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A study in contrasts at a certain big-box baby store:

894 views 16 replies 14 participants last post by  Carolinamom4 
#1 ·
1. The "safety" aisle. 10,000 gadgets and chemicals to keep your little precious bubble-wrapped and safe. Hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes, sanitizing body wash. A device to keep prying fingers out of the DVD player. A separate device to lock the entertainment center so he can't get to the DVD player in the first place. Stove locks. Oven locks. Toilet locks. Washer/dryer locks. Lock locks. Corner guards for the coffee table--you wouldn't want him to bonk his head and get an owie!!!!!

2. The crib aisle. Every crib has $200 worth of fluffy bedding, bumpers, toys, pillows, and blankets in them. Never mind the SIDS/suffocation risk--the coordinated duckies and bunnies are sooo cute!!!!!



On the upside, we found a decent crib (my parents want to buy one for us, and we do not intend to full-time co-sleep, so we got one) in about 5 minutes (wasn't hard--most were either awful or flimsy or both), so we didn't have to stay there very long.
 
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#2 ·
It's such an industry and they totally prey on hormonal moms-to-be. You want your baby to be safe? Better sanitize it all and put locks on everything. Don't listen to common sense and just move your sharp-edged coffee table out of the room when your baby starts to walk - cover the corners with bumper guards (for $$). But then.. you're (I'm) full of "I need THE best for this child"-hormones, which, for me, translates into the cutest, sweetest, fluffiest. (Blankies, sweet pink clothes, etc. Not in the crib. We just have a thin pink bumper pad, and we'll take it out when she's bigger.) But most people see all that crap thrown into the crib and just melt. Plus, if you find the crib and see it already set up, then surely you "need" the other junk they stage inside it! You're really right about the irony of the "safety" shtick.
 
#3 ·
Ugh...I always leave those stores feeling annoyed. And even more annoyed at people I know gushing over those things, spending hours in those stores and making huge "essentials" lists, and showing me pictures of their perfectly matched nurseries stuffed with junk...:puke
 
#4 ·
One of the displays had a matched set that included:

1. Crib and crib set
2. Travel crib and travel crib set
3. Car seat
4. Stroller that accommodated car seat
5. Stroller that did not accommodate car seat
6. Swing
7. Walker
8. High chair

and...if you spent a certain amount on all of that matchy-matchy stuff, you could get the matching...

9. Bouncer

for free. A $49.99 value. Wow!!!!
 
#5 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by atpeace View Post
Ugh...I always leave those stores feeling annoyed. And even more annoyed at people I know gushing over those things, spending hours in those stores and making huge "essentials" lists, and showing me pictures of their perfectly matched nurseries stuffed with junk...:puke
This is SO me. I am always so tempted to go up to new moms and tell them there are way better products somewhere else...like baby carriers or cloth diapers, etc.
 
#7 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by ProtoLawyer View Post
One of the displays had a matched set that included:

1. Crib and crib set
2. Travel crib and travel crib set
3. Car seat
4. Stroller that accommodated car seat
5. Stroller that did not accommodate car seat
6. Swing
7. Walker
8. High chair

and...if you spent a certain amount on all of that matchy-matchy stuff, you could get the matching...

9. Bouncer

for free. A $49.99 value. Wow!!!!
.. and you never have to hold that pesky baby again!.. for only $229.95!
 
#10 ·
It's amazing what they try to market to the masses and first time parents.

All that safety stuff - you know, you might find you need one or two of them later on... or you might not. Since both kids have figured out how to open the front door AND unlock it, letting themselves out, we have put this door knob thingy on it. One day we came home and my mom surprised us by putting locks on the washroom cabinets, but dd1 figured them out. We ended up moving everything "dangerous" up high and putting towels and stuff the kids could touch and get into down low. Problem solved.

But there is absolutely no reason to lock every door, cupboard, etc.
 
#11 ·
Yeah, we do have a BUNCH of the oven and fridge lock type stuff, but that's because my DS went through a phase where he was constantly into everything as soon as my back was turned. It wasn't for his safety, it was to keep him from dumping the entire contents of the fridge when I wasn't looking! I don't want to have to hover over him his whole life, I'd rather put a fridge lock on and let him explore without me. And a toilet lock, and doorknob covers, and and...LOL

My poor new baby...you can tell this one is the third. He has ONE sheet that matches his brother's twin bed set, and other than that...no matchy sheets, no bumper or comforter at all, a simple mobile that doesn't have a bunch of bells and whistles, and a variety of non-matching non-new other stuff. He's so deprived
 
#12 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by ProtoLawyer View Post
One of the displays had a matched set that included:

1. Crib and crib set
2. Travel crib and travel crib set
3. Car seat
4. Stroller that accommodated car seat
5. Stroller that did not accommodate car seat
6. Swing
7. Walker
8. High chair

and...if you spent a certain amount on all of that matchy-matchy stuff, you could get the matching...

9. Bouncer

for free. A $49.99 value. Wow!!!!

That's just gross, I hate all that themed stuff and the weird thing is most of it is covered with grossly decorated crappy fabric that feels like polyester or something. Who wants to stare at all that exactly-the-same stuff anyway? I have a fisher price catalog that I got in the mail and every page is a different theme, it's hysterical. And scary.

I'm almost relieved we don't even have a nursery, baby will be in our room till she's big enough to be with sis or we move to a bigger house. So her stuff is just our more contemporary/eclectic non-matching style stuff! I'm sure she will be traumatized without all that themed stuff.

Oh and one of my biggest pet peeves are the stupid mobiles that match the decor and offer absolutely nothing interesting for a baby to look at, the stuff is usually facing out of the crib, not the baby. Blah!
 
#13 ·
What's even better is that within 6 months, all this crap you buy will be recalled.


My poor baby will be so "deprived". All we have is a co-sleeper with a white sheet, some cloth diapers, DD1s old baby clothes, a sling and a carseat. The poor child will have to be held and tended too 24/7 with nothing to keep her "safe" or "entertained".
 
#14 ·
When I was pg with DS, we went to a fancy baby store to look around and there was a disgusting chintzy crib for a baby girl on display with a quote engraved on the headboard that said something like,
'My Prince did come and his name was Daddy'
:puke
We practically ran out of there screaming!
 
#16 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by welsh View Post
When I was pg with DS, we went to a fancy baby store to look around and there was a disgusting chintzy crib for a baby girl on display with a quote engraved on the headboard that said something like,
'My Prince did come and his name was Daddy'
:puke

I've seen this saying on onesies and such too. Creepy!
 
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