0-6 Month Stuff
When I was expecting my first I was ready to invest in complicated brain neural development toys. You can do that, and that is great, but you can also not and have kids that turn out fine (personal opinion only here). Now, there are a few tools and toys that made my time of 0-6 month olds easier. These are those:
Baby Kick Mat: https://amzn.to/3R2EoU0
This was a staple for both of my kids. I was initially anti the bright colors and noise, but if you’ve read my prior posts I quickly got over that fairy tale. They both laid and kicked for more than 5 min (crucial to get anything done as mom), and when they could sit would sit and bang on the keys. I may still be able to sing you, word for word, some of the songs featured in this wonderful product. We used this in a tiny apartment and our house. I’d recommend.
Baby Teethers/Fruit Teethers: https://amzn.to/3yH5AS3
Both of my kids liked to chew on things from a young age. This set is a mix of teethers with stems (a handle) and a giraffe that were my kids favorites. Also fruit teethers - silicone fruit feeders where you can put smooshed up fruits (+/- frozen fruit) and let the baby go nuts - I used these around 6+ months, once my kids could hold them themselves. Please don’t take this as a recommendation for the proper age to start using these, but they were a fun way to introduce foods where my kids could sample tiny amounts of foods without me being concerned about big pieces/choking hazards, etc.
Stacking Cups: https://amzn.to/4bZnQo4
These are a staple. My baby and 3 yo still play with them. They may seem simple, but I’ve found simple is best.
Stacking Rings: https://amzn.to/3V1ddKv
Same here. These are a staple. My kids both chewed on them, shook them, stacked them. My 3 yo still pretends these are donuts or bagels.
Baby Carrier: https://amzn.to/3Va64Yy
This is the age where I found my kids loved to be carried and it didn’t break your back. This was my go to carrier - they felt secure, and I felt I could use my hands to do other things. I will repeat I FELT I COULD USE BOTH OF MY HANDS TO DO OTHER THINGS. Like dishes. or sweeping. Or refilling the cat feeder. Or doing laundry. This is a big deal. Many carriers (I found) didn’t give me the feeling I could actually stop holding my child to do other things. This one did. It may just be me and my kids strange enormous heads (thanks to their dad, but it did. Please be aware I have a different go to 9ish month + carrier when the child wants to face outwards and be more engaged in whatever you may be doing.
