February 18th, 2010
If you’ve got a used baby product, there’s still time–until February 20th–to take advantage of Toys “R” Us’s Great Trade-in Event. Trade in your used crib, car seat, bassinet, stroller, travel system, play yard, high chair, or toddler bed for a 25 percent savings on the purchase of a new baby item in any of these product categories from select manufacturers.
Have you taken advantage of the Great Trade-in Event? I’d love to hear from you about your experience with it. What did you trade in and what did you buy in return? Would you do it again if the program is re-offered?
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Tags: baby gear, baby products, saving money
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February 2nd, 2010
I had the privilege of speaking on two radio shows yesterday–WARM 103.3 with morning show host, Traci Taylor, in York, PA and Money Matters Radio with Chuck Nilosek in Boston on how to save money on baby gear. Both Traci and Chuck asked me: “What’s something lots of new parents buy for their baby that they just don’t need or that’s even unsafe?” My answer: Crib bedding.
Crib bedding–a bumper, blanket and pillow set–can run you hundreds, even thousands of dollars, depending on how designer you want to go. But it’s money that you needn’t and even shouldn’t spend because the safest cribs are bare. They’re outfitted in nothing but a tight-fitting mattress and a tight-fitting sheet. Everything else–even sleep positioners–pose a suffocation/SIDS risk. To keep your baby warm, dress your baby in a sleep sack or a swaddle sack to replace a blanket.
A bare crib isn’t something you’ll often see in stores and in magazines. Check out this study by Rachel Moon, M.D., a pediatrician at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., on how more than one third of pictures of sleeping infants in magazines geared toward women of childbearing age showed unsafe sleep positions or environments that weren’t consistent with recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics:
A decked-out crib can be dangerous.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19706591?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=1
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Tags: bedding, crib, saving money
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January 29th, 2010
When’s the best time to start potty training/teaching your child? It’s not just when you’re ready to be so done with diapers. According to researchers at The Bristol-Meyers Squibb Children’s Hospital and at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, you have the best window of opportunity to potty teach when your child is between 24 and 32 months of age. In the study, kids older than 32 months had a greater incidence of bed wetting, day wetting and other I-gotta-go-now urge incontinence issues. And, apparently, before 24 months, many children just aren’t developmentally ready yet. For more about the finding, visit: http://rwjms.umdnj.edu/.
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January 28th, 2010
On January 27, Regal Lager recalled the Ruby, Onyx, and Topaz models of its CYBEX strollers due to the potential for fingertip amputations and laceration hazards from the exposed hinge mechanism, adding this stroller to the roster of recent stroller recalls. One finger fracture was reported. Stop using this stroller if you have it and contact Regal Lager at 800-593-5522, info@regallager.com or www.regallager.com/recalls to receive a free hinge cover retrofit kit. The strollers were sold between August 2009 and November 2009 for $140 to $260. Watch out for this stroller (and other recalled models) at tag sales, consignment shops and other places where secondhand baby gear is sold if you typically shop those venues.
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January 27th, 2010
When my kids were in daycare, I sort felt okay if they picked up every little cold bug that came their way because I had heard that kids need to get sick to build up their immunity. Turns out that’s a myth. While a cold or virus can help prime a child’s immune system, it’s not something your child needs. “Routine vaccinations, including a yearly flu shot, boost kids’ immunities enough,” says Philip M. Tierno Jr., Ph.D., director of clinical microbiology and immunology at New York University Medical Center in New York City and author of The Secret Life of Germs.
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January 26th, 2010
Put diapers on your baby registry
When you’re registering for baby products, it’s easy to get caught up in what stroller, crib or car seat to put on your wish list. But don’t forget the little stuff such as diapers, diapers and more diapers (but not in the newborn size; you’ll only need one package of those so go ahead and buy those yourself), diaper wipes, diaper rash ointment, breast pads, pacifiers, a nursing bra or two, breast milk storage bags, baby bottle liners, formula (the store brand is just as nutritious as name brands), baby body wash (which doubles as shampoo) and a digital rectal thermometer (a $10 one will do). These practical items may not seem gifty, but they’re nifty—especially when, say–you run out of diapers and discover another package amidst your baby shower bounty, which prevents you from having to dash to the 24-hour pharmacy. (Been there!)
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January 25th, 2010
While the idea of giving a very active baby an outlet for his energy may be appealing, the suspension nature of a doorway jumper can invite trouble. Most doorway jumpers accommodate babies up to 25 pounds, starting from when they can hold their head up unassisted. Bungee-style cords or springs suspend the seat from a nonslip clamp so pre-walking babies can jiggle themselves up and down when they push off the floor. Annually, though, jumpers are associated with an estimated 800 injuries to children in the U.S. under age 5, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. But even one is too many. No amount of supervision can keep an infant from crashing to the floor, and that may happen no matter how many times your baby has used the jumper successfully in the past. All told, you’re better off skipping this purchase.
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January 23rd, 2010
Did you give birth…in a hurricane? On the way to the hospital? At work? Unexpectedly? (As in–surprise! You didn’t even know you were pregnant.)
For a major parenting magazine, I’m looking for dramatic birth stories like these. If you fit this description or know of anyone who gave birth under extraordinarily dramatic circumstances within the last year, send me your story (sgordon1@mindspring.com). I’ll contact you for an interview. Thank you!
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January 21st, 2010
I can’t help but check out all the cute babies when I’m waiting on line for my splurge latte at my local Starbucks. But lately, my thought process has been something like this: Oh, what a cute baby. But, hm, he’s definitely outgrown that infant car seat. Should I tell his mom that it’s time to trade up?
Fit Tip
Infant car seats are generally meant for babies 30 inches in height or less. But unless you’ve just been to the pediatrician for a well-child check-up, it’s tough to get a read on your baby’s height. Nonetheless, here’s an easy way to gauge if your baby is ready for the next-stage car seat: Look at your baby’s head when he’s sitting in his infant car seat. If his head is at the top or less than an inch from the top of the car seat, it’s time to get a convertible car seat. Use it in the rear-facing position until it’s safe to turn it forward facing, based on the manufacturer’s recommendations. (Keep the instruction manual handy.)
Your baby will outgrow his infant car seat before you know it. Most do by the time they’re 6 to 9 months old.
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January 20th, 2010
For information on the latest baby product recalls–such as which models of Graco strollers and Dorel cribs are involved in today’s recall and what to do if you have a recalled model–you can visit www.recalls.gov if you don’t already get their notices via their e-mail service. But an even more user-friendly option is CPSC’s new safety blog at http://www.cpsc.gov/onsafety/.
It’s gives you up-to-date info in an easy-to-read format. Love it!
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