Parenting Picks and Pans Part I

Some integral parenting tools for our family:

- Baby Sling. This product deserves a post of its own and will get one in due time. It is like an extra set of loving hands. I didn't get one until Eva was almost a year and I don't know how I parented without it. It comforts, it carries, it covers. You can go places you could never go with a stroller. You can do things you'd never be able to do without one. I really cannot recommend "babywearing" more highly.

Eva in the 'ring sling' in Thailand

Micah in the same 'ring sling' in Puerto Vallarta


Micah in the 'pouch sling' in Creel, Chihuahua, Mexico. I sewed this one myself. The other one is a little more comfortable because it's padded, but this one fits in a purse. I carried it with me all the time and also used it a ton.

Micah in a 'wrap', overlooking the Copper Canyon in Chihuahua, Mexico. This is just a long piece of fabric that you rig up in any number of ways. The fabric I had was a little too thin to be overly comfortable, so I didn't use this type of sling/wrap much. But there are lots of parents who use this type extensively.

- Eddie Bauer (Safety 1st) Transit Tandem Stroller
We still use this all the time. It is fantastic! It folds umbrella-style quite compactly. The kids love it. It is comfortable for both of Andrew and me to push, despite the 13.5" difference in our heights. It is nice and narrow. And the price was right at $129 US at Target. Highly recommend it. The only thing we don't like about it is the teeny tiny storage basket. Also I suppose it would be nice if it had a parent tray or cupholder. But at $129 who's complaining?!?

- Blue Baby. I got this guy at Toys R Us. Eva had a few other babies but didn't really fall in love until she got this one. Micah also loves Blue Baby. I'm pretty sure the key features are the hard head and open/close eyes.


Things for which we have had no use:

- High Chairs. The one we had, anyway. Took up too much room and collected too much gunk in the nooks and crannies. Tray unwieldly to wash in the sink. Haven't hit upon the ideal solution, as the booster seat we're currently using also collects a lot of gunk. But at least it doesn't take up the whole kitchen.

- Pureed Baby Food and Baby Cereal. Eva ate some but Micah never did. I just offered him finger food at about 6 months. He was interested and able at about 7 months. I gave him non-choking-hazard non-allergenic table food in easy-to-grip chunks. He decided what and how much. Sooooooo much easier for me than sterilizing water or pumping milk for cereal, than boiling and blending fruits, vegetables and meats. And he's done excellent. No choking issues. No weight gain or developmental issues whatsoever. No problems with illness.

I may expand on "baby led feeding" in a future post.