Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Top 10

Top 10 Inventions (for Moms)

1. Disposable Diapers--I know all about the environmental aspect, but since my boys were in diapers at the same time (even the same size for a while), without Pampers they would have probably ended up lying naked on a plastic sheet for most of their infanthood. There's no way I could have kept up with the laundry.

2. Pacifiers--This was a lifesaver sometimes when the thought of a crying child stressed me out. To get rid of it when it was time, I cut the nipple off and told Josh that it was broken. He looked at it, threw it away and never asked for it again. (Adam was a little older and smarter. He knew there was more than one so I had to "break" several.)

3. Sippy Cups--These wonderful inventions saved many carpets, pieces of furniture, and articles of clothing during toddlerhood.

4. M&M's--Packages of these miracle candies should come with instructions for parents. Kids will do almost anything for three M&Ms.

5. Juice Pouches--They are so handy to grab on the way out the door or pack in a lunch box or cooler. And now you can get 100% juice which makes them even better.

6. Shopping Carts with more than one seat--My grocery store of choice got these just in time. Both boys had outgrown the little seat on the back of the cart and loved riding in the little car attached to the front. The steering wheels and horns gave me 14 1/2 minutes of shopping time before any major meltdowns.

7. Prepackaged Snacks--Individually wrapped crackers, granola bars, and applesauce are staples at our house. Convenient and yummy!

8. Triaminic Cough Strips--I've recently discovered these and they are great. They are individually wrapped cough medicine strips that work just like a dose of cough syrup. But they are not nearly as messy and are much easier to carry in my purse.

9. Cameras--One of my very favorite things are the pictures of my boys starting from the day they were born. I'm still stuck in the 90's with a film camera, but I use it often and treasure each picture I get. And on that note...

10. Scrapbooking--I have chronological scrapbooks of my family from the time Josh was born. They are so wonderful because I can organize my pictures but also add journaling which helps keep those memories alive for the boys to read years down the road. (Besides that, you get to use stickers and those cool scissors.) :)

I know that this is a fairly short list and all moms probably have their own things to add, but these are just a few that have made an impact on my mommyhood. I'm sure that as the boys grow so will the list.

2 comments:

Idaho Dad said...

Huge agreement on the sippy cups and pacifiers (or binky as we called it)... My kids had a hard time sleeping without their binky. We always took it out after they fell asleep so they wouldn't have problems with their teeth.

I'd also say that the portable DVD player is a great invention for long car trips. It gives the kids something to look forward to after a couple of hours on the road, and they know they have to be good or they won't get a movie.

I'm also a huge fan of baby carrots. Just so incredibly handy for the kids to grab a handful. We have a rule in our house that carrots are an "anytime snack". My son will munch on carrots before and after dinner. It helps to fill in the holes in his tummy, he says.

Amy said...

when my son was about 3 or 4 he received his first box of K'nex (like legos but cooler). He would take a handful of them wherever he went and would build and rebuild and reshape and mold and invent all day long with just 10 K'nex. To this day, he still loves them.

Oh, and hand sanitizer. Just ideal for all kinds of places.