Vent Re Babywearing Related

elf*jar

So, I went to Art Sparks at the Louisville Speed Art Museum on Friday night.  I took Wylee (20 months) and his two cousins who are 22 months and 34 months.  So, it is safe to say I had three toddlers with me.  Their mother was meeting us there when she got off of work.

Keep in mind, this is an art museum.  They have an awesome interactive kids art area so we like to go there.  First off, I get there and they have doubled their price so I am irritated at that (especially because I called and the phone line still has it priced at the old price).

Okay, to my babywearing vent.  I had Wylee in my Pikkolo on my back and was holding the hands of the other two.  The lady told me I would have to "take the baby out of that, and hold him in the front because it is a safety hazzard."  I took him down and talked about how unsafe it was going to be to have the three of them down and not have enough hands to hold.  I got him down and she realized the "baby" really was almost two.  She said "oh, see they can all walk".  I told her yes, they could all walk and that it would still have been safer to allow him to remain in his carrier where I could hold the hands of the other two than it will be to have the three toddlers running throught he art museum to the elevator to go downstairs to the kids area.

I still think it is ridiculous that they found it safer to have three toddlers go through the art museum than for him to be on my back and me be able to hold the other hands!  

MrsLacy_2

You should have asked to see where that rule was written down in their policy.  The lady was most likely just being power hungry.

You could write the museum an email and let them know that 1)  The prices are different than what the recording says and 2) You didn't feel welcome at all because the lady (hopefully you remember her name) was being very uncooperative with you and pulled a "policy" out of her butt  3)  You most likely won't return due to the babywearing issue.

Hopefully a supervisor will look into the situation and make any needed actions.  

katie6195

I'm confused. Were you doing some kind of activity at the time the lady told you to take the LO off your back? Or were you just walking through the museum? How can she make you take him down.. it's essentially just like holding him. I may have just refused to do what she said, you think she would have kicked you all out?

Sinafey

fredalina:

Who is "the lady" and why did you obey? 

i MIGHT not have left because of the 3 kids being disappointed, but i think i would have asked for a supervisor.

This exactly.  

Was she saying that he was unsafe just riding on your back, or there was some special reason why it was a safety issue specifically in the museum? I can't even imagine trying to wrangle 3 toddlers through an art museum without babywearing.

KatieB19

I'm not familiar with this museum, but I know most of the museums at the national mall in DC make you take backpacks off your back just in case you accidentally forget you're wearing it and back into the artwork/displays.  Maybe she was applying this rule to your LO??  FWIW, I would have been annoyed too.

Jelliebean1982

First off, I would have only paid the price given on the phone recording. I would have called it up in front of the lady and told her that is the price of the museum. I think the reason she didn't want the kid on your back is because of the risk of him grabbing something without you noticing. It's not a safety risk for you...it's more for them.

elf*jar

The lady was one of the 5 workers that was the front desk.  Also, I get the backpack rule but realistically it was safer than three toddlers without any sort of restraint going through the museum.

 Thanks for letting me vent; I actually told my cousin I might write a letter to the museume, the entire situation was rather ridiculous.

WyoGal

lachute:

i work in the museum field, it is pretty common that you aren't allowed to have back carriers at art museums, even backpacks are often asked to be checked or worn on the front of the body

This, though IMO a back carry in a wrap/Beco/SSC is a world different than a Kelty or structured carrier.  I seems if you use them use them often enough you have a strong sense of space and LO is held pretty snug to your back and less of a liability.   Truthfully, I'm far more awkward with a stroller in a crowd than with M in a back carry, though I'm sure for non-BWing moms it would feel the opposite  :-) 

LadyDelilah

MrsLacy:

You should have asked to see where that rule was written down in their policy.  The lady was most likely just being power hungry.

You could write the museum an email and let them know that 1)  The prices are different than what the recording says and 2) You didn't feel welcome at all because the lady (hopefully you remember her name) was being very uncooperative with you and pulled a "policy" out of her butt  3)  You most likely won't return due to the babywearing issue.

Hopefully a supervisor will look into the situation and make any needed actions.  

Totally, this is so ridiculous. I dont know why they would care youre the parent and you obviously feel comfortable with your carrier so why would they say that youre endangering your child? Thats what she was implying, at least thats how it sounds to me.