A great hip carry with a stretchy wrap. This carry has many names! Robin’s or Robyn’s, adjustable, long hip carry, hot-dog hip carry, looped…. It is very easy to breastfeed in this carry if you wear the right top. Here a 21 months old toddler.
A little play with ring slings for a variation on a double hammock front carry.
This carry allows to keep baby’s hips opening to a minimum, rather than risking overspreading in a cross. It is very comfortable too. I find a pre-tie impossible to achieve properly with a stretchy wrap that only stretches in one direction.
A simple video showing how to do a flat reef knot with a wrap, in front and behind.
When I founded Slingababy, it was very important to me that I would find a new way of living, a way that embraced my family life as well as my passion for my job.
One thing that I always tell the Slingababy consultants is that there are many shapes and sizes for our businesses. Some people are committed to making a full-time job out of their consultancy and are looking for a full-time income to match their dedication and some have more of a volunteer approach to their work, and then there are all the shades in between. I also say to them, and I will tell you also, that if you resent an aspect of what you do, you need to tweak it until you are happy.
Pancake day at Slingababy HQ
For me, the quest for the perfect work-life balance has led me to some very clear boundaries after a lot of trial and error. I used to answer emails, messages, queries, questions in groups as soon as they were pinging. Quite often, I was in the middle of spending some quality time with my son. This time was far from quality when I look back. What I also found is that my answers were not of the quality I wanted either. By doing everything all the time, I was doing a terrible job of everything! I also felt that I never had a break.
So what did I do? I created some rules for myself!
A typical fortnight looks like this:
Week 1
Week 2
Standing desk for all the admin
Admin work is varied and includes: answering queries from prospective customers, booking customers and previous customers, networking, improving services, marketing, accounting, branding, learning, research and development, blogging, web designing, juggling the diary, coordinating consultants and Slingababy team, supporting, reaching out to the community…… The to-do list is a bottomless one!
This means that non-urgent emails may have to wait a whole 7 days to get a reply. It also means that the sacrifices my family is making so I can follow my calling have the reward of dedicated quality time. Whilst I work with all my heart, I also play with all my heart. We just make sure not to overlap both activities. We also plan regular trips to visit family or recharge our batteries camping.
How do you handle your work-life balance?
Back Wrap Cross Carry (BWCC) Tibetan Finish. An easy way to tighten a back wrap cross carry. Here with a 17 months old, a Didymos Geckos Tanami size 4 (should have used a 5).
A simple video showcasing a rucksack and its reinforced version with a 20 month old toddler. 2 different possible ways to tie: in front or Tibetan. The tightening here is obtained thanks to a folding technique rather than the classic strand by strand.
An easy front carry, where you can pop baby in and out and adjust easily. Great for breastfeeding too. Here with a 19 months old toddler.
A great hip carry if you have a long wrap too. This carry has many names! Robin’s or Robyn’s, adjustable, long hip carry, hot-dog hip carry, looped…. It is very easy to breastfeed in this carry. Here a 17 months old baby.
Back double hammock with a spread chest pass using a secure hip scoot with Alice 9.5 months old. This carry tends to sit in the middle of the back if the chest pass is spread.The hip scoot technique is usable from when the hip opening of the baby is wide enough for their legs to spread around your side.