While in Ireland, I snapped a picture of something I haven't seen in Indiana... Infant seats that are built into shopping carts!

It got me thinking about shopping cart safety with infants. Are these carts I saw in Ireland a better solution?

If we had infant seats built-in to carts, people wouldn't be as tempted to put car seats on top of carts (which can be really unsafe because a if the cart tips can easily the car seat to slide off and injure a baby).

Currently the safe options we have around Indianapolis are:

1) Putting the car seat in the main part of the cart
(which doesn't leave much space for a lot of groceries)

2) Pushing a baby in a stroller and collecting groceries in a hand held basket, or a pushing BOTH a stroller and a grocery cart
(which can be a lot to juggle).

3) Wearing a baby in a sling or carrier while pushing a cart
(which to be seems to be the most convenient option, although it does take more work in the parking lot to move a baby from a car seat to a carrier and back).

What do you think? What is the best way you've found to shop for groceries with your babies and kids? Do you think built-in infant seats would be a safer option? I would love to hear your thoughts!

ps. Here's an article about car-seat safety with shopping carts in case you want to read more.

Today I'll share one of the fun baby products that I saw during my adventures in Europe.

The family I stayed with in the Netherlands had one of these chairs at their kitchen table. I later saw it in a magazine in a baby store, and learned that the "Tripp Trapp Chair" works for babies, toddlers, and older kids. My host even sat in it sometimes during our conversations around the table, so it's a chair that works for adults too!

It's a little pricier than other high-chairs, but... since it can grow with your child, you can get many years out of it! Plus it's a little more stylish too, and you can find a color that works with your house!

If you're looking for a great high chair to register for, this could be a fun option!

Happy shopping!

Hello all! As some of you may know, I just got back from 2 weeks of traveling in Europe! While I was there, I enjoyed picking up some tips and observations about moms, babies, and families that I would like to share with you.

It was so interesting to compare different cultures and how they do things differently or the same. I have 3 reflections to share today.

1. Moms in the Netherlands compare themselves to each other, just like moms in the US.
 
I had an interesting conversation with my host in The Netherlands about raising kids. (I'll call my host N and her daughter F for their privacy). N mentioned that it can be really tough to be a mom in her area because people are always comparing each other about different ways to do things. There's a lot of judgment about the best way to do it. (Sound familiar?)

She said some moms in her community are really protective, but N likes to let her daughter (who is 10 years old) ride her bike to school because it gives it gives F confidence! 

What area do you feel like you’re comparing yourself to others? And what areas do you feel like others are judging you?


2. Breastfeeding seems to be a little more accepted in the Netherlands than the US. 

About breastfeeding, N mentioned that it's common to see people nursing in public in her community. "What's the big deal if you see a nipple for a second. They're feeding a baby!"

I would love for breastfeeding to be more normal to see as people in our Indianapolis community. Often moms feel like they need to pump and give a baby a bottle when they’re out or go into a separate room. What would it be like if people could just feed their babies without worry or shame?


3. Breastfeeding vs formula feeding can be a touchy subject in the Netherlands, just like in the U.S.  

N decided to give her daughter formula when she was a few days old because F was losing too much weight in the early days. She didn’t want to stop breastfeeding completely because she wanted her daughter to experience different flavors from her milk, rather than just the same flavor all the time that formula has. But for her, the right choice was both breastfeeding and formula feeding. Even though her daughter is now 10 years old, you can tell that it still bothered her a little.

I think this is a good point, that I see in the U.S. too. I am an advocate for making breastfeeding easier, but I don't want to judge anyone who uses formula.

I think it's hard to balance being positive towards breastfeeding without being negative towards moms and families who use formula to feed their babies.

It is a balance I will continue to strive towards. If you have any thoughts about how we, as a culture and a community in Indianapolis, can do this better, please comment. I would love to hear your thoughts!

That's my first round of reflections from the Netherlands. Stay tuned for more reflections as well as lighter topics like fun products that I ran into along the way (European strollers, high chairs, toys, etc).