Alright guys, I’ve got to tell you a secret. Visiting your local group, taking a class, or buying a consult from your local babywearing educator beats watching a YouTube video any day. It’s the number one thing I hear when I teach classes:
“I keep playing the video, hitting pause, and then trying the steps, but I get confused.”
“I have watched about a million videos, and I don’t know which carry to do!”
“My baby gets impatient when I’m trying a new carry. Even though I hand him puffs so I can watch the video and follow along, he doesn’t let me practice for long.”
Here’s the deal. With a YouTube video, I’ve got about 3.5 minutes to teach you to do a carry. My YouTube analytics tell me that even if I make a video 10 minutes long, you’ll watch about 3.5 minutes of it. In three minutes, I can’t give you every single tip or tweak that an educator would teach you in person. When I’m making a video, I think of the top tips that most people end up needing and include those. I have to talk kind of fast to get it all into the video.
A YouTube video is one way communication and really limited. You can watch what I did, but you can’t ask me to turn a different direction so you can see something better, or to redo something that was confusing. You can’t ask me if the carry you’re watching is even the right carry for what you’re trying to accomplish. I can’t tell you how many people say that they’re having trouble with a their first woven wrap carry and it turns out they are trying to learn the hardest carry out there rather than the easiest carry.
In a class, you’re right there. Your local educator can see exactly what part of the carry is giving you trouble and give you the tips that are specific to you. You can ask questions or ask for clarification if you didn’t understand something. I try really hard to answer every single question and comment that comes into my YouTube Channel, but a text answer a few days after you try the carry isn’t nearly as helpful as a face to face answer from a babywearing educator while you’re wrapping the carry.
In a class, an educator can see really easily how your baby is responding to the carry and can adapt the carry to your exact needs, giving you the perfect tips for your baby’s particular type of wiggling. Is your baby leaning? Trying to leg straighten? In person, an educator can go over tricks for preventing leg straightening while wrapping or for making your carry lean proof that will be helpful with your baby.
And best of all, classes and babywearing groups are more than 3 minutes long. 🙂 In most babywearing classes, consults, or groups, you typically wrap a carry together a few times. This gives you enough repetitions to really master a carry so that you can do it confidently on your own.
Your local educator might also have weighted dolls. These are amazing especially for learning to back carries because they don’t wiggle, or cry in your ear, or complain while you’re taking your time to learn the motions of the carry. Once you’ve got the motions down and you can do the carry quickly and confidently, you try the carry with your baby.
Trying a new carry in a class with an educator will go so much better than trying it alone at home. Here’s why:
Number 1: The educator can help keep your baby happy! Your baby is learning a new skill too! Your local educator can help make the process enjoyable for your baby by handing baby whatever snack or toy you’ve brought along with you. A few smiles and chatting with baby will keep baby happy so you can focus on learning rather than worrying about baby being upset.
Number 2: The educator can spot you. You can feel confident that even if your baby is wiggly and you’re doing your first back carry, your baby is completely safe.
Number 3: If you forget a step or the seat of your carry is coming out or something, your educator can let you know and help you fix it right there. There’s no need to post a pic somewhere and get advice a few hours later from someone on an online group. You can get help in real time and solve the problem you’re having right then and there.
Videos are great for a quick tune-up, but they are not the easiest way to learn a new babywearing skill. Taking a babywearing class, visiting a babywearing group, or doing a babywearing consult is fun and you’ll have the time to really master the skill you’re trying to learn!
Your local consultant or babywearing group can give you really awesome help in person. I have a handy list of local groups and educators that you can use to find someone close to you. Go look up your local educator! Attend a group, book a consult, or take a class. You won’t regret it!