Best Seat Challenge for International Babywearing Week 2016!
![Best Seat Challenge for International Babywearing Week 2016! [Image is a graphic with text. At the top, quote, hashtag best seat challenge, end quote. In the middle, quote, Day 1, Seat fundamentals, front. Day 2, Seat fundamentals, back. Day 3, Carries with a deep seat. Day 4, Carries with a shallow seat. Day 5, “Seatless” methods. Day 6, “Hammocked” seats, end quote. In the lower left corner is the International Babywearing Week logo, a circle that reads across the top, quote, International Babywearing Week 2016, end quote and inside the circle, quote, Best Seat in the House, end quote. The logo contains a stylized image of a brown-skin baby facing out in a generic sling with three colored stripes. To the right of the logo is text that reads, quote, With the Babywearing Challenge Facebook group, end quote.]](/uploads/8/1/7/3/81735352/20160928-115542_orig.jpg)
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Starting Wednesday, October 5th, it’s the Best Seat Challenge for International Babywearing Week 2016!! The theme of this year's IBW celebration is “Best Seat in the House” so we’re focusing this challenge on SEATS!
This challenge will work a little differently than our usual challenges. Each day we’ll have a prompt and YOU get to pick the carry that best fulfills the prompt for you. We’ll have ideas and topics for discussion each morning to get you going for that day. Join via the Babywearing Challenge group on Facebook or share photos on Instagram with the #bestseatchallenge tag! |
Day One: Seat fundamentals, front
![Day 1 of the Best Seat Challenge #bestseatchallenge [Image is a graphic with photo and text. The text at the top is, quote, hashtag best seat challenge, end quote. Next to it, text also reads, quote, IBW 2016, end quote. In the center of the image is text, quote, Day 1, Seat fundamentals, front, end quote. Below the text are two images of front carry seats. The image on the left has text under it, quote, ring sling, end quote. The text under the image at right is, quote, F W C C, end quote.]](/uploads/8/1/7/3/81735352/bestseatday1_1_orig.png)
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Today our focus is front seat fundamentals to kick off the start of International Babywearing Week 2016! Tutorials are linked below to help explain ideal seats and there's also a gallery with some info graphics about optimal seats for babywearing. Throughout the videos and graphics you’ll find themes reinforced for optimal seats: a seat is a lot like sitting on the edge of a hammock as fabric is taut between baby’s knees, it lifts the knees higher than bum (M position), and it creates a tilt to the pelvis that is optimal for baby’s comfort and development. While the fabric does reach from one of baby’s knees to the other, it doesn’t not extend any further so that baby can move freely from the knee.
While many find that tucking the fabric up high between them and baby helps to maintain the seat while tightening, it is not necessary for a finished seat. Any excess bunching that was tucked up should come out when tightening so that the fabric forms a straight and taut line from knee to knee. Please feel free to post any photos throughout IBW 2016 that demonstrate a great seat in a front carry for you! Use the Babywearing Challenge group on Facebook or share photos on Instagram with #bestseatchallenge and #bestseatibw2016! Video tutorials:
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Day Two: Seat fundamentals, back
![Day 2 of the Best Seat Challenge #bestseatchallenge [Image is a graphic with photo and text. The text at the top is, quote, hashtag best seat challenge, end quote. Next to it, text also reads, quote, IBW 2016, end quote. In the center of the image is text, quote, Day 2, Seat fundamentals, back, end quote. Below the text are two images of back carry seats.]](/uploads/8/1/7/3/81735352/bestseatday2_orig.png)
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We have a couple more video tutorials for today, this time focusing on the fundamentals of good seats in a back carry. Mechanically, back carry seats need the same things as in the front: fabric forms a straight line between baby’s knees, knees are higher than bum, and baby’s pelvis tilts forward. What the focus is in back carries is HOW to make the seat - reaching UNDER baby’s knees and pulling fabric down smooth over baby’s back are two consistent key points.
