Parenting Stuff

Are you a first time parent? Need help finding gift ideas for friends that are first time parents? Here's what I think every parent should have as they navigate parenthood. (These links are unaffiliated, meaning I don't make money if you click them)

baby car seat

Image by Clek Inc. via Clek Inc.

My wife did research from here to tomorrow about which car seat we were going to get for our little one once he outgrew his infant car seat, and let me tell you this car seat from Clek seems like a pretty badass car seat.

At the end of the day all car seats have to meet a federal safety standard, but we opted for one that had additional safety features that also extended the length of time my kiddo could stay in a car seat for added safety, whether front or rear-facing. It's a bit expensive, but personally I'm not skimping on the safety of my child.

diaper bag and a man with a baby carrier

Image by Tactical Baby Gear via TBG

Dad's want to help carry around their kids and their kids stuff...but we don't really want to do it with floral patterns and paisley. Tactical Baby Gear solves this by making a "Tactical" Diaper Bag with tons of storage for your everyday diaper needs, as well as a Baby Carrier with Molle webbing for adding whatever you want.

My favorite feature of the Diaper Bag is a removable baby changing pad that also adds padding to your back when its folded up and zipped to the back of the bag.

They make other products but I've only used these two and I've been super pleased with them.

a bamboo plate, bamboo bowl, and two spoons

Image by Avanchy via Amazon

These are a MUST have if your child likes to play what I call "Lift and Flip" where they lift and flip over their food plate/bowl.

After many months of looking for a solution that worked (other companies suction things failed almost instantly), this two piece set of bamboo plate and bowl has withstood many chaotic dinners.

Be sure to suction the plate/bowl with the tab facing away from your little angel for increased chance of success.

Only drawback is not being dishwasher safe, but I'll take washing dishes than mopping floors any day!

two cups with handles for toddlers

Image by Munchkin Miracle 360 via Amazon

We tried other similar "spill proof" cups that of course our kid was able to spill in half a second. This specific company has worked great for us and allows our kid to work on his grip with two handles for easy grasping. We have another one without the handles but our child is able to hold onto these a lot better and drink from it with greater success.

two plastic holders with handles for toddles

Image by Flipping Holder via Amazon

This has been the best in the fight against having apple sauce and yogurt packets being squeezed all over our carpets. You unscrew the packet, slide it in, and let your kid drink their snack in peace. Can they still cause mayhem? Yes, but its just less mayhem, which means less clean up.

baby medicine

Image by Little Remedies via Amazon

There is nothing more frustrating than not being able to get your little one to sleep due to gas. As they try different foods their little bodies need help getting used to digesting food and the gas that comes with it. I've found that these coupled with doing some "bicycles" my little one has been able to pass gas and sleep better.

Consult with your pediatrician before trying it out on your kid. I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV.

Image by NovaFerrum via Amazon

If your little one needs iron supplements then this is the brand to go with. The other leading company you get at the pharmacy tastes terrible and it will take all day to try to get your kid to eat it.

This supplement tastes pretty decent and mixes well into yogurt or apple sauce.

As always, consult with your childs pediatrician before giving supplements.

Image by smarTrike via Amazon

This was gifted to us and our kid loves it. It has a feature to easily disconnect the handles from the wheel so the parent is in control of where the trike goes. As your child gets older you can then give them control of the wheel and pedals. Super easy to assemble.