GRAND Magazine - March 2009 - (Page 26)

Necessities, not By Jeanne Sager Don’t waste your money on “newfangled” gadgets S since the beginning of time, baby boys have peed on someone. ometimes first-time granDparents are like kids 3. Plastic outlet covers. Supposed to protect Princess from sticking her digits where they don’t belong, these only work in theory, because the bulk of the “covers” on the market can be pried off by even the tiniest of hands— at which point they become choking hazards. Suddenly, rearranging the furniture to block the outlets doesn’t sound so crazy, does it? in ye old candy store when it comes to shopping sprees—but, unfortunately, half of the “newfangled” items that soon-to-be grands buy—because it was something they didn’t have and “Oh boy, we wish we had”—are worthless. Diaper wipes warmer? Portable crib with built-in iPod? About as useful today as they would have been 25 years ago. Not very. If you’re considering something on this list, we have three words for you—don’t be ridiculous: 4. Pee-pee teepees. Since the beginning of time, baby boys have peed…on someone. So why should your kids be any different? The novelty of these little cones, designed to sit on top of his manhood during a diaper change, will wear off within a day. Pretty soon they will learn like every other parent in the centuries of parenting little boys that it’s just as easy to leave the top half of the diaper on top, and slip the bottom half off first. 1. That wipes warmer. Can’t imagine your kids putting a freezing-cold piece of wet cloth up against your precious grandbaby’s little bum? Guess what—they’re going to have to do it everywhere but home, where the wipes warmer will remain, plugged into the wall. So why not just let the baby feel what it’s like to have the cold (actually only lukewarm) piece of cloth rubbed up against his little tushie from the get-go? Then, there won’t be any surprises on the road. 2. Bottle sterilizer. Even if Mom’s breastfeeding, the baby has to have a bottle now and then, and no one wants the new baby catching icky germs? The average dishwasher gets water so hot you don’t even have to go through the whole “fill a pot with water, bring it to a boil” routine. 26 GRAND MARCH 2009

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine - March 2009

GRAND Magazine - March 2009 GRAND View Contents GRAND Central Isn't it GRAND? The Hippest Grand of All? Saying Goodbye Necessities, Not The Perils of the Purse Take Care Sexy at Sixty 50 ‘Hidden Treasure’ State Parks Resources GRAND Finale

GRAND Magazine - March 2009

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