Six Toddler Essentials | Buying Smartly For Your Toddler | TicTalkToe

Around a year and a half ago, I had done a post on NEWBORN ESSENTIALS | THINGS I WISH I KNEW EARLIER | GUIDE TO BUYING THINGS FOR YOUR NEWBORN

I was a new mother then. I used to plan my blog posts and pen them while Tara would be asleep. Things have changed so much now. I work from home. I pen articles. I have the liberty to blog as and when I want to. However, Little Tara has been keeping me really busy (not that I am complaining!)

Would love to list a couple of things that have really helped me tide through, post 6 months of maternity, especially when Tara started her solids and I started going out with her more often.

Structured Baby Carrier: I got myself Soul Anya, and my back must be thanking me for this! Tara is no longer light-weight and carrying a toddler weighing about eight/nine kilograms does require core strength. Soul Anya is my perfect companion during Doctor visits for Tara’s vaccination, during my cafe and mall hopping, during travel as well. I have also penned a separate blog post on this, and I hope it will be of use to parents who are still contemplating whether to invest in a structured baby carrier or not! Here is the link to the POST

Playpen: Tara still spends most of her day in the LuvLap Baby Playpen, and it puts me off the constant worry of tracking her. I put her in it and finish off my household chores. A quick trip to the loo when nobody is around to watch Tara. All this has been possible only because of the Playpen. A MUST HAVE for all new parents, I would say! Now that she is 22 months old, she climbs into the playpen and spends some time on her own as and when she wants to! (The playpen has a zip on a side and makes it easily accessible for a Toddler)

Playmat: A good quality Playmat becomes very engaging for a toddler. Tara loves counting the figures on the Playmat and in case of accidental falls, I know that the cushion from the playmat acts as a good support. She literally spends quite a lot of time on her playmat, specially while her caregiver is feeding her. It makes clean-ups easy. Here is the one I am using, and trust me when I say, it is of a great quality. STAR AND DAISY PLAYMAT 

Toys: It’s true that toddlers can play with anything and everything, but engaging toys such as a shape sorter or stack of colourful rings help in developing their gross motor skills. I also engage Tara with crayons, blank sheets and magnetic letters. She scribbles as and what her heart wants. She also recognises colours and letters while playing along. A magnetic doodle board or blackboard keeps her engaged for quite a while.

Hip Carrier: When Tara was about 18 months old, we invested in a hip carrier. This has also been a life-changing experience for us. This is nothing but a seat for your baby, while you wrap an arm around them. After a C-Section, I used to experience frequent back pain. But with the Butt Baby Carrier, I carry Tara wherever I want to without worrying. Although it might seem costly, your arms and back will literally thank you. Trust me! You can also store a diaper, wipes and few baby essentials inside it. Win-win situation, I would say.

Sipper Bottle with a weighted straw: I use one by LuvLap and the quality is really good. Tara has been using it for over a year now and loves drinking water from it. It is easy to clean as well and has sides to hold on to for your munchkins. Though we will try and wean her off sippers in a few months, this is really handy while travelling. It is made up of high grade steel too. However, it is a little bulky, and will add to the weight of your luggage. Click here to BUY NOW

Apart from these must-haves, there are plates, cutlery, small glasses (stainless steel utensils), air tight tiffin boxes to carry snacks while on the go, sipper bottles,

Do you have more to add to this list? Do list them in the comments below, so that other parents may also find it useful.