If you are horrible at the holidays, like myself (or horrible in general like this lady), you may have found yourself without a gift for your baby for various reasons— freelance jobs that work over weekends, stomach bugs during crucial holiday shopping hours, confusion over early onset Hanukah, etc. Maybe your baby is so new that you haven't yet entered the "Normal Thinking Adult" phase. Or maybe your case of "Mommy Brain" is chronic. OR. Maybe you have older kids with very real holiday wants and desires, so you put the needs of a child who doesn't yet understand the meaning of Christmas (TOYS! TOYS! TOYS!) on the backburner.
In any case, you're in luck! Because your baby NOT ONLY could care less about your excuses, but he/she also doesn't care about how much time and effort went into their gifts! So I've put together a handy round-up of items that will occupy your baby while everyone else is ooohing and aaaahing over their iPads and their Xbox Kinects
1) Velcro Wallet: Mazzy's personal favorite. We keep one next to the changing table to use as a "Sudden Screaming Flip" preventative measure.
2) Bottle of Aspirin: This might sound dangerous BUT— I recommend using a plastic bottle with a childproof cap, emptying it out and filling it with loose change. DIY rattle!
3) Tennis Ball: Did you know that Andre Agassi's dad hung a tennis ball over his crib so he could practice following the ball with his eyes? TRUTH.
4) White Sock: Simply take a black Sharpie and draw some eyes on the toes. Call it Casper and you've got yourself a supercool ghost puppet!
5) Tupperware: Store it in it's original kitchen cabinet location for added interest.
6) Old Blackberry: Charge that bad boy up and take an educational trip with your baby all the way back to 2007.
7) Cardboard Box: Boxes are so effective, depending on your child's intelligence level, you may be able to use this gift fallback for the next eighteen years.
8) Remote Control: Afraid your child will erase your backlog of "Tabitha's Salon Takeover" episodes? Locate an old VCR remote or just remove the batteries from your current one.
9) Empty Water Bottle: It crackles, it shape shifts, it doubles as a wind instrument— if it also ate all the food from your fridge, I'd call it the cheapest babysitter EVER!
With these household items at the ready, you can feel free to test out your new iPad till your heart's content. Just don't let the baby see it. Because that baby will settle for nothing less from that point forward.
So true. My son always takes way more interest in an empty box or my cell phone than his actual toys. He also really enjoys playing with empty Tim Horton’s cups. And we have a tupperware cupboard specifically for him to play in while Mommy cooks dinner.
My son’s favorite toy right now? My brush. Followed closely by a plastic tub that pretzels came in.
Kids are weird.
One of Mazzy’s favorite places to hang out? By the garbage. You would think it was a toy chest the way she always beelines for it.
Mazzy loves that rubber nose bulb thing. I try and keep her away but she’s very strong.
I love your optimism. This is the point where I would normally cackle wetly and say something along the lines of “JUST WAIT A YEAR.” But. It’s the holidays. So I’ll say it next weekend instead.
Mwah.
I’d add the dog’s chewing toys (when we visit my mother) and of COURSE any set of keys.
And jewelry. OMG how C reaches, stretches, whines and begs whenever I break out my grandma’s pearls! Not cheap, but already there.
True that about the iPad. Most expensive babysitter? I’m not rich enough!
I appreciate that. My last shred of sanity needs to hold on to a little optimism for survival.
Mazzy loves my jewelry too but to prevent such un-merry events like choking and strangling, I opt to keep them away from her.
Try cat toys instead of dog toys- I wonder how C would fare with a little bit of catnip!
I got an iPad for mother’s day last year. It’s got Mazzy’s grimy paw prints all over it.
One of my fave posts… seriously good advice. The Tupperware trick is epic. Leave in the cupboard…who’d of thunk?!