Babywearing cottage industry in trouble because of poor designs....

Poor infant carrier designs by Major Manufactures parents trusted because of the Manufacturer.
This morning I was on my favorite parenting message board, Triangle mommies and came across a CPSC press release.  I first reacted with anger. When my DS was little I wore in two slings, one i made myself and I bought from a reputable sling manufacturer, Kangaroo Korner.  I remember researching slings and made a conscious decision to stay away from pack carriers like the Bjorn and "bag slings" I thought both might pose a safety risk to my then small infant.
My experience in the baby wearing community was one where Work at Home Moms and Large scale sling producers had their own standard.  There were certain materials that were part of the standard, including Heavy Steel Rings, Heavy Nylon rings, Sewing and surging standards.  These were primarily set by the manufactures who took pride in thier work and wanted repeat customers and recommendations. Their goals were not entirely bassed on profit.
  Things that were avoided were massed produced slings and pack carriers.  That included the recently recalled "Infantino Bag Sling." Across the web where baby wearing was discussed I cannot count the times that people were warned of overly massed produced baby carriers.  The reasons were often because of construction that might uncomfortable for parents, or dangers to the baby being carried.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a statement demanding there be standards for these products.  That's fine but when the product in question has been recalled numerous times, not from WAHM or other sling/carrier producers but from a single manufacture I feel like, as do many other baby wearing parents, the baby has been thrown out with the bath water. 
Furthermore the CPSC is also issued a warning to parents of premature infants. Its been long known that Kangaroo care or baby wearing is extremely important in the development of these infants.  Parents of Preemies often relied on WAHM slings to carry out the prescribed Kangaroo care.  I feel like the CPSC has again gone to far in their warning and should be warning parents of specific sling designs, not just slings and baby wearing entirely.

Sling Manufactures have come against the Warning, read about it here.
http://indianapolis.momslikeme.com/members/JournalActions.aspx?g=246852&m=10754812&source=stream_rail

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 12, 2010
Release #10-165

CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

Infant Deaths Prompt CPSC Warning About Sling Carriers for Babies

WASHINGTON, D.C.- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is advising parents and caregivers to be cautious when using infant slings for babies younger than four months of age. In researching incident reports from the past 20 years, CPSC identified and is investigating at least 14 deaths associated with sling-style infant carriers, including three in 2009. Twelve of the deaths involved babies younger than four months of age.

Slings can pose two different types of suffocation hazards to babies. In the first few months of life, babies cannot control their heads because of weak neck muscles. The sling's fabric can press against an infant's nose and mouth, blocking the baby's breathing and rapidly suffocating a baby within a minute or two. Additionally, where a sling keeps the infant in a curled position bending the chin toward the chest, the airways can be restricted, limiting the oxygen supply. The baby will not be able to cry for help and can slowly suffocate.

Many of the babies who died in slings were either a low birth weight twin, were born prematurely, or had breathing issues such as a cold. Therefore, CPSC urges parents of preemies, twins, babies in fragile health and those with low weight to use extra care and consult their pediatricians about using slings.

Two months ago, the Commission added slings to the list of durable infant products that require a mandatory standard. Additionally, CPSC staff is actively investigating these products to determine what additional action may be appropriate. Until a mandatory standard is developed, CPSC is working with ASTM International to quickly complete an effective voluntary standard for infant sling carriers.

CPSC recommends that parents and caregivers make sure the infant's face is not covered and is visible at all times to the sling's wearer. If nursing the baby in a sling, change the baby's position after feeding so the baby's head is facing up and is clear of the sling and the mother's body. Parents and caregivers should be vigilant about frequently checking their baby in a sling.

CPSC is interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are directly related to infant slings. You can do this by visiting www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx or call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772.

My Beginning to a Consensual Living Life.

So I took an adventure with sticker charts and the results...drum roll please.

They didn't work. Well they did and didn't. My DS would go to sleep in his own room and my step kids would clean up their messes. On the other hand my DS would still cry for me because he doesn't like the dark and my step kids resented me for laying down the law. So in all reality I got some behavior I wanted from my kids and a whole lot more less respect than I had wished for from my kids.

Yet truly I came to the conclusion I don't want anything getting in the way of us building a relationship. Something as positive as a sticker chart can get in the way when it becomes negative. The negative being they didn't earn the sticker if they didn't hold up their end of the bargain.

For weeks into the my sticker charting adventure it came to light the problems with the method. I did have some preconcieved notions but they were more about the process being demeaning rather than what really happened in my case.

SO again I found myself at square one, how can I get my needs met (Not my wants) and the kids get what they need met without any punishment. How can I communicate my needs to the kids so they understand how I feel?

There other half of that is the reality I don't want to parent my step kids. Now before the reader starts assuming I don't care about them let me say this. I am not their mother, they have a mother and father. I feel like my place isn't to be a mom. That doesn't mean I don't care about them, I want our relationship to be different. I don't want a similar relationship with my step kids have with their mother. Believe me, they don't want that either!! What I want to be in my step kids lives is another adult who can guide them...rather than someone who constantly disciplining ect. Maybe a shoulder to cry on or someone who can work out a problem for math class. So how on Earth can I accomplish this. I began to research and I found what seems like a perfect solution. I will get to that solution in a minute.

There's also the case of my DS who brought me to the idea of sticker charting. His sticker chart over the summer grew and grew from just three things he was responsible for doing, to 5 things before I decided to toss it away. I realize my DS is four and yearning to just be a kid. I also realized that the sticker chart and time outs weren't working fr him. IF they were he would have actually stopped hitting and stopped getting out of bed. I have had to revamp how I live with him as well. I know why he hits and I know why he doesn't like to stay in bed. He has told me time and time again. I think its time I listened and respected what he's going through.

So I decided to start researching Gentle Discipline all over again. I found the concept of consensual living. I have hit around this idea for sometime for living iwth my DS, but I did't know it had a name. I also don't know anyone who actually uses this concept in the real world.

What I do know is that it takes the parents creating a loving enviroment with lots of love and respect for the childern. Then it takes some undestanding of basic communication skills. This is an area I am going to have to work on, esspecially when it coems to my step kids. Lucky for them I have plenty of time to practice with my DS.

So off to a reward free, punishment free life with my son. http://www.consensual-living.com/