Hint, Hint: How To Buy Your *Partner a Carrier as a Gift!!
*Please note, that I use the word “partner.” I want to be as inclusive as possible, but I am going to assume that the babywearer is a woman (for sake of grammatical simplicity). I am also going to apologize to all the lesbians out there because I have yet to see a confused woman trying to buy a carrier for her lesbian partner. It’s really… men. Sorry lesbians, inclusion is a double-edged sword here.
So you REALLY want to get that AWESOME Christmas gift??? It’s not too late, you know. You could buy your partner a carrier in a matter of mere minutes… but you’ll need some help. Here are some tips for our “Dear Husbands.”
Step 1: LISTEN
FYI: your wife has ALREADY TOLD YOU if she wants a carrier and which one. Perhaps you have heard words that do not make any sense to you? Try really hard to remember at least SOME of them. We’ll wait…
Step 2: Admit that You Need Help
It’s true. Even if you DO know your warp from your weft, buying a carrier is a little bit complicated, especially if you are talking about a specific carrier, one that is HSA (Highly Sought After) or HTF (Hard To Find). All women have ISOs (In Search Ofs) and your job is to get one. Still don’t think that you need help? Ok, lets have a quiz:
Which of the following would you want to get your partner as a gift:
a) Her ISO b) Her DISO c) Her OMGVVVDDDDDDISO
Well, the answer is… it depends. The simple, but good-hearted partner will want to go for “C” (By the way, that means “Oh My God Very Very Very Very Desperately Dastardly DidImention Desperately Desperately Desperately In Search Of), but the truth is that those are harder to get than a unicorn fart in a jar. I’m not telling you to give it up, but the chances that you are going to get the right blend, size, and color without another unicorn fart to trade is almost impossible. I say almost, because if you’re willing to give up roughly $2k for a baby carrier, PERHAPS you can have one. Maybe.
Answer a) is “nice” the way that your buddy’s new girlfriend is “nice.” You know what I mean. If you are reading this post the night before Christmas, maybe go for this one. If not, ASPIRE!!
Answer b) is perhaps the money-spot. It’s going to be hard to find, but you should be able to pull it off… but NOT ALONE.
See below for an example of something that could happen if you go solo:
Step 3: Get her Babywearing Friends Involved
Who are her babywearing friends? See Step 1, you probably remember some names, or parts of names? Nothing?
Ok, Facebook is a good place to start. Look at pictures of her babywearing and see who the other women are with her, send that other woman a private message. See if any of those women are also in her babywearing group, those women are what we like to call our “local friends.” Pro Tip: Perhaps her local friends will be more helpful than women who are across the country, but not always… please try to remember at least ONE name!
Quick, Name THESE Women:
One of the hardest things about buying a carrier is recognizing market value. If you go on there as a partner and try to buy something specifically, you may end up paying way. too. much. Her babywearing friends will help make sure that doesn’t happen to you, but note, there still may be some sticker shock (fair warning).
Once her friends are involved, they can help you secure the carrier (and will likely do a GREAT JOB). Congrats, you are a carrier-buying GENIUS.
Step 4: Get the Details Correct
Overall Look: It’s important to know her taste in carriers (see Step 1). Take a look at her current stash of carriers, does it “fit”? Likely, a win.
But also, get the size right. Here is a little trick, measure the carriers she already has. And here is a size charts for wraps. For soft structured carriers (carriers that look like back-packs), it’s going to be brand-specific. Use your tape measure!
Step 5: Create a Paypal Account:
Paypal is almost exclusively the currency of carrier buying with some notable exceptions. While her babywearing friends are helping you locate her DISO, have a Paypal account ready so that you can either pay them back for buying the carrier or buy the carrier directly.
Step 6: Know It’s Not Too Late: A Carrier On The Way (OTW) is Almost as Good as One In Hand
Know that there is some excitement/anticipation in seeing a special package track. It’s understood that things will take a while to ship, especially if it is coming internationally. Wrap up a tracking number and the name of the carrier, maybe a picture–you’re set.
Step 7: Bask in the Glory of Winning at Gift-giving!
Go ahead. Gloat and await.
If YOU are a partner buying a carrier, we’d love to hear your experience! Go ahead, we won’t judge you.
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