# What the hell does this bumper sticker mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 23, 2008, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-does-this-bumper-sticker-mean/457536 "2008-07-23T21:18:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-does-this-bumper-sticker-mean/457536/1 "2008-07-23T21:18:39Z")
Seen today: Carry the baby, not the car seat. I don’t get it. My wife doesn’t get it. Do you get it? ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-does-this-bumper-sticker-mean/457536/2 "2008-07-23T21:21:19Z")
My guess would be that it is some kind of attachment parenting propaganda against leaving your baby stuck in the baby carrier all the time instead of holding him/her. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-does-this-bumper-sticker-mean/457536/3 "2008-07-23T21:23:54Z")
It could mean that it’s a lot safer to take the baby out of the car seat, leaving the seat in the car when you go somewhere, then to take out the whole seat and strap it all back in when you leave. I’ve heard that a huge percentage of car seats are installed improperly, and re-installing it every time ups the chances of improper installation, which could be dangerous in a crash. I didn’t know there was a crusade about it with bumper stickers and everything, but I don’t have babies anymore. That’s all I got. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-does-this-bumper-sticker-mean/457536/4 "2008-07-23T21:33:31Z")
[Here’s a person supporting this idea](http://www.deborahhage.com/articles/infants.html) > [@](#): > > Children born to their mothers have spent 9 months adjusting to her rhythms, sounds, and smells. Relaxing into her arms after the birth is entering a comfort zone. The baby intuitively seeks out her face and she focuses on his. When the baby is held close than he only has to make minute movements with his face and/or body and his parent knows he is tired, wet, hungry, upset, or contented. Mom or Dad then adjusts to his needs and he learns to adjust to theirs. Being held close helps the baby mimic their patterns, being active when they are active and quiet when thy are quiet. > > * * * > > Being carried, rocked, fed, etc while remaining in a car seat is enormously convenient. Parents can go to the store and put the baby on the floor or in the shopping cart while they shop. They can leave the baby with the sitter and, unless the baby wakes up, the child need never know. The parents don’t have to be constantly shifting packages, keys, and swaddling cloths. They can feed the child and not fear getting milk dripped all over them. They can mix formula, eat, cook, fold clothes, make the bed, read, etc. with both hands instead of learning to do it all with one. They never receive a soaking from a leaking diaper. However, it also means the parent and child will lose out on critical, subtleties in the developing relationship. > > Carry the baby - not the baby’s carrier. Inconvenient? Yes! Worth it in the long term? Absolutely!!! I’m not advocating either way, but this might explain it. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-does-this-bumper-sticker-mean/457536/5 "2008-07-23T21:54:25Z")
Yeesh. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-does-this-bumper-sticker-mean/457536/6 "2008-07-23T21:57:06Z")
Wow- I did not know that there was a contingent of people who think you should never put your baby down. Huh. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-does-this-bumper-sticker-mean/457536/7 "2008-07-23T21:59:08Z")
Don’t baby seats principally exist as a safety measure (in case of a traffic accident)? ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-does-this-bumper-sticker-mean/457536/8 "2008-07-23T22:06:18Z")
[QUOTE=Sage Rat] Don’t baby seats principally exist as a safety measure (in case of a traffic accident)? [/QUOTE] Yes. I believe the person with the sticker means you should carry the baby in your arms when you’re not in the car. Lots of infant car seats are detachable from the base (the part that gets strapped down with the seatbelt), so the parent can pop it out with the baby still in the seat. It locks back in place fairly easily when it’s time to get back in the car. The detachable part has a handle over the top for easy carrying. It’s safe and convenient, makes it easier for a baby to sleep while their parents are doing boring errands, and I doubt very many people NEVER pick up the baby. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-does-this-bumper-sticker-mean/457536/9 "2008-07-24T00:35:34Z")
[QUOTE=Alice The Goon] Wow- I did not know that there was a contingent of people who think you should never put your baby down. Huh. [/QUOTE] Yes. It’s called “attachment parenting.” Like so many things in this world, it’s based on some good ideas, but has been taken to an extreme by some. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-does-this-bumper-sticker-mean/457536/10 "2008-07-24T00:44:15Z")
Hey, I agree with some of the attachment parenting stuff, but if they’re suggesting waking a peacefully sleeping baby up (which is what happens when you take them out of the seat 90-something percent of the time), they’re crazier than shithouse rats. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-does-this-bumper-sticker-mean/457536/11 "2008-07-24T01:12:49Z")
I note the OP is in Alaska. One of the big advantages of carrying the car seat instead of the baby in the winter is you can strap him into a relatively warm car seat in the warm house, versus strapping him into a car seat that’s literally freezing. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-does-this-bumper-sticker-mean/457536/12 "2008-07-24T01:37:40Z")
[QUOTE=ZenBeam] I note the OP is in Alaska. One of the big advantages of carrying the car seat instead of the baby in the winter is you can strap him into a relatively warm car seat in the warm house, versus strapping him into a car seat that’s literally freezing. [/QUOTE] Nah, that’s for sissies. We like to make sure our kids grow up skookum. As to the explanation, it would appear that **stpauler** found the answer to the bumper sticker, if not the answer to “why”. The cult of the child in this country makes me gag. I was finally able to convince my son and his wife that children sometimes need to be told “no”, after the 2-year old stood in the room and screamed “FUCKER!!!” at his mother. I informed him that the boy needs to know his limits and that if he shouted that at me, he would never again think of Grandpa as a kindly older fellow. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-does-this-bumper-sticker-mean/457536/13 "2008-07-24T01:49:28Z")
