A Mothership Down

Parenthood is no joke. Except when it is.

  • Baby Sleep
    • The 4 Month Sleep Regression SUCKS!
    • Sleep Training Our 7 Month Old: What Were We Waiting For?
    • Should You Ever Wake a Sleeping Baby?
    • Improve Naps at Daycare
    • How to Make Nap Transitions As Smooth As Possible
  • Parenting
  • Reading
  • Kids Science
    • 5 Minute Fizzy Fun Jar
    • Liquid Density Experiment: Color Explosion in a Jar
    • Water Suspension Science Experiment for Kids
    • Lava Layers! Liquid Density Science Experiment
    • 10 Quick + Simple STEM Activities for Kindergarten
  • Babywearing
  • Recommendations
  • about
    • Who Am I?
    • New Visitors
    • Awards
    • Work With Me
    • Contact Me
    • Disclosure Policy
You are here: Home / All Posts / Boxes are the New Cribs

Boxes are the New Cribs

Published June 23, 2014. Last updated November 16, 2019 by Liz. This post may contain affiliate links.

1

So, according to a recent BBC article, it seems that Finnish babies sleep in cardboard boxes.

“For 75 years, Finland’s expectant mothers have been given a box by the state. It’s like a starter kit of clothes, sheets and toys that can even be used as a bed. And some say it helped Finland achieve one of the world’s lowest infant mortality rates.”

This is so much better than what we’re doing you guys. I wish I had seen this article earlier, actually, because my father-in-law works in the container industry, selling boxes! He’s basically a crib salesman and I didn’t even take advantage of it. Sometimes I’m such an idiot.

Anyway. Our babies here in the US sleep in the equivalent of well decorated lofts, but at night it’s like the lofts are stripped bare by thieves who have a penchant for textiles.

Let me show you what I mean. The photo below is lovely, but it is a total farce on account of the fact that there are like 10 deadly weapons in that crib. Ok there are only 4, but that is at least 3 more deadly weapons than you are going to want to have in the crib with your baby.

nursery

I’d also like to note the pastel rabbit heads on the wall. Yes they look benign on account of the soft colors and whimsical design. But babies aren’t idiots, they know taxidermy when they see it. How can you read “I am a Bunny” or “Guess How Much I Love You” – both stories heavily featuring rabbits, at bedtime and then expect your youngster to be able to sleep looking up at the bunny heads mounted to the wall? Food for thought, guys.

As you already know, (assuming you are a “with it” mom who has read at least 35 terrifying articles about the myriad of dangers to your sleeping baby) the crib, in actuality, needs to look pretty much like an empty prison cell. Think “Orange is the New Black” when you’re shopping for a nursery theme. No frills. No blankets. Nothing to cuddle with. No large inmates named Bubba. Nothing inviting whatsoever. Bumpers are a complete no-no and putting them on the crib is very much the same as leaving a set of Cutco knives with your little one. The smiley face pillow (#4 in the photo above) is basically a revolver.

In our nursery we have a crib that looks kind of like the one above (read: welcoming) from the hours of 7 am to 6 pm. But each night before bed I remove anything that looks appealing and leave Nolan with nothing but the prison bars of his cold, bare crib. Sure he looks tiny and lonely in that jail cell, but safety first I tell him.

The Finnish are doing it correctly right out of the gate. They skip the whole facade of the decorated crib and head straight to an empty box. It’s cheaper, more practical, and your baby doesn’t give a sh*t anyway. As an added bonus, if you start them off in an empty box, they will later have a better appreciation for IKEA furniture.

The Finnish not only give new moms the bed/box, but they FILL THE BOX with tons of awesome stuff for the new baby. Check it out:

Thank you Finland

Items included in the box:

  • Mattress, mattress cover, undersheet, duvet cover, baby blanket, sleeping bag/quilt
  • Box itself doubles as a crib
  • Snowsuit, hat, insulated mittens and booties
  • Light hooded suit and knitted overalls
  • Socks and mittens, knitted hat and *balaclava
  • Bodysuits, romper suits and leggings in unisex colours and patterns
  • Hooded bath towel, nail scissors, hairbrush, toothbrush, bath thermometer, nappy cream, wash cloth
  • Cloth nappy set and muslin squares
  • Picture book and teething toy
  • Bra pads, condoms

First of all, the condoms. It’s a subtle reminder that, despite the fact that you LOVE the baby you just had SO MUCH, you absolutely do NOT want another one headed your way anytime soon. Good lord no. Second, WTF is balaclava? Because this is what came up when I did a google search:

Balaclava_3_hole_black

So they give your baby a mask to rob banks in, as far as I can tell. Oh yeah, and they throw in bodysuits and clippers and blankets and toys. The Finnish hospitals basically throw you a shower AND prepare you for a life of crime! When Nolan was born I tried to take the little nasal aspirator from our hospital room and they arrested me. Ok they didn’t arrest me but I sure didn’t leave with that aspirator. Thanks, America. I did get like 25 adults diapers and some hospital underwear though, so, kind of the same as in Finland.

underwear

This whole Finnish thing got me to thinking, and I realized that if American hospitals were asked to fill up the cribs of our new babies, they would have a lot of space to fill, which may be a little daunting to the hospital gift-giving staff. In Nolan’s crib you could easily fit a Bumbo, 17 loveys, a carseat, an Exersaucer, a double BOB stroller, a diaper bag, “Goodnight Moon,” and a lawnmower. That may be a little more than the hospitals want to spring for. But hey, it’s America, and we like to do things big here. Like our hair and our waistlines.

