There is a ton of interest in the Stokke Tripp Trapp high chair, and for good reason. This versatile, attractive and well-made high chair is one of the best baby products on the market. Many parents have questions about the ins and outs of the Stokke Tripp Trapp, and in this post I’ll go over…
Boxes are the New Cribs
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.
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:
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:
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.
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.
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?
Momma C
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.
Liz
Oh yes, Pat the Bunny is an assassin. So is Sophie the Giraffe, as far as I can tell.
Leslieknope
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!
Liz
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…
Emily
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?
Liz
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…
Courtney
great article Liz!
Liz
Thanks Courtney! I like to be on the cutting edge of Finnish technologies.
b-rad
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.
Liz
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..
Christine
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.
Liz
Christine, yes, I’ve heard the same thing. In the US we have very limited leave time, it’s pretty bad really.
Sarah (est. 1975)
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!