When I was pregnant with my second son I began to worry that he would not have any one-on-one mommy time like my first son did and I started to look at daycares as the first child wouldn't be in preschool for another year. But I didn't want fulltime care and it is a rare daycare that allows a child to attend for only one day a week.
I was so excited when I heard a mother talking about Parent's Day Out I practically cornered her in the rec center to get the details. I was pleasantly surprised at how many programs are available in the area. Was I the only one unaware? I must be, because the openings go fast and some Day Outs have a waiting list.
Stay-at-home moms/dads need a break sometimes and a Parent's Day Out can be a savior. Most programs are 9am-3pm, four to five days a week but you generally sign up for one day a week.
Costs range from $25-50 for registration and average $100-130/month for care.
Great Escape - United Methodist Church
Julie Cleminshaw, Director
3757 Ponderosa Dr
303-674-0448
www.evergreenumc.org
Church of the Transfiguration Episcopal Church
Janet Reznik, Director
27640 Highway 74
303-674-4904 ext 12
http://www.church-transfig.net/
Joyful Noise - Lutheran Church of the Cross
Tuesdays and Thursdays
28253 Meadow Drive
303-674-4130
www.l-c-c.org/
Monday, August 13, 2007
Thank goodness we bought (or inherited) that!
I queried my friends and we came up with a list of must haves to make parenting easier (beyond the staples of car seat with matching stroller and pack-n-play). Some of these items have links to stores that carry them.
Funny enough, there may be some overlap between money well spent lists and not worth the money lists - depending on the viewpoint. I have tried to note them with an *. The comments should explain why the differing opinions.
Infant
1. Jumpy seat
2. Chariot stroller, jogger, biking, skiing setup (big money - but worth it if you are active outside year-round)
3. Baby Bumbo chair
4. Snap & go stroller - this was a lifesaver for the twins - it allowed us to just get one more car seat and then snap both of the seats on to the frame for a stroller
5. Tupperware - the kids have their own set and can play with it for hours
6. Big rubber balls from Walgreens
7. *Indoor tent and tunnels - hours of fun (5 minutes at a time) but easy to pack up and store
8. Safety outlets - no pain in the ... outlet covers to deal with.
9. Stove knob covers for gas stove.
10. Grocery cart cover - keeps the little ones from finding as many germs (mouth on handle of grocery cart - yum!)
11. Adhesive mount cabinet locks - no ugly locks on outside of cabinets.
1 year
1. $10 plastic pool (forget the blow ups that squirt water etc. this is all they need to be happy)
2. Canopy for wagon
3. Puppy backpack "leash" - sounds bad, but it is cute and if you've got a runner and you're pregnant or just had a second child - this could literally be a lifesaver. Target has them.
2 years and up
1. Play kitchen
2. Swing set
3. Portable DVD player (this is a must have for travel)
4. Sand/water table
5. Art table
6. Lego table
7. Singing big sister Dora doll
8. *Train table (if you have the room) no clean up!
9. Fisher Price adjustable basketball hoop
10. Bikes
Funny enough, there may be some overlap between money well spent lists and not worth the money lists - depending on the viewpoint. I have tried to note them with an *. The comments should explain why the differing opinions.
Infant
1. Jumpy seat
2. Chariot stroller, jogger, biking, skiing setup (big money - but worth it if you are active outside year-round)
3. Baby Bumbo chair
4. Snap & go stroller - this was a lifesaver for the twins - it allowed us to just get one more car seat and then snap both of the seats on to the frame for a stroller
5. Tupperware - the kids have their own set and can play with it for hours
6. Big rubber balls from Walgreens
7. *Indoor tent and tunnels - hours of fun (5 minutes at a time) but easy to pack up and store
8. Safety outlets - no pain in the ... outlet covers to deal with.
9. Stove knob covers for gas stove.
10. Grocery cart cover - keeps the little ones from finding as many germs (mouth on handle of grocery cart - yum!)
11. Adhesive mount cabinet locks - no ugly locks on outside of cabinets.
1 year
1. $10 plastic pool (forget the blow ups that squirt water etc. this is all they need to be happy)
2. Canopy for wagon
3. Puppy backpack "leash" - sounds bad, but it is cute and if you've got a runner and you're pregnant or just had a second child - this could literally be a lifesaver. Target has them.
2 years and up
1. Play kitchen
2. Swing set
3. Portable DVD player (this is a must have for travel)
4. Sand/water table
5. Art table
6. Lego table
7. Singing big sister Dora doll
8. *Train table (if you have the room) no clean up!
9. Fisher Price adjustable basketball hoop
10. Bikes
Money not well spent...Things we bought and didn't need
Here are a few things that seemed like a good idea but we never used - so save your money!
I queried my friends and we came up with a list of don't waste your money items to save parents the money and headache.
