Wednesday July 25, 2012
Truly essential?
WEBSITES, books, the media and baby shops are constantly shouting to new parents about the absolutely essential baby items one needs for a newborn.
As most experienced parents know, you can do without quite a number of these “essentials.”
In fact, a lot of parents find that as they gain more experience, the list of “essentials” gets shorter and shorter. Many learn to make do with things they already have at home.
Aspiring children’s cookbook writer Sheila Jaya Poomy, 40, is one of those who learnt the hard way what the real essential items are.
She confides that she bought them because friends and acquaintances told her she needed them and also based on what she had read in books. Then, there was the “just in case” excuse we all have for the endless supply of items in our store rooms.
A welcome respite: Visit Parenthots to find out how to win prizes from Golden Horses Health Sanctuary, in conjunction with Parent’s Day. Sheila, who has three daughters aged one, three and six, used her newborn baby items for a short time and then ended up passing them on to others who might find better use for them.
“Perhaps some other parents would find use for them where I wasn’t too smart about using them ...,” she says humbly.
Stay-at-home mum Maizura Abas, in her late 30s, admits to being a shopoholic. Shopping for her first baby gave her romantic and unrealistic notions about what things were going to be like when she had her baby.
“Reading too many baby magazines and browsing baby shops too often were also things I shouldn’t have done.
“I bought an expensive baby cot bumper and bedding but my baby slept in our bed and hardly slept in his cot (it’s a good thing the cot was a hand-me-down!).
“I also bought lots of educational toys and materials which turned out to be unsuitable. Besides, I didn’t have the time to use them.
“Then, there was the very expensive breast pump. In the end, my baby refused breast milk in a bottle!” she explains.
Maizura, whose children are now five and 11, ended up giving away these “essential” items.
These mums share their thoughts on some “essential” items on ParenThots.
Book reviews
Teach Yourself: Baby Massage And Yoga is ideal for new parents who want to learn more about bonding with their baby over massage or yoga.
Helping Your Toddler To Sleep is ideal for new parents and those with textbook kids; not so suitable for those with high-strung toddlers.
Readers write in
Three mums write about why it is important to develop their children’s EQ. One mum writes remorsefully about the challenges of motherhood and how supportive her family has been.
If you want to win a free puzzle from BRAINet, just write in to parenthots@thestar.com.my on the topic “Why is developing my child’s EQ important?” Tomorrow is the last day to submit entries.
The best story for the month wins the Logic & Creativity - Colours puzzle, which helps children learn math and logic. For details, go to ParenThots.
Contests
There will be a prize-giving ceremony for the winners of ParenThots’ Stop the Bullying contest on July 28, 2012, from 11am-1pm at MPH 1 Utama, Petaling Jaya, during the Stop The Bullying book launch with authors Andrew and Julie Matthews.
In conjunction with World Parents Day on July 22, ParenThots is teaming up with the Golden Horses Health Sanctuary to offer parents a chance to win a comprehensive health screening worth RM300++ or a hamper worth RM150.
All you need to do is write in to parenthots@thestar.com.my and tell us “What is happiness?” in less than 150 words. Contest details can be found on ParenThots.
ParenThots is The Star’s parenting portal. For more information, e-mail parenthots@thestar.com.my or surf to www.parenthots.com.
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