We're trendy and old fashioned at the same time, Part II

Babywearing, it's the "newest" fad.

Everyone's doing it. Well, typically more affluent, educated families. It's all the rage these days. Here Fredo is showing off ring sling.


What cracks me up is these are what peasant women around the world have been using for centuries. I first saw them in Kenya: Kikuyu or Masai women using a large swath of cloth to carry their babies on their backs. In Thailand, all the Karen women used their sarongs. Having watched them, I was all prepared to use one of my many sarongs to carry my new baby. I wasn't going to be a fool and spent US$40 or more on a stupid piece of cloth. Hah! Once Angelina was born, and I learned that tying the bloody thing required an experienced person to teach me, I said to heck with it and bought The New Native Baby Carrier (it's that red thing you see in all my pictures holding Angelina) and never looked back. Best $40 I ever spent. I'm always having people come up to me to ask where I got "that really neat baby carrier." But please don't tell me I'm "wearing" my baby! She's not a fashion accessory. I'm just carrying her. Like centuries of women did before me.

I still have my wonderful sarongs. One day I'll learn to tie them properly. For now they work well as blankets.