Funny enough, there may be some overlap between money well spent lists and not worth the money lists - depending on the viewpoint. I have tried to note them with an *. The comments should explain why the differing opinions.
Infant
1. Bottle and Food Warmer (plug in)
2. Bottle and Food Warmer (portable)
3. Bottle paraphenalia caddy for dishwasher to hold the nipples etc. for bottles (the nipples etc. fit nicely in the silverware caddy and I forget to take the holder out of the cabinet so it is never used)
4. Faux shearling baby seat cover for winter - just never used, was always too much effort - more apt to have child dressed in a snowsuit and/or draped in a blanket.
5. Boppy - initially used for first child then figured out it was more comfortable to breastfeed without it
6. Baby lotions
7. Infant clothes other than onesies
8. Infant socks and shoes - my boys' feet and ankles were too fat to fit in any but slippers and low cut athletic socks
9. Bath toy holder that suctions to the wall - ours always seem to fall and spill all the toys in to the tub
10. Baby sling - never felt confident that the baby was safely held in it - preferred the Baby B'jorn
11. Baby B'Air - for flying. As of my last inquiry, the FAA would not allow you to use this on takeoff or landing, just during the flight. The airlines will also make you unsnap the top clips of the Baby B'jorn on take-off and landing. So, buy a seat for your baby's carseat or hold on tight and pray it is a smooth flight.
12. Breast pump - as a stay at home mom I rarely used for my first son and didn't use at all for my second son. However, if you work or your child spends a lot of time with someone else other than mom, it can be a lifesaver.
1 year
1. Remote control toys - the novelty wears off fast - at least with our kids
2. *Indoor tent/tunnel (the kids broke this within a day. Gramma decided to get them another and the same thing happened)
3. Not one in particular, but you can buy too many of the Fisher Price village components. Each are great, but having just the farm or just the airport would be fine.
4. Stoveguard to keep little fingers out - the one we bought fell off every time the stove warmed up.
5. $40 blow up pool that has blow up slide, palm tree, etc. and sprays water (seemed like a good idea)
6. Bed rail - when I looked on Craigslist, I noticed most advertised "hardly used" this got me thinking that either you have a kid who needs one, or you don't. So we gambled, didn't buy one and won. He started in the big boy bed at 20 months and only fell out once.
2 years and up
1. *Train table to go with train set (our house is too small and it takes up valuable space) just as much fun and takes less room to play with on the floor and then pack away in a much smaller box
I queried my friends and we came up with a list of don't waste your money items to save parents the money and headache.
Funny enough, there may be some overlap between money well spent lists and not worth the money lists - depending on the viewpoint. I have tried to note them with an *. The comments should explain why the differing opinions.
Infant
1. Bottle and Food Warmer (plug in)
2. Bottle and Food Warmer (portable)
3. Bottle paraphenalia caddy for dishwasher to hold the nipples etc. for bottles (the nipples etc. fit nicely in the silverware caddy and I forget to take the holder out of the cabinet so it is never used)
4. Faux shearling baby seat cover for winter - just never used, was always too much effort - more apt to have child dressed in a snowsuit and/or draped in a blanket.
5. Boppy - initially used for first child then figured out it was more comfortable to breastfeed without it
6. Baby lotions
7. Infant clothes other than onesies
8. Infant socks and shoes - my boys' feet and ankles were too fat to fit in any but slippers and low cut athletic socks
9. Bath toy holder that suctions to the wall - ours always seem to fall and spill all the toys in to the tub
10. Baby sling - never felt confident that the baby was safely held in it - preferred the Baby B'jorn
11. Baby B'Air - for flying. As of my last inquiry, the FAA would not allow you to use this on takeoff or landing, just during the flight. The airlines will also make you unsnap the top clips of the Baby B'jorn on take-off and landing. So, buy a seat for your baby's carseat or hold on tight and pray it is a smooth flight.
12. Breast pump - as a stay at home mom I rarely used for my first son and didn't use at all for my second son. However, if you work or your child spends a lot of time with someone else other than mom, it can be a lifesaver.
1 year
1. Remote control toys - the novelty wears off fast - at least with our kids
2. *Indoor tent/tunnel (the kids broke this within a day. Gramma decided to get them another and the same thing happened)
3. Not one in particular, but you can buy too many of the Fisher Price village components. Each are great, but having just the farm or just the airport would be fine.
4. Stoveguard to keep little fingers out - the one we bought fell off every time the stove warmed up.
5. $40 blow up pool that has blow up slide, palm tree, etc. and sprays water (seemed like a good idea)
6. Bed rail - when I looked on Craigslist, I noticed most advertised "hardly used" this got me thinking that either you have a kid who needs one, or you don't. So we gambled, didn't buy one and won. He started in the big boy bed at 20 months and only fell out once.
2 years and up
1. *Train table to go with train set (our house is too small and it takes up valuable space) just as much fun and takes less room to play with on the floor and then pack away in a much smaller box
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
