Beginnings

Life has been really busy since moving to Florida. I cannot believe it has been months since my last post! My life in Florida has been a series of new beginnings. My daughter began kindergarten. My son began attending a new daycare. We began living in a new apartment. I began hanging out with new friends - especially new babywearing friends (includng my cousin, pictured below).

One of the things that has kept me the most busy is my teaching at the University of North Florida. This semester, I'm teaching three classes with a new-to-me curriculum. This new beginning has taken up a lot of my time and mental energy.

As an instructor, I often bring my life into the classroom. In particular, I often get the chance to bring my babywearing life into the classroom, both indirectly and directly. Indirectly, this semester I have used my babywearing as an example of belonging in a discourse community and I have formulated sample inquiry questions related to the study of babywearing practices.

Directly, I have introduced babywearing to my students by wearing my son to class when he was sick. This has impacted my classroom in a few ways.

First, I become a "real" person when I bring my life into the classroom. I have a life outside of class and when students realize this they become a little more forgiving and kind. They ask about my kids and that opens the door for me asking about their lives and they become more open to talking in class, which means they participate more fully in class discussions. My babywearing begins conversation.

Second, my students tell me how my babywearing inspires them to consider babywearing with their children in the future. And that's a huge win, I think! The seeds are planted for future babywearers - males and females. My students have asked questions about how to babywear, where to get information on babywearing, and where to buy carriers. My babywearing begins practices.

This picture was taken by a student.

Finally, my students have been inspired to write about babywearing - or a topic related to babywearing and attachment parenting. One student is even doing her analysis of a discourse community on the community of babywearers! My babywearing begins discourse.

The student who is writing about babywearing asked me a number of questions about beginnings, such as:
- How do people get involved in babywearing?
- How did you get involved in babywearing?
- When did you begin babywearing?
- When did you start getting involved in chatter groups?
- When did you begin your blog?
- Why did you begin the babywearing group in Bloomington?

Everything has its beginning. We all come to babywearing in many different ways. We enter into the conversations at different points. Sometimes we enter a chatter group after everyone has group lingo and inside jokes. Sometimes we enter a chatter group as it just begins and we are part of creating the group lingo and inside jokes. For example, I have been very involved in the beginnings of Bijou Wear. I joined the chatter group when it began. I own two of the first Bijou releases. And I volunteered at Bijou's MommyCon debut. These beginnings have shaped my role in the babywearing community.

We all have stories of beginnings. For me, it is exciting - and perhaps intimidating - to know that I am the catalyst for many people's "beginning" in the babywearing world. I hope that every single interaction I have that brings someone into this world is a positive and encouraging one. Because babywearing is meant to be positive and encouraging and loving.

How are you a catalyst for people's "beginning" in this exciting world of babywearing?