What is a cradle

The cradle has long been used by different nations to rock small children. Monotonous swaying allows the baby to relax and fall asleep, recalling its intrauterine serene existence. The cradle has always been indispensable for mother, she allowed to calm the crying baby and at the same time made it possible to simultaneously do household chores. Previously, a cradle was in every family and helped more than one generation of mothers and children.

What is a cradle

The cradle is a small crib suspended from the ceiling using a spring or mounted on a rocking support. When the child woke up and began tossing and turning, the spring swayed up and down, thereby calming him.

In Russia, there were special masters - firecrackers, because not every owner could independently make such a device. Wrongly done, she swayed badly, could fall and harm the baby.

The cradle was made of wood, leather or vines. Richer people could afford to make a forged cradle decorated with monograms and other patterns.

REFERENCE! From time immemorial, the cradle was given a special meaning, in addition to its main function - motion sickness of the baby, it served as a protection against evil eyes and tongues. For this purpose, it was decorated with various amulets, rattles were hung, an icon, a cross were put inside, and they were necessarily covered with a canopy of fabric. It was believed that the cradle should be suspended, scissors or knives were placed under it, protecting from all evil spirits. Happy cradles, in which the baby grew up healthy and naughty, were especially valued and inherited.

Modern cradle

Modern cradle models combine various options for maximum comfort for mom and baby. They produce cradles on casters for convenient movement around the house. Models with a built-in mobile, vibration and light projector allow you to distract the baby while crying. Some types of cradles can be configured in such a way that as soon as the baby begins to cry, audio recording with mom's voice is automatically turned on.

An important role is played by the material from which the cradle is made, it must be safe and not cause harm to children's health. The tree is considered to be the most environmentally friendly, and it is better if it is an array. Particleboard should be completely abandoned, because formaldehydes emitted during operation are used in its production. For the same reason, you should not choose a cradle made of plastic. In addition, plastic is not the most reliable material. Fasteners from it can break, causing harm to the baby.

Alternatively, you can buy a cradle with a metal frame. This model is reliable and strong. In this case, it is necessary to cover all metal elements with soft sides so that the baby does not accidentally hit them.

Modern models are designed for children from birth to 6 months. As soon as the child begins to toss and turn actively, in order to ensure his safety, it is worth shifting him into a more spacious and stable crib.

Types of cradles

In addition to a set of additional functions, the cradles differ in appearance:

1. Classic wooden or wicker. It is installed on special runners for swinging, often they are equipped with a pendulum mechanism. Cradle - a rocking chair swings the child on curved runners, as in a swing. The pendulum mechanism allows the crib to swing for a long time from one touch of the hand, without changing the position of the child on the plane. Motion sickness occurs back and forth or right-left.
2. With electronic gear.Motion sickness occurs using an electronic system. Parents just press a button to turn it on or change the speed of motion sickness. Some models turn on automatically, responding to the baby’s crying, while others can be switched on remotely using the remote control.
3. On wheels with integrated electronic swing. Allows you to easily move the baby around the house, while not disturbing his sleep. Electronic swing can be configured for different modes of motion sickness. The built-in mobile phone with pleasant soothing music will help the baby fall asleep quickly.
4. Suspended from a ceiling or pole. This model most closely resembles old cradles in Russian huts, not the most popular option today. If models attached to the pole can still be found, then suspended ones are extremely rare, since not all parents are ready to fix something to the ceiling in the apartment.
5. Side cradlegained widespread among mothers practicing joint sleep with the baby. Such models have the opportunity to remove one side and adjust the height in accordance with the height of the mother's bed. As a result, the baby sleeps with his mother, but in his crib.