Enjoy the Ride: Dad at the Zoo

When some friends came to town over the weekend, we were excited to learn that they wanted to head to the zoo. It’s one of my family’s favorite places because there seems to be an attraction for everyone. Whether it’s the monkey habitat, the dolphin show, or the thrilling new bug invasion, there’s always something exciting to see. But finding our way to all those exhibits includes a whole heap of walking – enough to tire out any little munchkin.

In planning out our trip, I already knew I wanted to bring our double stroller along with our Ergoaby carrier so we could carry the baby when necessary and still give each of our little boys a place to sit when they got tired. The baby is always happier being nearest to us and wearing her makes it easy to keep track of her in the crowded exhibits.

But the morning of the zoo trip, I ended up in the local emergency room with a sprained foot. Unfortunately for everyone, I was relegated to an air cast and crutches. Since I was in no condition to go walking around the several acres of zoo grounds, my husband, John, loaded up the kids and managed the trip all by himself.

Luckily he’s as comfortable wearing my Galaxy Grey Ergoaby carrier as I am. With the optional matching Galaxy Grey Canvas Backpack, he was able to wear both the baby and the diaper bag at the same time to leave the stroller free for the other children. By being able to single handedly wear the baby and push the boys in the stroller, he could keep everyone in arm’s reach while maneuvering through the busy zoo attractions.

My daughter, at 15 months old, still generally likes to ride in the front position. But for a change of pace, we’ve recently been moving her to the back position to allow her a bit different view. My husband was able to easily and comfortably accomplish moving her from front to back, without assistance, by following and practicing the instructions included with our Ergobaby.

 

(He also could have attached the matching backpack to the back of the carrier, but he chose to wear it on his front.)

My husband will not wear the baby in any type of carrier that is not completely comfortable. While I will sometimes wear my daughter in a less-supportive ring sling for short trips, John will babywear only in the most supportive and ergonomic carrier. If I had sent him to the zoo with any other type of carrier, he would not have worn my daughter as much as he did, which would have made the trip a bit more difficult to manage with just one parent in charge of three small children.

But from watching the wildebeests frolicking around, to petting the rubbery backs of the stingrays in their shallow tank, our ergonomic Ergobaby carrier kept both my baby and dad experiencing total comfort. From my spot on the couch at home, I was contented knowing that he would have his hands free to help manage our older children while keeping our youngest cozily riding on his back.