Obviously I've ended up with stuff that just didn't work for us. So here's my list of top 10 useless baby products, in no particular order.
Their slogan's actually "The Pee-pee Teepee for the Sprinkling Wee-wee". With such a cutesy name, who can resist? I came across this before we knew Keston's sex...and I actually hoped to have a boy just so I could buy and use this!It's basically a cone-shaped flannel cloth with cute designs meant to be placed over the baby's wee-wee when he pee-pees. I was sold on the idea and convinced that if I did not use this, I was gonna get a faceful of pee everytime I change Keston's diapers.
So when we got back from the hospital, I very excitedly placed 1 piece by the bedside. The first time we used it, either by the sheer force of his pee or his squirmy butt motions, the pee-pee teepee did not stay in place. It fell off within 2 seconds. I convinced myself that the next time it would work. But sadly no, and subsequently we were treated to some pee projectile action. In defense, we just grabbed a nearby cloth to cover the offensive area. And whatdya know? The cloth works! The cloth works! A simple, cheap, rag works better and it doesn't cost me US$11 (excluding shipping)! After making a mere cameo appearance of less than 5 times, the pee-pee teepee has been banished to some deep dark corner of the baby cupboard never to be seen again.
2. Cloth Diapers and Liners
When attending antenatal classes, I was convinced that cloth diapering was the ONLY way to go. It is not only greener, but saves a heck lot of money. Plus, it's really easy...or so I thought. Mrs Wong told us not to bother with the likes of Bumwear cos using the cloth napkin is so convenient. And cheap! But when you have a newborn who needs to be changed NOW and you're terrified of the attack of the projectile, who has time to slowly wrap the cloth napkin and pray hard for it to stay in place?! We told everyone we'd start with the cloth diapering when Keston's a little older and not so demanding. But 10mths down the road, the liners are still sealed in the box. The cloth napkins made an early appearance as blankets and bedspreads. But now, even they are banished into that deep dark corner of the cupboard.
3. Baby Monitor
Baby Monitors are an essential on every single baby list out there so of course we just had to get a set. I mean, it's an essential right? So off we went....neglecting the fact that the baby's room is just literally 3 steps from ours! In the beginning we dutifully turned the monitor on all day, all night. Even if I was sitting right beside the cot, the monitor would be on. For what? I really have no idea. Eventually we accepted the fact that we had perfect hearing and could hear baby's cry for help very clearly without having any aided amplification. And after awhile we turned off the monitor. Wasted too much batteries (didn't want to have any electricity near the cot) and we didn't want to be awakened by every little gasp and snore. These babies, however, have not been banished into that deep dark corner yet. They are still dutifully attached-- 1 at the cot, and 1 in our room....pretending to be functioning, although batteries have been removed and no electricity is plugged in.
4. Fisher-price Stack & Roll Cups
This toy promised great things.
Baby can learn so much through basic play, and these stackable, nestable, fit-together-and-roll-around cups offer endless versatility for lots of enriching discoveries. Includes 10 colorful cups to grasp, stack or nest, with grooved surfaces for a snug fit and easy stacking. Different colors, sizes and numbers help build early identification skills. A smiling jingle ball nests inside any cup, or fits on top of a whole stack!
BUT it just didn't interest Keston. He's not interested in stacking 'em together...and only mildly interested when we form little balls out of them. The only thing he does with it is to topple it over so the biggest red cup falls off. And then he uses the rim of the red cup to scrape across the marble flooring, creating the most skin-prickling screech. I would then snatch it from him and hide it so he would stop scraping it across the floor.
5. Fisher-price Kick n Whirl Carnival gym
See this post http://kestonchan.blogspot.com/2008/12/keston-and-his-gyms.html
In a gist, Keston's so afraid of this gym that he shitted in his pants...it has since been sold away to make way for other toys.
6. FlatOut Bear
I am very very reluctant to list this here. I first heard about this luxurious bear from Shimin. On reading up on it, it seemed like such a wonderful bear and having many celeb fans didn't hurt its credentials.
Unfortunately our little guy has absolutely no time for his new furry friend. He gave it a customary feel the first time I introduced the bear to him and that's about it. He flings it aside when I put it near him when he's falling asleep. Initially, on a couple of occasions, Keston did reach out for the bear when he fell asleep. But after that, he couldn't be bothered with the bear anymore. Sometimes I'd tuck the bear into his arms when he's asleep and somehow he knows cos within minutes he'd fling it aside......It's now a permanent resident on my bed instead.
7. Taggies
Taggies® were created by an early childhood educator & mother of three. Taggies blankets are a lovey security blanket based on the idea that babies and kids love to rub satin edges, clothing labels and tags. Taggies offer babies and kids a generous assortment of tags which are designed to be both tactile and visually stimulating. Every Taggies tag looks or feels different. We call Taggies an "interactive Tagged blanket" because it provides the child with both an exciting activity and at the same time it is their cuddly, soft lovey security blanket. Your little one will love this children's security blanket.
Apparently children are supposed to love their little taggies. So I ordered one for little Keston. It's a lovely piece with pawprints on one side, minky on the other side and adorned with his name as well. It's so cute and I adored the idea of Keston being like Linus (from peanuts), dragging his little taggies blankie with him everywhere. Sod's law. Keston wants nothing to do with it! He tosses it aside everytime I place it in his path. It is nothing but a mere obstruction in his little world.
8. Prince Lionheart BebePod Seat
We didn't have a bumbo seat cos we had this handed down to us. So I dunno if it's due to the difference in structures/functions or Keston's just...different. It didn't help him to sit up at all. Whenever Keston was placed into the seat, he'd just slump forward. Or else he'd pull and throw the knob in between. In short, it did nothing at all and we returned it after a short stint. Keston eventually learned to sit up by himself in his own time.
9. Cot Mobile
Our cot mobile came free with the purchase of the cot. So we didn't get to buy one of those fanciful musical lighting type of cot mobiles. Ours was a simple wind-up and go mobile , much like the picture above. Needless to say, our little friend was not impressed. He barely looked at it and couldn't be bothered to reach out to pull it.
10. Siliskin Silicon Glass Bottle Protector
After the initial BPA scare, we decided to go the glass bottle way. Then of course I read about this product and was convinced that if we didn't get this, we're gonna burn ourselves everytime we hold the bottles because glass is such a great conductor of heat. Right, the glass bottles are indeed hotter than the plastic bottles and yes, the Siliskin did a great job of insulating the heat away. BUT....it's really quite difficult to pull the siliskin on and off and almost impossible to read the markings accurately. So in the end, we just pulled off all the skins and stuck to the naked bottle.
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