According to an article on CNN this morning, a new study suggests “Parents who choose a stroller that seats their baby facing away from them could risk long-term development problems in their children”
Our daughter is much happier when she can see whoever’s pushing her… much more animated and does indeed sleep more too.
Common sense really, especially in the first 18-24 months.
“long-term development problems”? How much time do babies spend in a stroller anyway? I doubt any of ours topped an hour a day. Seems like a tempest in a teacup to me.
I wished it defined ‘baby.’ Are we talking about the under 12 month set? Or 2 year olds? And I agree the time factor is important too. I took walks with my kids to the park in facing-away strollers, but those were 10 minute walks.
Aw, damnit. I’ve gone and screwed up the kids with the Grayco! Guess I’ve got to toss these two and start over fresh. Again. I swear I go through more kids this way. . .
:dubious: How much time are these kids spending in these emotional death traps, anyhow?
Solfy, just do what I do—start a Therapy Fund. Anytime you do something that’s going to Mess Them Up for Life, like making them wear coats when no one else has to!!!, throw a few bucks in there. OK, I haven’t really started such a fund, but this article has convinced me that I should.
Does anyone have a link to the actual study. That article makes it sound pretty stupid, but it may be that they are just leaving out some (as in all of) the important details of the study.
If it just makes the parent less likely to talk to the baby while facing away in the stroller, then a big DUH. And they talk about stressed babies. Again, in the stroller? Or did they observe it translating into anything negative afterwords?
Hey, New Beginning! We’re talking about articles targeted at making parents feel inadequate. You and your fancy logic have no place here! 
In my experience, prior to being able to sit up, yeah, they’d rather look at you, but once able to sit up and look around, they find the world around them far more interesting.
snerk
Thanks for this. Lorene, I like your idea, too. Pity it’s too late for my bunch. They’re all grown and have no fund.
I wonder if they’ve compared this phenomenon against babies who are carried on their mothers’ backs? Those kids don’t face their parents, either. Though they do have the body contact, so I’m guessing they’d say they’re less stressed.
They really do need to stipulate what constitutes baby. It sounds like they’re talking up to 24 months, but what happens if the kid is walking instead of riding in a stroller? Does that mean the kid is super duper extra stressed?
I can understand a newborn being somewhat upset in an away-facing stroller if they’re conscious, but most older babies and toddlers are very good at letting parents know - whether through crying, screaming or just yakking a lot - when they want to talk, regardless of where they are.
I second the call for more information - “baby” is awfully vague. Also, I haven’t seen any strollers for older babies that face the parent (in the U.S., at least). Once they’re too big for the infant carseat (which is around 22lbs for most of them), pretty much all of the strollers are away-facing.
My son doesn’t spend that much time in his stroller, and usually he falls asleep when he is in there.
I had a “me facing” baby carriage for a couple of months, then had “away facing” strollers for the rest of the year with the first and then with each of the other three children.
I wasn’t included in the study and I say: “bah!”