2015 No Thank You List

I’m not a typical blogger with a holiday gift guide.  Instead I do a “No Thank You” list of gifts I don’t want for my kids this year!  (See 2014 and 2013).

I’ve got a new baby at home and tons of new baby gadgets have come out since I amassed my stash of baby gear with baby #1 over 7 years ago.

But many of the “must have” items that came out this year seem more like baby torture devices to me, like:

“Womb-like” swaddlers

I’m all for swaddling, in fact I may be a little too avid with the swaddling, having swaddled all of my older three kids well past 6 months (Pipsqueak, however, has never liked being swaddled/contained, even in my tummy he just wanted to stretch out).  But I feel like these “womb-like” swaddlers are just mean.  They’re designed to let the baby wiggle a little within the swaddle while still helping them feel secure, but one of the great things about blanket swaddling is that with a little wiggling, the baby can escape from even a super tight swaddle if and when they want to (rest assured, though, the blanket doesn’t pose a risk as it stays under their bodies and really can’t get over their faces)

Clean Hands Changing Pad

I mean, seriously.  Part of the parenting game is dealing with grabby hands during diaper changes and while it’s not the most fun part of parenting, it’s also an AWESOME teachable moment.  While this device is I’m sure convenient for mommy, it really takes away from some important life lessons like “don’t touch poop” and basic direction following plus it puts a physical barrier between you and your child during one of the few moments during our busy lives that we should be 100% focused, tuned into and engaged with our children.

Susen Safe Soft Cap

Doesn’t this baby look so delighted?  First off, I can’t imagine that thing is one-size-fits-all and would easily pop onto a Doodle size head, it also looks like some kind of rubber which means it could easily stick and hurt as you try to put it on. Plus, what about the hair that’s under the cap?  I think I’ll just stick to laying the baby back and using small amounts of water over the back of his head.

And some new baby items are just plain dangerous, such as:

FlyeBaby

First off, the safest place for any person (babies and toddlers included) is buckled in their own seat (in a car seat for little ones).  There are so many things that could go wrong with this device from the tray table which holds it up falling to turbulence bouncing the baby out to mommy smashing the baby into the seat back.  Seriously, just spend the extra money on a ticket for your baby and actually keep him/her safe.

Bottle Slings

The worst, seriously, the worst.  Where to begin… 1) The American Academy of Pediatrics discourages propping bottles as it can be a choking hazard, increase chances of ear infections and can cause tooth decay.  2) Most car seat manufacturers prohibit hanging anything from the handle while the seat is in the car (this even includes soft toys!)  3) This is the ultimate projectile risk if used in the car, the slightest bump or quick stop would send the bottle flying who-knows-where.  4) Babies are not supposed to be left in their car seats for extended periods time outside of the car as children have been known to suffocate or be strangled while sleeping in a car seat out of the car.  Just say no!

And then there’s the things that just make me go, “huh?”

Bib/Placemat Combo

So at first this seemed like a good idea, what a great way to keep food off your kid’s lap!  But then I thought about the inevitable pulling of the mat part and the flying food.  The back of the placemat part is sticky but  never had luck with sticky placemats (I still have most of the pack I bought for Honeybun 7 years ago!) so I’ll just stick to my pocket bibs, thank you.

Cry Detecting Machine

The name says it all: why?  I’ve never needed a machine to tell me what my baby needed, a little common sense and process of elimination has always worked just fine (he just ate and had a diaper change, he must be tired…)