...when my son was an infant was walking around with him strapped to my back. I could never understand why more parents didn't opt for backpacks and slings over strollers. Everything we needed for a trip to a store or a long walk to a park fit in the pockets of my jacket: a couple of diapers, a few wipes in a sandwich bag, a bottle. I was mystified by parents who wouldn't leave the house without packing a stroller with dozens of diapers, a whole box of wipes, multiple bottles, a selection of toys and stuffed animals, the favorite blanket and the second-favorite blanket, etc., etc.

Babies need so much less than we're lead to believe. I don't think baby backpacks are more virtuous or loving. But it's good to see them catching on. Because what they are is easier. They're easier to use than those awkward, hard-to-manueuver strollers/rolling nurseries. And since baby backpacks make leaving the house with your baby seem less like an ordeal—less like a long trip that you have to pack for—you find yourself leaving the house more often if all you have to do is grab a diaper and some wipes and strap the kid on.

I'm not saying everyone has to do it just like we did it, blah blah blah, or that folks who use strollers are DOING IT ALL WRONG. It's about each parent's comfort levels, blah blah blah, and we kept a stroller for when my mother came to visit and some people can't carry a 10-12-15-20-25 pound infant around on their backs. But most people don't need strollers—and lots of parents don't realize it until after they've purchased an expensive one.