TICKS

The short definition

TICKS is the five-word checklist for wearing a baby in a sling or carrier. The five are Tight, In view at all times, Close enough to kiss, Keep chin off the chest, and Supported back.

What it actually means

It is an acronym, one letter per check, so it can be run through from memory while standing up with both hands full.

• T — Tight. The sling hugs bub close to you.
• I — In view at all times. Bub's face can be seen. Their nose and mouth are not covered or pressed against fabric or against your body.
• C — Close enough to kiss. Tipping your head forward, you can kiss the top of bub's head.
• K — Keep chin off the chest. Bub is never curled so their chin rests on their chest.
• S — Supported back. Bub's back is supported, with their tummy and chest against your body.

This is the whole reason the acronym exists. Slings and carriers can be dangerous if worn incorrectly, or if the wrong type of sling is used. Injuries happen when a baby falls from a sling, through a trip, a slip or a product malfunction. Five words are easier to remember than a paragraph.

Where Dadda will hear it

On the carrier's own packaging and in its instructions. Also from the midwife or child health nurse, the first time he mentions he has bought one.

Most likely, though, he will meet it as five capital letters with no explanation, which is why it has an entry.

Not to be confused with

• A tick box on his checklist in this app. Different word, same spelling. TICKS in capitals is the carrier checklist.
• A harness. A carrier is worn on the body and is sometimes called a harness. TICKS is the checklist for wearing it, not the thing itself.

Also look at

• The full item: baby carrier or sling