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I don’t personally look to the Kardashians for parenting advice, nor do I consider Kourtney Kardashian to be a role model mother. I do, however, acknowledge that this family is in the public eye and Kourtney has made her mothering choices (some of which I’m on board with) very public. One of these choices that I practice myself is baby wearing.
Unfortunately for her, and for the mothers who look up to her, Kourtney’s recent Twitter picture shows her committing a couple of baby wearing sins that should be exposed in order to keep her baby, and other mothers’ babies, safe while being worn.
In general, baby wearing is a safe and beneficial practice. Mothers, fathers, and other adult caregivers can benefit from the calming effect a baby carrier has on an infant while having one or both hands free to accomplish other tasks. I wear both of my girls every day and, with two babies under two years of age, I couldn’t live without my baby carriers. From walking the dog to putting clean laundry away, wearing one of my girls allows me to live life more freely and allows them to be involved in my activities, soothed by my smell and heartbeat.
However, in order to keep them safe there are activities I do not indulge in while wearing my babies and ways in which I do not wear them for the same reason. Kourtney Kardashian breaks two big baby-wearing rules and I just can’t let that go!
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First of all, poor Penelope is sagging in Kourtney’s pouch carrier and is down around her mama’s middle! One of the first rules of baby wearing is you want to always be able to monitor your baby’s respirations. How is Kourtney able to make sure her baby is breathing all the way down there?
Secondly, Kourtney is cooking! At the stove! Which is hot! The only type of food prep that is safe while wearing a baby is pouring cereal and milk in a bowl. That’s pretty much it. No heat, no knives, nothing that splatters. A baby is an independent little being, no matter how young, and can move her body freely and in unexpected ways. There has been many a time when I’ve been wearing one of my little ladies and she stretched out an arm or leg just in time for me to knock it into a doorway while passing through. I cannot imagine the guilt I would feel if a little foot reached out and brushed up against a hot stove.
Baby wearing is truly a great tool for moms, Kourtney Kardashian included. I only hope that she can learn some safer ways to use her baby carrier so that she’s not jeopardizing Penelope and setting a bad example for mothers who follow her lead.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3cnkstJgIQ[/youtube]
