This is a bit late, but I loved this article I came across on a rockin blog by an ultra-hip NYC dad called DaddyTypes. Read it when you can to stay tuned to what's really what in the status-driven world of cosmo-babies -- or just for a laugh :-)
Anyway, this story appeared in the New York Times and was since syndicated in several papers. Its about the Dutch stroller Bugaboo (also available in Helsinki) and how its terrorizing the streets of NYC. Now, for anyone who has seen a Bugaboo, they are actually quite compact, nifty little speedsters when you compare them to the Emaljunga, Tuetonia or even our beloved Mutsy.
Can you imagine what the "childless by choice" would say if those strollers caught on in the cities!!??
:-)
Friday, October 28, 2005
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Stroller rush hour & traffic jams
The other day I noticed that stroller rush hour into the Tapiola shopping center usually begins around 10 am. Peanut and I were heading out from Tapiola on our way home when I noticed the sidewalks filling up with strollers and mamas headed for the center. Some were singles, many were a few friends + strollers, some were a mama with stoller + 2 walkers hanging onto the sides of the stroller :-)
About this time it also starts getting busy in the grocery stores and you find yourself navigating around the baby strollers and the grandmas (not very often grandpas) with their push carts or pull-behind grocery carts.
it seems to be a time when women of all ages rule the city with their age-appropriate chariots. its makes me wonder what happens to the male population during these hours? I can imagine the many papas in the office -- with the family car parked in the parking lot of the office building. Why does it seem that its the men who always get the cars and the mamas and babies are left to fend for themselves on public transport? The metro, trams and buses are dominated by women during rush hour - I'd say even in a 90/10 ratio. It seems to me that mom+baby+stroller+daily groceries+whatever else needs to be bought and schlepped home should be the ones in the cars.
But, where does this leave all the grandpas during the days? Is it just generational that the women take care of all the domestic duties from shopping on? Even so, where do the grandpas hang out - just at home? Or, is this the result of the longer lifespan of women and many of the grandmas are just shopping for themselves? I wonder if there is a service to help introduce widows to each other so perhaps some of them could become room mates or friends?
in any case, its a powerful feeling to have the run of the city for over half the day :-)
About this time it also starts getting busy in the grocery stores and you find yourself navigating around the baby strollers and the grandmas (not very often grandpas) with their push carts or pull-behind grocery carts.
it seems to be a time when women of all ages rule the city with their age-appropriate chariots. its makes me wonder what happens to the male population during these hours? I can imagine the many papas in the office -- with the family car parked in the parking lot of the office building. Why does it seem that its the men who always get the cars and the mamas and babies are left to fend for themselves on public transport? The metro, trams and buses are dominated by women during rush hour - I'd say even in a 90/10 ratio. It seems to me that mom+baby+stroller+daily groceries+whatever else needs to be bought and schlepped home should be the ones in the cars.
But, where does this leave all the grandpas during the days? Is it just generational that the women take care of all the domestic duties from shopping on? Even so, where do the grandpas hang out - just at home? Or, is this the result of the longer lifespan of women and many of the grandmas are just shopping for themselves? I wonder if there is a service to help introduce widows to each other so perhaps some of them could become room mates or friends?
in any case, its a powerful feeling to have the run of the city for over half the day :-)
Birth Preparation - in English
When I was looking last fall, I found the following:
> my neuvola (Kallio) had information about an English language class held 2x year. it was hosted by a kätilö from the herttoniemi neuvola.
> we ended up going to a class held by the Työväenopisto in Tapiola. It was run by a kätilö from the kätilöopisto (who also happened to be present when our baby was actually born ) and cost about 20 EUR. But, I didn't find the classes terribly useful. It wasn't a 'birth preparation' in the lamaze sense. It was three 2 hr classes about 1) what happens during pregnancy 2)what happens in labor, signs of labor, when to go the hospital, video about a birth 3) how to wash, feed, clothe baby. It was interesting just to review these things together with dad, but no real information that I couldn't find in a book or on a website.
> my neuvola (Kallio) had information about an English language class held 2x year. it was hosted by a kätilö from the herttoniemi neuvola.
> we ended up going to a class held by the Työväenopisto in Tapiola. It was run by a kätilö from the kätilöopisto (who also happened to be present when our baby was actually born ) and cost about 20 EUR. But, I didn't find the classes terribly useful. It wasn't a 'birth preparation' in the lamaze sense. It was three 2 hr classes about 1) what happens during pregnancy 2)what happens in labor, signs of labor, when to go the hospital, video about a birth 3) how to wash, feed, clothe baby. It was interesting just to review these things together with dad, but no real information that I couldn't find in a book or on a website.
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