AdventureDad

Earlier  today I took Annika for a walk in the stroller for one of her three daily naps.  It's always damn hot here in Cancun and shade is hard to find so I left her in a nice shady spot outside our condo. Bringing her upstairs was not a good idea since she was then likely to wake up.    I could   observe her every move from our window and be by her side in a few seconds if she woke up.  Since we're staying in a small place there were not many people walking by but the ones that did looked puzzled.  Who had left a baby alone in the carriage?  Would the parents ever come back for her?  They were all walking by and looking up the tinted windows trying to find out if this baby had parents.  It was then it occurred to me, this is standard practice in Sweden but not in every other country.

If you take your baby baby for a walk back home, summer or winter, and enter a cafe or restaurant with the little one sleeping it's almost like people look funny at you.  Why don't you leave the baby outside?  It's not like cafe's don't enjoy parents and their babies, they are welcome everywhere, but leaving the stroller outside is usually better for both parent and child.  Parent gets a well needed break for some food or reading and the baby can continue sleeping safely outside without being woken up. 

During summer it's nice and cool outside and during the cold winters it's not a good idea to bring a a warmly dressed baby inside for an hour long nap.  For people not accustomed to cold it must sound weird to leave a baby outside when it's -5 C (25 F).  Doesn't the baby freeze to death?  Not at all. 

Our kids usually wear warm breathable Goretex clothing early on and  most also place them inside a little "sleeping bag" which  keeps them warm and cozy in the stroller regardless of how cold it gets. Trust me, the kids love to sleep in  cold weather. That fresh air is great is continuously confirmed since  children are very healthy.  Bringing a winter dressed baby to room temperature without unzipping and undressing is a bad idea in the long run.  The baby will be uncomfortable, sweat, probably wake up, and maybe get sick while entering the cold weather again.  

We don't leave out babies a block away on a busy street full of crime.  But if it's something the boring Swedes are great at it's safety. It's just that Sweden is very safe and it's a challenge to find unsafe environments.  Busy streets with lots of traffic and pedestrians are never a good choice  and neither are places where you can't see the baby clearly.  But it's almost like most places are custom made for a parent. 

Huge sidewalk or park outside, no traffic, few pedestrians, little noise, and glass windows to make sure our little ones are doing alright.  They are just a few steps away in case they wake up and need assistance.  It's really funny to look at any restaurant around lunch time.  There are always a number of strollers with sleeping babies parked outside. That's what happens when a society give parent the opportunity of parental leave.

Back to Mexico.  I wasn't really thinking of this but I realize most Americans and Mexicans aren't used to this kind of environments.  Many are probably not even used to walking countless miles with their babies on a daily basis.  Especially not the Mexicans where few have anything but a cheap umbrella stroller and anyone finding more than a block of sidewalk that doesn't require jumping deserves the Nobel Prize.  Sidewalks is high up on my list over things I miss over here.  They suck everywhere and it's a huge challenge to take my kids for a walk.

The safety issue if probably what's stopping most parents from outside stroller parking.  During our many years in NYC we always felt very safe.  Does that mean I would leave my baby sleeping in a stroller while I entered a cafe, had a snack, and checked some email on my laptop?  Not a chance.  But it's a different environment and one must go with gut instincts.  Besides, I seem to remember some Danish woman getting arrested over this many years ago.  She told the police people were always doing this back home in Denmark but that didn't stop charges of child neglect or something similar.   I must say that leaving a baby outside any place in NYC is not a smart thing to do.  

Restaurants and cafe's are not the only places where we can leave the baby unattended but still within close range.  My gym doesn't provide child care while I work out but there is a designated place by the front desk for stroller parking.  It works great.  During the weekends I take Annika for a walk wearing my gym gear.   The gym is only a couple of minutes walking from our place so by the time I get there she's usually asleep.

People at front desk are really nice and watch the baby while I hit the weights.  As soon as she wakes up they come and get me. Sometimes they even offer to carry her for a while so I can finish my workout.  If she wakes up early I can always bring her along for a little while, as long as she's not bothering anyone.  Since she's going from cold weather to room temperature I dress her in clothing which is easy to unzip without waking her up.  And she doesn't really have time to get very warm anyway during our short walk.  Keeping in shape with two kids takes a little work but it's possible…….

Traveling is such a great way of learning traditions and habits.  It's one thing to read about it but another to go through the experience personally.  The only way of doing this is to spend time in other contries and cultures.  Preferably by living there for a live.  I'm really blessed to have been able to see so many different things during my short life.  Hopefully I will continue doing this with my children for many years to come.

Categories: Annika, Travel
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