photos shared with permission by BWI SoMD members
Babywearing selfies are a fun way to celebrate babywearing. Many of us snap at least one almost every time baby goes up! Though it’s easy to feel a little babywearing-obsessed if you share a bunch of them on social media, I encourage you to share all those selfies on your phone! I know how many are on there. I've seen your selfie folder. Why share all the selfies? Here are six reasons why we love your selfies:
I like seeing what makes up your days! You are doing such an amazing job caring for young kids, so I like seeing pictures of them…but also pictures of you! In your selfies, you almost always look content, happy, and like the great caregiver I know you are. I also am not one of those lucky people who has a partner who likes to take pictures of me without eye rolls, so I know how it is to always be the one behind the camera and never in front of it. Babywearing is one of the times when you and your baby are together and, it looks like, happy. So I totally get why you are in the picture! It’s inspired me to get in the picture as well – with my baby, older kids, husband, or just some awesome scenery in the background. It’s important to be in pictures of everyday life, and your babywearing selfies are a gorgeous depiction of everyday life.
I love your happy selfies - I love seeing you at your best - when you are engaged with your family and making memories - it helps me know that part of you, the most authentic side of you. But I also love your tough day selfies - when baby is sick and only wants to be held, when parenthood is overwhelming and you are hanging on by your fingernails - it reminds me that I'm not alone - that the struggle is shared by all of us. It helps me be more patient with myself and more compassionate of others. It gives me a glimpse of that side we normally hide on social media and it helps me be a little more vulnerable too. The more you share of yourself, the more I feel comfortable sharing of myself and the more we learn and grow together.
2. It’s helped me learn something new about caring for babies.
Seeing how happy babywearing makes both you and your baby is wonderful. I am interested in what you do! I like being able to PM you or comment on a photo to ask a question so that I can either use the knowledge myself or pass along to someone else I think it will be useful for. Your selfies inspire me to try new things that maybe look unusual or difficult at first, but might actually be awesome!
I remember your first babywearing selfie - I remember how unsure you were asking, "Does this look okay?" and worried that the seat wasn't deep enough or that baby wasn't high enough - and now your babywearing selfies are more confident, they are of you hiking, at the zoo or at the beach. You've broken out of the bathroom mirror, wondering if you are doing things right and now you are out in the world on adventures with your kids! I remember your first back wrap selfie - I remember the story you told about how you had to watch the video three times and still mixed the passes up. I look at your rock star wrap job now and I think about the progress you have made! It encourages me to keep learning and keep trying new things too! I love, love the selfie you posted of when your kiddo popped his seat or refused to be wrapped one day. It makes me feel better when my kiddo goes on a wearing strike or my wrap job goes bad because I know that none of us are perfect and my kid is just going through a normal stage.
Once I started allowing myself to get in the picture I found my photos became a lot more candid and a lot more real. By seeing my own face in these pictures I now not only have the means to remember whatever I was trying to capture in the first place, but what I felt that day. One parent often ends up the default family historian, the one to capture the memories and tell the stories - its important to remember that you are a part of that story and one day the kids will appreciate that you are in the picture too.
We can feel it just looking at the photo, the complete contentment of the sleeping baby on your chest, the sense of accomplishment because of all of the things you did while wearing the baby that would have been difficult otherwise, the joy at the silly moments. In the photo, we can see how empowered you are, how amazing and awesome you are at caring for your little one. These days are long, but fleeting. One day that chubby cheeked baby will be a long legged teen. A selfie helps you capture these halcyon moments and I love that you share them.
Keep taking those selfies. I hope you take them long after your child has outgrown babywearing. I want to see selfies for those big moments, first day of kindergarten, graduations, birthdays, but also just those everyday moments. Stay in the picture!
I love your babywearing selfies. They are beautiful. You are beautiful. Your baby is beautiful. The love you have for your baby is beautiful. Keep posting them!