Proud American Hair

Proud American Hair

In all seriousness, rock on Finland. I think this is pretty awesome and I’d recommend reading the article if you’d like to learn about a place where they are combining logic with care for their families.

A quote from Finnish father Mark Bosworth: “This felt to me like evidence that someone cared, someone wanted our baby to have a good start in life. And now when I visit friends with young children it’s nice to see we share some common things. It strengthens that feeling that we are all in this together.“

Wouldn’t we all like a little more of that, to feel like we’re all in this together?

Filed Under: All Posts, Parenting

« 7 Reasons Babies Make the Best Wingmen
Your Baby Will Never Look This Good Again »

Comments

  1. Momma C says

    June 23, 2014 at 11:33 am

    Many relatives in our family would love the idea of recycling….even if it is the baby’s bedding. You have to start somewhere I guess. Just watch the lethal weapons such as Pat the Bunny…you never know what lurks in the heart of super squeeze soft animals.

    Reply
  2. Liz says

    June 23, 2014 at 11:44 am

    Oh yes, Pat the Bunny is an assassin. So is Sophie the Giraffe, as far as I can tell.

    Reply
  3. Leslieknope says

    June 23, 2014 at 11:55 am

    For a superpower the US has alarmingly high infant and maternal mortality rates. I love this Finland box idea and think hospitals should consider it. I loved the hospital where I delivered. As far as hospitals go it was the Ritz Carlton of hospitals. We got sent home with a free breast pump! But I was so shocked they gave it to us I left most of the important pieces behind. Ooops. They pretty much told us take everything! It was great! Oh those dreased post baby underwear! Brought back memories, thanks for posting a pic. Lol but anyways yay Finland!

    Reply
    • Liz says

      June 23, 2014 at 12:18 pm

      They gave you a breast pump?? What the?! I thought my hospital was generous with the diapers! But yeah, Finland is really kicking ass. Someone on Facebook just commented that they also give a year of paid maternity leave…

      Reply
      • Emily says

        June 25, 2014 at 7:26 pm

        How do you think this uproar for paid leave is going to go? Do you think there’s a chance or more like when it is Nolan’s generation’s turn?

        Reply
        • Liz says

          June 25, 2014 at 7:55 pm

          Our paid leave right now is ridiculously short in the US. I really want to move to Finland. Hopefully by the time Nolan is of child bearing age things will have shaped up…

          Reply
  4. Courtney says

    June 24, 2014 at 6:34 am

    great article Liz!

    Reply
    • Liz says

      June 24, 2014 at 6:35 am

      Thanks Courtney! I like to be on the cutting edge of Finnish technologies.

      Reply
  5. b-rad says

    June 24, 2014 at 6:28 pm

    Wow they wouldn’t even let you take the nasal aspirator? What are they going to do? Shove it up some other kid’s nose? Our hospital not only invited us to take everything in the room, but they also told us to empty the room on a daily basis. So, every day we were there we stocked up on diapers wipes, pads, etc. Hell, they even let us take all of the blood pressure cuffs they tried to fit on Max.

    Reply
  6. Liz says

    June 24, 2014 at 7:01 pm

    Seriously, my thoughts exactly. The nasal aspirator would seem to be a one and done type of thing! Your hospital sounds great, you should have started to request taking crazy stuff, like the bedpans and the curtain rods. See how far you could press your luck..

    Reply
  7. Christine says

    June 26, 2014 at 10:55 pm

    My birthing class teacher/ doula told me that there are many countries that give generous paid maternity leave. 6 mos to a year. Paternity leave is also recognized some places. For instance, if leave is a yr, mother can take 6 mos and father can take 6 mos.

    Reply
    • Liz says

      June 27, 2014 at 7:52 am

      Christine, yes, I’ve heard the same thing. In the US we have very limited leave time, it’s pretty bad really.

      Reply
  8. Sarah (est. 1975) says

    July 8, 2014 at 10:27 am

    You know, the box thing is smart. I mean, it’s essentially a square version of the Moses basket, and I know my nephew slept in a Moses basket until he was too big to stay in it. YOU GO FINLAND!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Welcome to the Mothership!

Hi! I'm Liz, mom to 3 young kids. Like all of you, I have tons of free time on my hands to ponder the complexities of motherhood. Ok I have almost no time, these kids are taking me down. I write this blog to find camaraderie with the rest of you in the trenches. Welcome! Read More…

SEARCH

Popular Posts

The 50 Best Books for Toddlers

The 50 Best Books for Toddlers

I'm Glad We Knew

It Was an Early Loss. But I’m Glad We Knew.

mom and son

To The Parents Who Don’t Feel Like They Can Get It All Done

sleeping baby

In The Nursery, Where Time Stands Stills

Disclaimer

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Privacy Policy

You can find our Privacy Policy here.

Copyright © 2021 · Foodie Pro Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress