Why do you use a stroller?

[go_romanovs]

Let's see....

sling mama

• takes the kid out of the car seat and
  
• pops it into a carrier and
  
• off she walks 

or

Stroller mama

• takes the stroller out of the trunk,
  
• opens it up,
  
• takes the kid out of the car seat and
  
• places (some times fighting) kid into the stroller,
  
• buckles him in,
  
• pushes this big thing (she is lucky if the road is smooth and there are ramps),..
  
• and a lot of the time the mother ends up pushing the stroller with one hand AND holding the baby in another.....
  
• Oh, and what if the kid has to nurse? She'll have to sit in the car and nurse first..
  

All while the sling mama is still hands free, fuss free snuggling her little sugar bub, may be nursing on the go.. all while going around her business.. No ramps, no road, narrow isles, big crowds, no place to sit down to nurse can't  stop her. She is FREE!

Why do you even wanna bother with a stroller??

Why I don't like strollers.

I think strollers suck! LOL :))

They are bulky, heavy, and my babies hated sitting in them.. So it was always a struggle. Because once they are done with the stroller, I have to hold the baby AND push that thing.
Once I made that leap of faith and left the stroller behind we all felt better.

My back pack or purse carries all my stuff. It's not much - mainly a water bottle and.. a snack for the older kids. We ec, so I don't lug diapers around.

When we go somewhere like an amusement park or Zoo, we just take a bigger back pack. I LOVE not having a stroller and maneuver around them all through the crowds. The older kids WALK. They can walk the whole day ok. When the older kids were much younger (like 3 and under) sometimes they hitched a ride in a strap carry for a couple of minutes on me or daddy.

I feel our kids only love strollers because they are given this option. Like.. if you give an infant a bottle, he will prefer it to your breast very soon. You don't go listening to your child's wishes then, right?

I read about a study that said that forward facing strollers may delay the child's development. DUH.. if you don't talk to your child, they may get kinda slow :))

I don't like that strollers get abused a lot. Can you abuse a good thing? Like say breastfeeding or co-sleeping or sling wearing? NO, no matter how much you do it it is always good! It is only bad things like tv, drugs, alcohol, sweets, etc. that can become a problem if abused. I feel that strollers are the same.

Couple of more thoughts..

It's just another THING that our society believes is a MUST have with a new baby. Stroller, diaper, crib, bottle, etc. manufacturers got all of us new mothers convinced that we HAVE to give them our money if we ever want to enjoy the blessings of parenting.. I guess you can call me a rebel, but I am trying to move away from consumerism.

Another thing that I learned on a Russian babywearing message board that I hang out at.. There's this Russian big natural parenting center in Moscow and their gurus teach that strollers interfere with the child's natural following instinct. When the child is in the stroller, the mother is following him, so when they are old enough to walk, they run away and never look back because they are so used that mama is following them, they still expect her to follow.

another thing to consider..

strollers are not benefitial for babies. It is just that most parents find them convenient (most don't even know that there are other options).

Slings are benefitial for both babies and their parents. And I am yet to find a mother who whouldn't go 'WOW THIS IS SOOOO COMFY" after she put a wrap on for the first time :)

Now I am not trying to bash or compete who is better at attachment parenting. I am just answering a question why we don't use strollers in our family.

[KaidaMidnight]

Mar. 31, 2009 at 12:14 PM

 We don't even have one! No need for it :)

[TheFatMom]

Mar. 31, 2009 at 12:24 PM

Slings don't have cup holders ;)

[go_romanovs]

Mar. 31, 2009 at 12:38 PM

ah.. that would make it worth it for you?? :)) LOL

Imho, it just adds more bullet points ;))

take the cup out of the bag and place it in the cup holder

(Original Poster)

[Anouck]

Mar. 31, 2009 at 12:41 PM

Well, my kid HATES being in a sling. Always has, ever since he was born. And I love my stroller, I can open it with one hand, pop the car seat in (no need to unbuckle), I can rotate it to face me, face to the front, or even face sideways, and we're both happy.

To each his/her own :)

[go_romanovs]

Mar. 31, 2009 at 12:56 PM

see, would be nice and dandy, but you don't even touch your child in the process.. Did strollers become another 'never have to touch your child again' type of devices?? Can I also ask you, do you ever find yourself pushing the stroller AND holding your baby? How does that feel?

Does your child HATE being held? Cause that would be why the child would HATE being in a sling. But I would find that hard to believe. Lots of babies HATE having their head covered with fabric, some need to be nursed at the same time.. May be it wasn't even the right type of sling? Some are plain dangerous!
Sometime the child HATES a sling just because the mother eminates frustration. They so pick up on that..

I should write another post "My baby HATES sling, now what?" :)))

(Original Poster)

[Arisce]

Mar. 31, 2009 at 1:00 PM

XD I use a stroller in the bathroom. I strap her in and she plays while I shower. I can move her from room to room if she's still happy or asleep. I never take it outside(except for the back yard). If we're going somewhere it's the wrap or sling. Although now I can't wear them inside cause she gets mad when we don't leave.

[Arisce]

Mar. 31, 2009 at 1:02 PM

Also, Emi hated the sling in the begining. I just kept insisting she goes in it.

[Wistful]

Mar. 31, 2009 at 1:04 PM

Do they make slings for 17 month olds? I use a stroller, but sometimes I think it would be more convenient to use a sling, less stressful too. But I don't know much about them.

[NoahsMomma418]

Mar. 31, 2009 at 1:09 PM

I use a stroller b/c I can't figure our how to wear both kids at the same time! lol My poor DH gets to wear our son now! =)

[Anouck]

Mar. 31, 2009 at 1:11 PM

No, I have never pushed the stroller AND held my child... And even though I may not be touching him at the time, we get plenty of "touching time", thanks... No offense, but your response really sounds a little condescending to me. I'm glad the sling works for you, really. If it makes you and your baby  happy, more power to you.

The way my baby and I interact makes US happy. He likes sitting in his stroller and taking everything in. I don't see what the big deal is.