Renee and I became babywearing enthusiasts out of our quest to maintain the highest level of productivity possible. What I didn’t anticipate was how much extra closeness that it fosters.

We do things very counter-intuitively in the U.S. Babies are weaned off the breast by 6 months and potty training doesn’t start until age 2. Attachment parenting practitioners start potty training by 6 months and continue breastfeeding for 2 years.

Most of the baby carriers available have a feminine design aesthetic. Some can be made masculine with a different choice of fabric print, such as soft structured carriers and mei tais. The ring slings, moby wraps, and pouches are more feminine to me.

Baby carriers come in a variety of designs. You will have to try them on for yourself to see which ones work best for you. Try meetup.com or Yahoo! Groups to find a babywearing meeting in your area. At such meetings, you’ll be able to try on a wide variety of carriers and get expert instruction on how to properly wear them.

It wasn’t long before I discovered that the Ergo Baby is my favorite. It’s a soft structured carrier. Renee’s DIY Scandi-style Mei Tai is challenging for the top spot. That’s what I’m using in the picture above.

The fun doesn’t have to end when your infant becomes a toddler. I’ve seen children as old as 4 being worn in a carrier.

There are many benefits of babywearing. Even if you don’t believe in attachment parenting, there are pragmatic considerations.

• You have two hands free.
• No need to navigate a bulky stroller in crowded areas.
• It’s much safer than putting the infant car seat in the shopping cart.
• Managing multiple children becomes easier.

Give babywearing a chance. If your wife has been the sole baby wearer, she may have one or more carriers with a feminine design. Get over your machismo. At least try it in the safety of your own home. You may end up liking it enough to get a carrier of your own.

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Renee over at 21st Century Parenting put together this wonderful map with a little help from Google. It was something I had planned on implementing, but why duplicate the efforts? Renee decided that she couldn’t simply copy someone else’s idea. Her map is annotated even further.

“Dad 2.0″ is here to stay. We do everything but breastfeed. Despite this, I suspect the ladies’ room changing table gets more use and abuse than the ones in the men’s room. The men’s room changing table may be in better shape germ-wise.

The lack of a changing table is highlighted even further by the family-friendly image an establishment tries portray. If a business wants to be family-friendly, then make it family-friendly. Cheap food and a kid’s menu aren’t the only qualifications here. A changing table goes a long way. Bravo if the men’s room is so equipped. Thoughtful placement of the changing table goes even further. You win even more points with me if you have family-friendly policies for your employees.

Stop by 21st Century Parenting and leave a comment. Let us know how your favorite hangouts fare.

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I had another conversation with Dan* about fatherhood. His daughter is 3, so I get a little sneak preview every time I talk to him.

Dan is always working on his house. Some time ago, he was in the process of removing the old carpet and replace it with laminate flooring.  He had not yet removed the carpet from the master bedroom at this time.

His little one was new to the notion of the potty, so accidents were commonplace. One such accident occurred in the bedroom. While Dan rushed to get cleaning supplies, his epiphany steered him to the tool box instead. He retrieved his utility knife and cut the offending section of carpet out.

*Not his real name.