Saturday 1 August 2020

Babyminding

My Milton Sterilising Unit. Purchased 1982. Used for feeding equipment for both Liz and Steph. My cousin gave me a second identical one. In the last 25 years they have been my flour storage bins. Steph is borrowing this for George's stuff. Bob and I have been reminiscing about how different it was when our girls were babies.
None of this high tech electronic gear back then! Liz's first bed, a carrycot, was basically a pvc covered cardboard box*. There was a folding chrome frame, with wheels to turn it into a pram. And her buggy was the basic Maclaren Stroller which folded up as small as an umbrella (allegedly Owen M designed it for the benefit of his daughter who wanted to fly home from Canada with her new baby and needed something small and light) Nowadays baby transport seems to comprise of much heavy engineering, complex folding mechanisms and adjustable clips, designed to confuse grandparents.
*There's nothing wrong with babies sleeping in a box - most Finnish babies do, because every new baby gets one FREE from the State and it comes filled with a basic layette. And that has been happening since 1938. Mums have to attend ante-natal classes to qualify. Finland has the lowest infant mortality rate in Europe. Go figure, as they say
George has no idea if he's in a box or a fancy crib, new baby gros or hand-me-downs. But he is warm, safe, secure... and loved. Thank the Lord 


6 comments:

  1. I was fascinated to read about the Finnish "baby box"! What a lovely concept!

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  2. I used to like those foldable pushchairs- they didn't take up half the bus!

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    1. We had a double one as our children were 18 months apart. One of the struts sheered (to be fair we were pushing it across a recently harvested wheat field doing duty as a carpark at a traction engine rally) and it abruptly folded up with the children inside. No it was hurt, but it was a long hot carry back to the car.

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  3. I can't believe the new 'ways-to-bring-up-baby' but I keep my mouth firmly shut! Baby boxes have been introduced in Scotland too. How I wish they'd been around when my two were born!

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  4. Hi, Ang. I'm so glad that you've all been well, and been able to see each other in this strange sequel to Lockdown. Is Steph back in Lockdown now? I remember being stranded in a carpark beacuse I just could not remember how to get the double buggy folded back down into the boot of my car. I could have pushed the two boys back up the hill, but knew that they would be screaming for food before we got there. I had just taken a moment to pray through my tears of frustration when the women who had been my GB captain decades before was suddenly at my shoulder offering help! She put the double buggy whole into the back of her cavernous car and followed my car home. God is good and greater even than baby technology!

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    1. Indeed He is. All the family are well and happy, thank you.

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