Cardboard Box – Unexpected Advantages
The first crib of Finnish Babies
The Finnish government has been giving a cardboard box to expectant mothers of the country since 75 years. The package is like a baby shower starter kit that consists of clothes, sheets and toys and baby goodies as a gift from the state to its newborn citizen. The cardboard box present has been using as a bed for infants since then, and it is said that it helped Finland to achieve the lowest infant mortality ratio on global.
The unique tradition was started back in the 1930s where the government of Finland decided to give children an equal start in life regardless of their backgrounds. The maternity items and baby goodies are packaged in cardboard boxes designed to pamper the mother and newborn in the most comfortable way –available to all expectant mothers. Expectant mothers are given a choice between taking the box or a cash grant that is set at 140 Euros till now. However, 99% opt for the cardboard box as it is worth much more than the grant. The tradition was set to begin with the scheme that will cater to low-income families, but it is changed in 1949 and served every expectant mother of Finland.
The cardboard box from state arrives with bodysuits, sleeping bag, bathing products, outdoor gear, nappies, other baby essentials, bedding and a small mattress.
With the mattress in the bottom, the cardboard box becomes a baby’s first bed. Almost all the Finnish children took their first naps within the safety of four cardboard walls.
So the cardboard box provided to mothers with what is crucially needed to take care of their babies but also helped in steering pregnant women towards a better healthcare provided by the doctors and nurses of the budding welfare state.
This action of the state has saved their newborn citizens from death. In the 1930s, Finland was a poor country, and its infant mortality ratio was extremely high. Approx 65 out of 1000 babies died each year. After this action, the death tolls of infant lowered in significant numbers, and the figures improved rapidly afterward.
The maternity cardboard box for all women is a starter of this according to Mike Gissler, the National institute for Health and Welfare in Helsinki professor.
Cardboard Boxes Improved Kids learning abilities.
A preschool teacher in Ohio when suggested to replace all learning materials and toys in the classroom with cardboard boxes, surely he was expecting some complaining from his three years, old students. Surprisingly, none got any issue with this idea.
Pete Kaser, the preschool teacher, stated in an interview to NBC4,
“None of them grumbled about having cardboard boxes instead of toys, so far the experiment is going pretty cool because some of the quieter kids showed leadership roles in projects after the implementation.”
Astonishing behavioral changes are observed. Indeed, kids enjoyed playing with cardboard boxes more than they ever enjoyed playing branded toys. The experiment showed remarkably positive differences in learning and developing abilities.
