Slings

By Joylyn Fowler
Web Exclusive

"Sling, mommy, sling." Every day I hear these words. I couldn't live without my sling, and neither could my toddler. With the sling, I am empowered to be a mommy and still do all the things one must do: prepare a meal and then eat it, read email and respond, write on the computer, and do all the other little things that moms need to do daily using both hands. My slings go everywhere with me. I have three of them, one is simply not enough. My husband also has one. It is not only larger than mine, fitting his large frame, but is also a blue pinstripe and very masculine. Slings are designed to carry a baby or toddler, but unlike most other baby items, they have many other uses.

For one, slings make excellent blankets. I'll never forget one night on the beach with my parents, when my mother, cold and without a jacket, wrapped my sling around her shoulders. It felt good to know that this item I used for my baby was helping my mother, who has always been there for me. The sling has warmed many children as well, warming them in the car, when sleeping in a stroller, or even in someone's arms. I've used it myself when my child was not in the sling. However, two people together are always warmer than two apart, and when the sling is being used as designed, holding my child, we keep each other warm.

The cloth of the sling can do more than warm the body. I'll never forget when my four-year-old fell asleep on a long car ride. Her poor little head kept falling forward, her upper body jerking sideways with every lurch of the car. I pulled out the sling and wrapped it around her and her seat, nestling her head within the padded sides. With the pillow on one side, she was comfortably sleeping, no more falling or jerking. And while the night wasn't very cold, and she was in the warmth of the car, the comfort of the well-loved sling helped her to sleep even more peacefully.

On hot days, as well as cold days, slings come in handy. My children have both learned that they can use the sling to protect their eyes from the sun in the car. The sling is heavy enough to block out the sun but not so heavy that it makes them too hot. It is the perfect size to spread out over the stroller, protecting the occupant from both the sun and from strangers peering in at them. For a small baby, the cushioned sides of the sling make it perfect for propping up around the baby in a car seat or stroller, protecting it from the sun but leaving the face and mouth clear.

Slings are not made of thin fabric, and it's a good thing too! A sling can protect your child from places you don't want their bare bum sitting upon. Yes, I'm talking about those changing tables. And while I am so thankful that so many more businesses are installing diaper-changing stations, that wonderful container of "towels" provided for you to lay the child down on is almost always empty. Even if it were not empty, I'd rather place my child on the comfort of a sling, with the pillow under their head, then use the thin paper provided. When there is no changing table available, the sling is an instant one. I've placed it on booths in restaurants, on counter tops in bathrooms, on the grass in parks, and on benches in the mall. Not wishing to put my child's bare bottom directly on a surface that might not be clean, the sling is the perfect answer. Keeping the side of the fabric that is normally next to my child facing up, I can diaper without worry. And if one of those inevitable accidents happens before I can get the dry diaper under my baby, then it's not a worry--I just throw the sling into the washing machine when I get home.

It is a good thing the sling is washable, for it has sat under many clothed bottoms as well, including my own. It has marked our place for a parade, children have eaten snacks at the park on it, and has been placed on a car seat after a spill, keeping the unfortunate occupant dry even when the seat is wet. I've also been known to put the sling to other, less noble tasks, such as wiping a runny nose, drying a few tears, cleaning up spilled juice. Just last week my poor sling was the recipient of a sick child's tummy contents. Better than using mommy's shirt!

Speaking of mommy's shirt, the sling protects others from seeing the chocolate fingerprints, the ketchup stains, or the results of the diaper that leaked. The child doesn't have to be in the sling for the mother to wear it. And when the child is not in the sling, the little pocket that the folds create make a perfect resting place for other things-a sippy cup of juice or a bottle of water, mommy's keys and sunglasses, a camera, a baby doll or a toy car. Sometimes all of these, and more, are stored in my "empty" sling. And as long those important items are in the sling, you know they are safe, next to you, and can't be stolen.

The sling is safe, although some new sling owners have a difficult time using it in the beginning. It takes time, and practice, to realize you don't have to hold your baby to keep them safely in the sling. Of course, that doesn't mean you can't hold your baby. If my hands are free, not doing dishes or folding laundry, then my arms are around the child in my sling, even though I know I don't have to hold on. After five years, I can take my toddler and swing her and the sling to my back, freeing both hands and arms to carry a tray of food, or another child, or do any multitudes of other tasks. This does take practice, though. I tell new moms to use the sling 20 minutes a day for six weeks, and by the end of that time, you'll never want to be without it.