Once you’ve gotten past the adorable (though challenging and crazy) newborn stage, many common baby items take on new, unforseen purposes. Especially upon entering the toddler years.
And then there are those toys that seemingly ALWAYS had another purpose… Or at least that’s what your child would like you to believe.
Parental Uses of Common Baby Items
Pacifier – Yes, pacifiers soothe the fussy newborn wonderfully. But once baby hits the talkative toddler stage, we’d all be lying if we said we didn’t use it more than once to stop the diuretic flow of babbling (in our case, especially when there are already three other children talking on top of said toddler). We love you, kid, but shush for five seconds.
Pack-n-Play – What a lovely contained environment for baby to play! Or rather… What a lovely (sort of) contained environment I can put this all-over-the-place toddler in so I can drink an actual cup of coffee or clean the five million toys he’s dumped on the floor in the thirty seconds he’s been out! (While being pelted by the handful of toys placed INSIDE the Pack-n-Play in futile hopes of entertainment.)
Burp cloths/swaddle blankets – Once baby has outgrown the initial newborn phase, these are perfect for cleaning up all sorts of messes. Soup boiled over? Burp cloth. Older child missed while potty training? Swaddle blanket. Don’t use up all your precious, fuzzy towels (which you’ve been saving for that shower you’re never going to get). Use the handy wipers you have a surplus of already.
Real purposes of common toys
Stacking blocks – These brilliant educational toys teach letters, numbers, AND building skills. And also double as deafening tools of mass destruction of the eardrums. Yes, baby Aiden, bang them together one more time. Or let’s BOTH build up a tower as high as it can go and then knock it all down on the reverberating tile floor. Bonus points if you hit any body parts not your own on the way down.
Sippy cups – Did you know? Sippy cups are not only for learning cup-drinking skills–they are also great PROJECTILES. When aimed correctly, they can incapacitate an adult for up to five minutes, longer depending on age and mobility. Learn this skill well, young pedouin! It may save you from certain time out in the coming toddler age.
LEGOs/Duplos/Building Blocks – You knew this one was coming. MINEFIELDS I say. Not toys. Not in the least. Especially when found by toddlers. And the winning piece: that one shaped like an L. One LEGO to rule them allll…
If you’re looking for some creative toys that hopefully WON’T destory your feet,
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