As part of sling library appreciation month, Sling Librarians are sharing their “day in the life of a Sling Librarian” stories, so here is mine! This was my Tuesday sling library day yesterday…
My day started getting my two children up, dressed and fed, before moving onto playtime – today building epic duplo and stacking cup towers. Normally, I’d also need to take Tom to school but as it’s the last day of summer holidays, instead I waved him off to a playdate with a friend so that he didn’t have to be bored hanging around sling library.
Then it was time for me and Rachel to set up for sling library – getting the dolls out, sign in sheet ready, room tidy, online hire form loaded up etc.
First parent arrived at 11.05 and last left at 1.30. Today’s session was actually unusually quiet with just 7 families (4 new, 3 returning). Recently its been more like 9-12 families, but as I only got back from holiday at 6 pm the night before I was quite relieved not to be run off my feet for a change. We covered stretchy wraps, Caboos, ring slings, Woven Wraps and Buckle carriers – so a bit of everything really! Common themes were babies who didn’t like to be put down and parents with understandably aching arms, and babies who fussed going into slings understandably worrying their parents and knocking their confidence. All things that the session could address!!
While the session is advertised 11 till 1 it is not at all uncommon for it to over run, as it did today – especially on a day like today when the 5 of the 7 arrived within the last hour.
As soon as the session finishes Rachel and I have lunch then we go for a sleepy walk, usually before I tidy up. She normally naps around 1pm but Sling Library days nearly always push this a lot later for her – more like 2pm. I try to console myself that it’s just 2 days a month!! Fortunately for me she is very tolerant!
Then it’s onto tidying up for me – the quieter session ment it was a much smaller pile than normal and today it only took me about 10 minutes… after a busier session this can be more like 20! Maybe even more.
Then the rest of the day until bedtime is spent with Tom and Rachel and focusing on their needs. Last day of summer holidays and tiredness got the better of Tom today and he became really over wrought, he asked for a special mummy back hug and I was only too happy to give him that closeness as I got dinner ready.
Then bedtime and finally at 9pm I can sneak out their room and start my post sling library admin. This includes following up with people I spoke to today, maybe sending an article I mentioned, or maybe info on where to buy (and discount codes etc!). As well as chasing slings that haven’t come back. This can take anywhere from 30 minutes to nearly 2 hours depending! This evening it took about 1 hour. The biggest factor is how many overdue slings there are, following up outstanding slings are always the emails that take me the longest to write. Fortunately their weren’t too many of those this evening.
Then off to bed with me!
-Madeleine