Friday, May 4, 2012

Inbuilt obsolescence


While toddlerhood presents with many varied challenges, I have taken solace in the fact that we have reached a point in time where many things have become obsolete. Bittersweet as it is, I have moved on to the next stage of motherhood with the removal of many baby relics.

I think it is safe to say that around three years into this gig, I can regain some real estate in my house.

My top five space savers:
  1. The pram - I no longer need the biceps of Xena to wrestle the German engineered contraption into the boot. I have just realised that the short one has two working legs - and it's about time she used them.
  2. The nappy sack- one of those baby accessories that you felt that you just couldn't live without. The one that you pained over when selecting, making sure it color coordinated with the nursery…only to find that a Huggies box was far more practical, stuff the colour scheme.
  3. The change table – that raised mobile platform dedicated to all that is waste product.
  4. The nappy bag - the one accessory that I was really glad to see the back of...regaining the handbag option was so liberating. I could be a big girl again! An over the shoulder accessory that contained grown up things, as opposed to nappies, wipes, nursing pads, nappy cream etc etc.
  5. The toddler bed - progression from bassinette to cot to toddler bed was mostly predicated by necessity and polite medical advice. A head injury, an ambulance trip and 6 hours of neuro obs tend to prompt some serious re-thinking in terms of sleeping arrangements. Who would have thought that toddlers don't bounce?


To be honest, it was hard at first...those early pangs of 'my baby has grown up'. But then came the overwhelming feelings of freedom, space, maneuverability, independence...

I do have to keep myself in check though - I have successfully managed to un-encumber myself so much now, that I run the risk of throwing the baby out with the bath water...so to speak.


1 comment:

  1. I know it DOES sound liberating BUT....... you will now be encumbered with OTHER stuff so get prepared for: many large cheap plastic toys(e.g. pretend kitchen appliances), and small cheap plastic toys (e.g. ponies and associated hair styling equipment), a large bulging dress-up box containing lots of crap and a doll/soft toy collection to rival Toyworld. Even if you don't buy this stuff, other helpful friends and relatives will, whether you like it or not!! And not to mention all the stuff you collect once they go to school/play sport/take up 3 kinds of dance/become a dreaded teenager etc. etc. But that's in the future so just enjoy the moment while it lasts. And even when they are 25, they are still your baby. And even if they are 45 you still worry about them. Ahhhh, the joy of it x x x

    ReplyDelete