and "talking" () isn't how she lets me know she's uncomfortable!
post #12 of 40
8/20/08 at 10:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by eurobin View Post
Oh...and my favorite while wearing DD in a sling was always, "they didn't have THOSE THINGS when my baby was young." Oh-kaaaay. I guess we'll just ignore that most of the world wears children in soft carriers?

I always just replied, "yeah, aren't they great?"
Oh, I get that ALL THE TIME. Usually some variation of "oh the things you kids have nowadays....back when I had babies we didn't have things like that"

I should note I almost always am wearing a homemade woven wrap. IE a rectangle of cloth. I sooooo want to respond with "oh you didn't have FABRIC then?". But I'm too nice for that, so my response is the same as yours...
post #13 of 40
8/20/08 at 10:28pm
I get the "they didn't have those things when I was a momma" from older women in the grocery store when I use my sling. I also wrap DD in an Ellaroo and one vendor at the Farmers & Crafters Market seemed to think that it was too bad that DD's hands were 'trapped' under the wrap. Yeah, what a shame, you don't have to worry about her grabbing and breaking something that I'd then have to pay you for. And a few weeks ago, we were visiting my parents and DD was having a really hard time teething and the only way she would sleep was if I wrapped her. So I wore her tummy-to-tummy and then pulled one layer of cloth up to support her head effectively hiding her face. My mother was sure DD wasn't able to breathe through the cloth. I had to get kinda forceful saying that I've worn her like this for hours before and it obviously hadn't hurt her before. **And then like magic! She woke up and began breathing again! Amazing! **
post #14 of 40
8/20/08 at 10:41pm
Ok, I had some strange little man inform me that he spent time in Asia and Asian women carry their babies on their backs ( I had DD in an Ergo) and that is the reason so many Asians are bow-legged. No kidding. That was wrong on so many levels I just had to give him a "you are a dumba@#" look and walk away.
Another lady commmented to herself/her friends? that "that thing looks so uncomfortable" while I was in line to pay at a bookstore....my mom and the cashier both retorted at the same time "she looks pretty happy to me!":
post #15 of 40
8/20/08 at 10:45pm
Time spent in a sling or carried close actually counts as tummy time. The motion stimulates the vestibular system, which helps develop their balance. Worn babies tend to sit up by themselves sooner, and may even crawl/walk sooner (like mine did).

And the squished comment? Just say, "Yeah, it's wonderful to be able to cuddle, isn't it?" or "Squished? Not any more than a hug! ^__^"
post #16 of 40
8/21/08 at 1:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by eurobin View Post
Oh...and my favorite while wearing DD in a sling was always, "they didn't have THOSE THINGS when my baby was young." Oh-kaaaay. I guess we'll just ignore that most of the world wears children in soft carriers?

I always just replied, "yeah, aren't they great?"
I get this ALL the time. What, they didn't have fabric 30 years ago?
post #17 of 40
8/21/08 at 1:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by HybridVigor View Post
Time spent in a sling or carried close actually counts as tummy time. The motion stimulates the vestibular system, which helps develop their balance. Worn babies tend to sit up by themselves sooner, and may even crawl/walk sooner (like mine did)."
I totally believe that being worn helps balance and core muscle strength. Mine spent a lot of time in a sling and all sat/crawled/walked by 12 mo (one at 8 mo!).

I'll have to memorize that line-- "the motion stimulates the vestibular system which helps develop their balance" sounds so much smarter than "sling babies aren't as floppy as stroller babies", lol!
post #18 of 40
8/21/08 at 2:32am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aubergine68 View Post
I totally believe that being worn helps balance and core muscle strength. Mine spent a lot of time in a sling and all sat/crawled/walked by 12 mo (one at 8 mo!).
I don't know about that... I've worn both my kids from the time they were born and both were late crawlers (11mo) and late walkers (14mo, 15mo). I think how "daring" they are also is a factor as both my girls are "cautious".
post #19 of 40
8/21/08 at 10:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ellp View Post
I don't know about that... I've worn both my kids from the time they were born and both were late crawlers (11mo) and late walkers (14mo, 15mo). I think how "daring" they are also is a factor as both my girls are "cautious".
Yes , I do agree that personality is important, too. My girl who walked at 8 mo was the most "daring" of my three, as it happened, and my most "cautious" son walked latest of all of them. But I am sure, although I have no way to prove it, that if I had not slung my children, they would have sat/crawled/walked later than they did.

Wouldn't it be fun to give birth to identical twins and be able to do controlled experiments on issues like this though ?

(Well, no, of course if I had twins, I'd be wearing both of them...I wouldn't know HOW to raise a baby without wearing her!)
post #20 of 40
8/21/08 at 10:37am
My favourite... with dd on my back in a mei tai

mom: Doesn't she fall out of that????!?

me: um, no.

mom: Are you sure?

me: (with an amused chuckle) On second thought, you're right, she falls out all the time. Every day. Breaks her neck each time
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Mothering › Mothering Discussion Forums › Natural Family Living › Babywearing › Ridiculous things people say.