[QUOTE=ZenBeam] I note the OP is in Alaska. One of the big advantages of carrying the car seat instead of the baby in the winter is you can strap him into a relatively warm car seat in the warm house, versus strapping him into a car seat that’s literally freezing. [/QUOTE] And here you’d save Baby from burns. Back in the day, before this kind of seat, I used to put a towel over the car seat while the car was parked - to keep from burning Baby’s skin on vinyl and plastic parts of the seat in the summer time. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-does-this-bumper-sticker-mean/457536/14 "2008-07-24T02:31:06Z")
[QUOTE=Chefguy] I was finally able to convince my son and his wife that children sometimes need to be told “no”, after the 2-year old stood in the room and screamed “FUCKER!!!” at his mother. [/QUOTE] :eek: Wow. I see a slap in that kid’s future. Unless of course, the parents never told him it was wrong… Where did he learn the word “fucker,” I wonder… :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-does-this-bumper-sticker-mean/457536/15 "2008-07-24T14:04:05Z")
Hey now - not everybody who uses a baby sling is some sort of crazy nut job! Frankly, a hands-free way of carrying baby around is much easier on your back that hauling the bulky heavy car seat everywhere. For many babies, being close to mom or dad is very soothing, and studies have shown that babies who are “worn” tend to be less fussy and less prone to colic. It can also reduce the risk of SIDS and flat-head syndrome. ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-does-this-bumper-sticker-mean/457536/16 "2008-07-24T14:18:15Z")
I have a problem with people who never seem to carry their baby. Carrying baby seems to be a good opportunity for interacting with your baby. Holding baby in line, talking about the things around them, making faces, etc. If nothing else, it gives you something to do as well. And you would never in a million years describe me as a helicopter parent. I just think the more interaction, especially in the big world, the better. [QUOTE=George Carlin] I have a problem with married people who carry their babies in backpacks or frontpacks or slings, or whatever those devices are called. These baby-carrying devices that seem designed to leave the parent’s hands free to sort through merchandise. Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Natural Fibers, is it too much trouble to ask you to hold the fuckin’ kid? Are you so busy picking out consumer goods and reaching for your credit card that you can’t hold the baby? It’s not an accessory or a small appliance. It’s a baby. [/QUOTE] 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-does-this-bumper-sticker-mean/457536/17 "2008-07-24T14:22:43Z")
Huh. I kind of understand carrying your baby - I mean, the car seat thing doesn’t really seem more convenient to me. Of course if the baby is sleeping, that’s a different thing. But I always thought the slings were kind of cool. And most babies seem to really dig it, bouncing up and down. Especially the front ones, so the baby can see right into your face. ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-does-this-bumper-sticker-mean/457536/18 "2008-07-24T14:29:39Z")
[QUOTE=Avarie537] Hey now - not everybody who uses a baby sling is some sort of crazy nut job! Frankly, a hands-free way of carrying baby around is much easier on your back that hauling the bulky heavy car seat everywhere. For many babies, being close to mom or dad is very soothing, and studies have shown that babies who are “worn” tend to be less fussy and less prone to colic. It can also reduce the risk of SIDS and flat-head syndrome. [/QUOTE] Yeah, carrying my boys in infant seats killed my back (and arms, and shoulders, and neck). Wearing them was much more comfortable for me, plus they seemed to enjoy being right on me. Anything can be taken to extremes. I personally wouldn’t have woken a sleeping baby up to take him out of the carrier if I was running in somewhere and my boys had tons of floor time, but I also held them a lot, too. I know a woman, though, who seems to never take her babies out of the car seat. There were many playgroups and get-togethers I attended with her where her baby was strapped in the seat, for hours at a time, and he could have just as easily been held or just let free to lie on a blanket or something. Instead, he was parked in a corner and pretty much forgotten about. Set the babies free! ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-does-this-bumper-sticker-mean/457536/19 "2008-07-24T14:32:18Z")
[QUOTE=An Arky] Hey, I agree with some of the attachment parenting stuff, but if they’re suggesting waking a peacefully sleeping baby up (which is what happens when you take them out of the seat 90-something percent of the time), they’re crazier than shithouse rats. [/QUOTE] Roger that. ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-does-this-bumper-sticker-mean/457536/20 "2008-07-24T15:25:00Z")
The “baby bucket” carrier is wonderful for grocery shopping. Most have a notch that fits neatly on the wire back of the kid-riding part. The baby faces you and you can goo-gah all you want at it. Meanwhile, both hands are free for shopping and/or herding other children. Carrying the baby-bucket into a friends house while visiting means you can put the child down on something besides the floor - it acts as a portable bed for naptime. I wouldn’t want to walk the mall with one, they swing and are heavy, slowly pulling your arm out of its socket but if you’re going someplace with shopping carts, they’re just what the parent ordered. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-does-this-bumper-sticker-mean/457536.md?page=2)