We Survived

I recently had a conversation with Amy and Filbert about things our kids have that we didn't...and we survived! The conversation mostly revolved around seat belts and car seats neither of which were required when we were young. Although I do not advocate letting your kids do without seat belts and car seats just because we survived without them, there are certainly things that fall into that category.

Wipe Warmers. Sure it makes the experience more pleasant, but is it necessary? I think not.

Remote Controlled Mobiles. Really? My daughter never had a mobile, so maybe I've just missed the whole boat. I guess parents who are too lazy to get up and go across the room/house to start the mobile or change the speed/sound need a remote. Speaking of remotes, where is my TV remote...?

Mini Washing Machine for Cloth Diapers. If you don't believe me, check it out. Although this link does not advertise to use this gadget for cloth diapers, other places it is advertised as a solution for keeping pees and poops away from the rest of your laundry with this new machine. If you have expendable income, go for it. And it fits on your counter top! That's where I like to clean my poops and pees!

Crying Analyzer. Maybe I'm the odd mom out, but isn't it easier just to check the diaper, offer food, and look for something uncomfortable than to pull out a machine, have your baby cry into it and hope that this is right, as it is 87% of the time, about your baby's cries?

Shopping Cart Covers. *Dodging tomatoes* I know many of you out there think this is a necessity for your precious little one. I'm told that 95% of first time moms will take precautions for their firstborn and then just find that to be a hassle and unnecessary with their second. (You caught me, I made up that statistic, but you second and third and fourth time moms know there is truth to that.) Our grocery store has disinfectant wipes at the door next to the carts. I just use those and try to keep my life simple and my diaper bag light. (Similarly, there are these same covers for restaurant high chairs.)

Lead Testing Kits. Somewhere the Consumer Product Safety Commission has just started a file on me. When I was a kid, we ate lead for fun! My elementary school had a back alley where not only my sister was caught kissing a boy behind the shed, but the lead dealers (who were all in 4th and 5th grade) would go to sell their product and get us all our fix before the dreaded afternoon dolldrums. The trace amounts found in toys just are not worth the hysteria the CPSC has thrust upon us. Unless your kid is eating paint, the lead threat just isn't that great. And you have a bigger problem. YOUR KID IS EATING PAINT. Besides, I saw an exposé on the news that showed these tests often give false positives and fail to detect lead in some cases.

What would you add to this list?