Again like with front carries, there may be a need to tuck excess fabric between you and baby while making the seat. While tightening, make sure to get out all the slack (it will find you later if you don’t!) and finish up the seat with a taut bottom rail between baby’s knees. Please feel free to post any photos throughout IBW 2016 that demonstrate a great seat in a front carry for you! Use the Babywearing Challenge group on Facebook or share photos on Instagram with #bestseatchallenge and #bestseatibw2016! Video Tutorials:
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Day Three: Carries with a deep seat
![Day 3 of the Best Seat Challenge #bestseatchallenge [Image is a graphic with photo and text. The text at the top is, quote, hashtag best seat challenge, end quote. Next to it, text also reads, quote, IBW 2016, end quote. In the center of the image is text, quote, Day 3, Carries with a deep seat, end quote. Below the text are two images. The left image is of a torso back carry and under the image the text states, quote, Torso, end quote. The right image is of a Poppin’s front carry and under the image the text states, quote, Poppin’s, end quote.]](/uploads/8/1/7/3/81735352/bestseatchallengeday3_orig.png)
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Now that we've spent a couple days on fundamentals, let's move into the big variable in seats: do you prefer a very deep seat? What are some of the advantages of a deep seat for you? Are there disadvantages? Do you feel that a deep seat helps prevent seat-popping? Is a deep seat helpful in carries that do not have a cross pass?
What carries lend themselves to a deeper seat? Some carries we find to work well with a pretty deep seat are…
Please feel free to post any photos throughout IBW 2016 that demonstrate a great seat in a front carry for you! Use the Babywearing Challenge group on Facebook or share photos on Instagram with #bestseatchallenge and #bestseatibw2016! |
Day Four: Carries with a shallow seat
![Day 4 of the Best Seat Challenge #bestseatchallenge [Image is a graphic with photo and text. The text at the top is, quote, hashtag best seat challenge, end quote. Next to it, text also reads, quote, IBW 2016, end quote. In the center of the image is text, quote, Day 4, Carries with a shallow seat, end quote. Below the text are two images. The left image is of a hip kangaroo carry and under the image the text states, quote, Hip Kangaroo, end quote. The right image is of a front wrap cross carry and under the image the text states, quote, FWCC, end quote.]](/uploads/8/1/7/3/81735352/bestseatchallengeday4_orig.png)
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If you’ve wrapped your current wrappee from newborn to toddler, has your seat become more shallow over time? Stayed the same? What are some of the advantages or disadvantages of a shallow seat? Do carries with cross passes lend themselves to more shallow seats?
Some of our favorite carries that lend themselves to a more shallow seat are…
Please feel free to post any photos throughout IBW 2016 that demonstrate a great seat in a front carry for you! Use the Babywearing Challenge group on Facebook or share photos on Instagram with #bestseatchallenge and #bestseatibw2016! |
Day Five: "Seatless" methods
![Day 5 of the Best Seat Challenge #bestseatchallenge [Image is a graphic with photo and text. The text at the top is, quote, hashtag best seat challenge, end quote. Next to it, text also reads, quote, IBW 2016, end quote. In the center of the image is text, quote, Day 5, Seatless methods, end quote. Below the text are two images. The left image is of a double hammock and under the image the text states, quote, double hammock, end quote. The right image is of a ruck tied in front and under the image the text states, quote, ruck, end quote.]](/uploads/8/1/7/3/81735352/bestseatchallenge-day5_orig.png)
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What is a seatless carry?? It’s one where a traditional “seat” for a back carry isn’t made right at the beginning of the wrap job but rather the seat forms itself as the carry is being tied on.
This might be better explained in video…
Please feel free to post any photos throughout IBW 2016 that demonstrate a great seat in a front carry for you! Use the Babywearing Challenge group on Facebook or share photos on Instagram with #bestseatchallenge and #bestseatibw2016! |
Day Six: "Hammocked" seats
![Day 6 of the Best Seat Challenge #bestseatchallenge [Image is a graphic with photo and text. The text at the top is, quote, hashtag best seat challenge, end quote. Next to it, text also reads, quote, IBW 2016, end quote. In the center of the image is text, quote, Day 6, Hammocked seats, end quote. Below the text are two images. The left image is of a half Jordan's back carry with a hammock pass and under the image the text states, quote, Half Jordan's, end quote. The right image is of a Miriam’s cross carry and under the image the text states, quote, Miriam’s Cross Carry, end quote.]](/uploads/8/1/7/3/81735352/bestseatchallengeday6_orig.png)
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A “hammocked” pass is a cross pass that is brought between the wearer and the child. When doing a hammocked pass, the rails are switched so the old bottom rail becomes the new top rail. This is easy to see on wraps that have different colored rails or have a right and wrong side.
A hammocked cross pass can create a more symmetrical feeling carry and helps prevent seat popping more than a regular cross pass. A hammocked pass can be done whenever a cross pass or even a reinforcing pass is done. Video Tutorials:
Please feel free to post any photos throughout IBW 2016 that demonstrate a great seat in a front carry for you! Use the Babywearing Challenge group on Facebook or share photos on Instagram with #bestseatchallenge and #bestseatibw2016! |
Thank you so much for participating in the challenge with us!!