BABYWEARING – STAYING ACTIVE TOGETHER

Artipoppe Babywearing Story | By Marije Visser Bregman

Playing sports has always been an important part of my life. Until my oldest son was born, I played handball at a high level and I was training and exercising on a daily basis. This was my life. Being fit and active is very important to me and makes me feel good.

It was no surprise to anyone that I chose a career in that direction. I became a physical education teacher and work in a secondary school with teenagers from all sorts of backgrounds. I experienced that the importance of health and also of normal, healthy food, is not something that all children get brought up with as standard. I vowed to do that differently if I ever had children myself and that I would teach them to be active and fit and eat healthily.
And then my first two boys were born within 18 months of each other and I found out that combining an active lifestyle with the care for children, a household and a job was a lot more challenging than I thought it would be. I exercised less than I had planned and found it hard to find the time. I was very happy when a friend introduced me to the concept of babywearing. Wearing my kids allowed me to be a lot more active. It was so practical! We would take the kids out for long walks, often around town, but during the weekends also into the countryside, the nearby forest and what we love the most, to the beach! We could go for active walks, run around, have fun and go to places that a stroller could never handle.  And now with three boys running around this still hasn’t changed. Besides the active things we do with our boys we also love a bit of me-time now and again and cross-fit is our game now. Great for strength and super challenging, and also so much fun! I am glad I have managed to become as fit again as I was before I had children.

 

Another passion of us is snowboarding and these holidays are great with little kids as well, as long as we bring my wraps. In-between boarding sessions, while the oldest two have skiing lessons, I love taking the youngest for long walks on my back in a snuggly wrap. The super blends of Artipoppe make even carrying a heavier kid for longer periods of time easy, and doing so is great for core strengthening!

And what started off as a practical solution soon became much more than that. Babywearing has helped me bond with my boys, keeping them close and seeing to their needs. I love how a beautiful wrap can make the simplest outfit look super stylish, and I like playing around with accessories to match, both for myself and my kids. A year ago, a friend and I started a small business doing babywearing consultations. It is amazing and so rewarding to help new parents during their first steps into the babywearing world.

I hope to continue to carry my youngest for a bit longer and more than that, I hope that I can give my children my love for an active and healthy lifestyle. Judging by their energy and their love for going on trips and adventures, I think I am on the right track.

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