When my son was born, everyone gave advice.
Some talked about sleep schedules, others about feeding routines, and many shared tips about strollers, bottles, and baby products. But one piece of advice came from my grandmother, and it had nothing to do with modern parenting.
She handed me a small evil eye pin and said quietly,
“Attach this near the stroller. Not because something bad will happen — but because protection begins with intention.”
At the time, I smiled politely. I grew up seeing protective symbols around babies in my family, but I never thought much about them. To me, they were traditions from another generation.
Still, a few days later, I pinned the small evil eye charm to the side of the stroller canopy — close enough to be seen, but gentle and discreet.
I didn’t realize then how meaningful that small act would become.
The First Walk Outside
The first time we took our baby out for a walk felt like stepping into the world again for the first time ourselves. Everything suddenly felt more fragile. Every sound seemed louder, every stranger’s glance more noticeable.
My husband pushed the stroller while wearing a simple evil eye bracelet I had given him a few weeks earlier. He wasn’t someone who usually wore jewelry, but after the baby arrived, he said it made him feel connected — like carrying a quiet responsibility on his wrist.
We walked slowly through the park near our home. Sunlight filtered through the trees, and people smiled as they passed by, often stopping to look at the baby.
That’s when I understood something parents rarely talk about: when you become responsible for someone so small, you also become aware of how exposed the world feels.
The evil eye pin on the stroller suddenly felt less like decoration and more like reassurance.