Snuggle up!

I recently bought a Snuggli for some friends who are expecting their first child. A Snuggli, for those out of the loop, is a kind of modern day papoose that one straps on one's back or front as the occasion demands, with one's infant contained snugly within. Get it?

I can't say enough about these wonderful contraptions. Forget about attachment parenting. I personally believe parents and children were meant to spend at least a little time apart. Certainly babies were never meant to share the marriage bed with their parents.

But a Snuggi allows you to be close to your infant when you're going about your everyday tasks. Without one, life can be very difficult indeed for new parents. Drained by sleepless nights -- and rendered brittle by excitement and worry, and the adrenaline they produce -- the last thing parents need is to be unable to complete simple tasks due to the need to run to the baby every five seconds.

Snugglis eliminate that problem. Taking out the trash? Why not take junior along? Rinsing out a coffee cup? Junior will thank you one day for including him in this mundane, but endlessly interesting ritual. Walking over to the neighbors for a breath of fresh air, or to borrow a rake? As long as she's glued to your chest, your baby will be happy as a clam in her shell.

Infants are reassured by your beating heart; so similar to the comforts of the recently vacated womb. They benefit from the proximity to your warmth, and are invigorated by the chance to go where the action is. Even tiny newborns are curious creatures. Leave them in one spot too long and boredom will inevitably prompt some cross behavior. Take them along for a "ride" and you'll be amazed at how easily they are pleased and quieted.

I remember with great fondness how close it made me feel to my children. Already I look upon those all too brief days with great nostalgia. There will never be a time in your life when you and your child will be closer. At least not in a literal sense.

So do yourself a favor. Invest in one of these baby backpacks. It may well become your fondest baby accoutrement, out of a long, long list of eventually forgettable, or even unnecessary, baby implements. And do me a favor. Don't tell my wife that I once cut the grass while "wearing" my son, Nathan. He seemed to love it (when he wasn't lulled to sleep by the rhythm of my walking). But I'm not sure she'd appreciate it.

Go To Page: 1 2

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic