Real Talk with Tasha - These baby gadgets can take a hike
Pulse Perspective by Natasha Jaques
So, you’re going to be a parent. You’ve read all the books, listened to the unwelcomed advice from relatives, and probably even joined a Facebook group or two, and now you sit in front of a blank registry. What do you need? You’ve heard about the Snoo and its suspiciously good reputation. Your aunt Linda has gone on and on about the wonders of cloth diapers and even your co-worker Jim has given an opinion on purchasing glass bottles rather than plastic. With so many options, which ones are worth it? How do you know what to buy? Well, that’s where I come in.
I’m a young mother of a toddler who is almost one and a half, and throughout his life, I've had to pick and choose items that were not only long-lasting but could be affordable and depending on the item, multipurpose. Above all its usefulness has to exceed any headaches it gave me. This has left me with a decent list of items that I honestly believe shouldn’t ever be marketed, at least not to most of the population.
1. Graco Remi 4-in-1 Crib and Changer
Starting off my list with the most obvious grievance, the Graco Remi 4-in-1 Crib and Changer. My fiancé and I initially bought it because our son’s room was a bit small and we figured it would be easier to buy something that could be made to grow with him, rather than buying a toddler bed and then a single bed. It was nice at first, sure there were a lot of screws that had to be dealt with, but it took three hours to put together and the instructions were confusing. But if it worked then it was worth it, right? Sure, if your child didn’t suddenly develop a phobia of the crib and only slept for two hours at a time while in it. Meanwhile, a mattress on the floor gave us a solid six hours before he woke up. On top of that, unless you want to remove the front of the crib to lower the bed frame( because you have to do it before your child gets big enough to climb out of the crib), you; be performing some intense yoga just to do so. So, unless you're willing to deal with these small grievances, go for another crib.
2. Sweety Fox Baby Highchair
Aside from having a small space we also had no dining room. So, we needed a highchair that could be stored away without issues. The chair could be adjusted to lay a baby down for bottle feeding and lowered to the ground for easy feeding. It also had a toy attachment, what's wrong with that? Well, the company could have added one more angle adjustment on the chair. Because unless your toddler is the cleanest eater on the planet, there will be plenty of food that drops between the tray and them. It’ll get smushed against the bar that keeps them from sliding out and will leave your toddler's legs covered in whatever they didn’t eat. This wouldn’t be a huge issue if all the straps could be easily washed. For the most part, all of the straps and the seat can be thrown in the washing machine and air-dried. But the waist straps, do not come off. They are bolted to the seat. So, you will be cleaning them daily with a toothbrush and soap. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to spend 30 minutes after each meal to scrub those pesky straps when my toddler is in dire need of a bath. And don’t forget about the tray. Since all the food will fall between the tray and the kid, you have the possibility of food getting under the tray. Then when you hand wash it, water will get into the crevices and spill out even when the entire tray is dry.
3. Onesies with only buttons
I know I’m not the only one who has a grudge against these, but I'm going to include them, anyone. Any parent who claims they liked these types of onesies, is not one to be trusted. I myself did not enjoy waking up in the middle of the night to nurse and change my newborn, only to have to tango with 20 tiny buttons that I can't see because its dark and I don’t want to wake up my baby. Most of the time you skip a few and now it looks like your baby dressed themselves. When you did laundry, you weren’t going to button all of these buttons up before putting the onesie away. Do you know how many clothes a baby or even a toddler will dirty in a day? No, you going to either do a couple of buttons to keep the garment together, or just chuck it in the drawer willy-nilly. I remember my son having at least 15 of those, alongside other bits of clothing. Do yourself a favor and get the onesies with zippers. Preferably the ones that end at the foot, so you don’t have to unzip the whole thing just for changes. You're welcome.
4. Car seats that only fit one specific model of car
Alongside the crib, one of the more expensive and necessary items you’ll need is the car seat. But be warned, not all car seats will fit your car. I learned this the hard way. My son grew out of his infant seat and we decided to get a car seat that could be adjusted as he grows. Convenient right? It would be if the dang thing had specified that it's only made to fit perfectly in some cars. We tightened ours up as tight as it would let us and it still moves around some. The only way to keep it perfectly still is to lower the passenger seat all the way back. Well, now your passenger is inclined for the entire ride. When he’s old enough to be forward facing then the seat will have an anchor that straps to the back dashboard, which will limit how much it shifts. But that’s a while away. So, look at the reviews of the seat you’re looking to buy. Make sure it can fit in your car. I’m not trading my Nissan Altima for a car this seat will fit, just make a car seat that can be adjusted to fit all types of cars, please.