The Best Books of 2022 The New Yorker Object Lessons is a series of short beautifully
designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things. Among the many things expectant
parents are told to buy none is a more visible symbol of status and parenting philosophy than
a stroller. Although its association with wealth dates back to the invention of the first pram
in the 1700s in recent decades four-figure strollers have become not just status symbols but
cultural identifiers. There are sleek jogging strollers for serious athletes impossibly
compact strollers for parents determined to travel internationally with pre-ambulatory children
and those featuring a ride-on kick board or second less babyish seat designed with older
siblings in mind. Despite the many models available we are all familiar with the image of a
harried mother struggling to use a stroller of any kind in a public space that does not
accommodate it. There are anti-stroller evangelists fervently preaching the gospel of baby
wearing and attachment parenting. All of these attitudes seemingly about an object are also
revealing of how we believe parents and children ought to move through the world. Object
Lessons is published in partnership with an essay series in The Atlantic.
