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You’re Pregnant – Go Forth And Purchase!

by Rochelle Gillespie — 28 Jul 10 — Blog 0

Just shy of seven years ago my husband and I became first-time parents.  We’d had little to do with babies prior to our own special arrival, so like most first-timers we were thrust naively into the world of newborns, night-feeds, and nappies. But there was a whole other world opening up before our bleary-eyes – baby-consumerism.

Oh, the things we never knew existed that are seemingly essential to bringing up a healthy, happy, well-adjusted child of the 21st century.

It all starts with the layette.  I’d never heard of the word before, and here I was in the months prior to baby’s arrival, earnestly purchasing and ticking off each item on the list.

It amazes me how previous generations have managed to survive. Not only have they had to combat polio, smallpox and other misfortunate ailments – but they did it all without a snazzy three-wheel urban stroller or a 360 degree rotating multi-height activity centre.

Needless to say, my husband and I were suitably sucked in and the spare room became a nursery, boasting bassinette, blankets and an unnecessarily large stockpile of baby powder. It’s virtually a right-of-passage for first time parents. Take pregnancy test – go forth and purchase!

Seven years on, and we’ve done it all again – twice! With each passing year, the layette list seems to grow exponentially.  But what amazes me is the stuff that we seemingly can’t do without this time round, that didn’t even exist when we had our first-born. For instance:

• Watties sachets of meat sauces.  Just add it to mashed veges. Genius.  With two other kids in the house I’m sorry, but I simply don’t have time to whip up a batch of lambs fry to deep freeze.
• Kiddie Boards. Attached to the back of the stroller, it’s a brilliant way to get the three-year-old moving with purpose and not stopping to pick up every second stick he sees.
• Facebook.  Keeping the at-home mum connected with friends and family all around the world. Also serves as a way to post photos so others can confirm what we already know that our kids are “sooo cuuute.”
• Skype.  Of particular importance when relatives live in other cities and countries.  Kindy songs are now received with actions, not just mumbled words down the phone.
• Modern Cloth Nappies.  A great way to feel like you’re doing your bit to limit the ridiculous number of disposables fermenting in rubbish tips up and down the country.
• Parents-Rooms in Shopping Malls.  A place to breast-feed, to change a nappy and some even come with TV’s to entertain the toddlers. Now that’s thinking.

So while I sit here reminding myself that I have tried to limit my consumer-footprint by borrowing or buying second-hand, I remain in awe of the people who’ve had these brilliant strokes of genius sometime in the last seven years and turned them into money making ventures.

It makes you wonder what fabulous things will be around in the next seven years, and is it possible I could be the brain-child of one of them?