2023 is almost at an end and what a year it has been. I've had more consult bookings - in person and online - than ever before and the webshop and online hires have grown and grown. Allowing me to help more parents than ever before gain confidence carrying. And my low cost Sling Clinic sessions have always been an important part of this mission - giving a friendly, informal low cost option to local families.
So of course it will be no suprise that these sessions are back for 2024 at all 3 venues:
Full info on how to book, dates and times can be found here. Booking is essential so please do head on over to book!
One thing that has changed between 2023 and 2024 is that these session do now carry a charge. While they were free for the majority of 2023, cost to attend is now £5 per family. The reason for this change is simply these sessions don't receive funding - they never did - I simply donated my time to run them. But with rising costs in insurance, cost of the slings I bring, petrol getting to the sessions, and the increasing time they are taking (not just during the sessions but in the admin before and after answering questions before and after) this just was no longer sustainable. Particularly as while in years past many people coming for advice only chose to donate, the rates of donation had fallen and so it was bring in a charge or stop. Hopefully you feel I this was the right choice. For now the charge is £5, this is still less than it costs in terms of times and resources (the charge would need to be £10 to actually cover costs) but £5 makes it more sustainable and I will continue to donate the rest. And of course if there is anyone for whom the £5 charge would make the session inaccessable I am very happy to waive the fee no questions asked please just get in touch if that is needed.
These session remain as ever small group, friendly and informal - perfect for for those who have a couple of questions, would like a quick fit check or have a fair idea of what they want to try and would like to try it on in person or hire to try before they invest in their own. For those needing more in depth help, private consultations in my home, clients homes or online are back from the 6th of Jan and thhese are the perfect way to explore a number of options and really delve deep into how to use them and become completely confident using whatever you choose.
Once you have found the right option for you the Sheen Slings webshop is here for you! Carrying an increasing range of slings, carriers and accessories – all purchases come with the added bonus of me! I care much less about what you buy and much more about whether you can use it and that it adds value to your life … so all carrier and sling purchases come with a free 20 minute online video fitting appointment that you can book at any time if you are at all unsure. And all my clients are always welcome to send me a photo to double check fit and/or ask any questions, at any time. I want to ensure you love carrying and all the products in the shop are carefully curated based on what I know works for a wide range of parents and babies. They are all things I have seen work time and time again for families of all shapes, sizes and needs. Most are also things I have either used personally myself or wish had been available at the time for me to use personally!
For those who would rather hire, or would like to hire to try before they buy - hiring has got even easier! I now have almost all of the hire collection up on the website to hire directly online here.
Finally, looking further into 2023 I will be continuing to build my learning zone and youtube channel with ever more tutorials, reviews and frequently asked questions. Particularly my YouTube channel now that I am offically a YouTube partner... which means while you watch my videos for free I am able to earn a small amount of the ad revenue on the ads that YouTube was showing you anyway. This might not sound like much but for me it is something! So if you find my videos helpful please do subscribe to my channel and like videos generously as it really does earn me money (and importantly costs you nothing!). And if you don't see what you need please feel free to get in touch.
Wishing you a very happy 2024 and really looking forward to welcoming many of you in the New Year
-Madeleine