Top 10 Greatest Tech Gadgets for Parents
Parents need all the help they can get, and if that help comes in the form of a weird-looking gadget, so be it! Here are 10 nifty tech devices that will make life for moms and dads so much easier—seriously.
1. Pacifier Thermometer
It's the perfect antidote to taking baby's temperature "the old fashioned way." Beside the fact that the pacifier thermometer makes it so we don't have to combat wiggly, kicking legs (and a few yelps!), it's a great way to see if baby has a fever in the middle of the night without getting him undressed and undiapered.
2. mamRoo Swing
Anybody who's ever stuck their baby in the car and drove around in hopes that she would fall asleep say, "I." Enter the 4moms mamaRoo. It's a swing! It's a bouncy chair! It's...the thing that will help get your baby to sleep. With five different movement settings—yes, "car ride" being one of them—this thing is sure to soothe your little one.
3. Video Baby Monitor (with Internet Viewing)
Some say audio monitors will suffice. Those people clearly don't have toddlers who pretend to be sleeping and then climb all over things when they leave the room. Whether you're a nervous first-time parent who likes to keep a close watch on your baby or a seasoned mama who wants to peek at your little one on your phone while at work, a video monitor is so worth every penny.
4. A Breast Pump
If you're nursing, odds are a breast pump made its way on your baby registry. Good call. Yes, breastfeeding is a beautiful experience, but few things can rival the feeling of leaving the house, knowing you don't have to rush home because there's a bottle of freshly pumped milk in the fridge. It's the little things.
5. Baby Shusher
I love hearing my baby cry! Said no one ever. When their little one is inconsolable, parents will try all sorts of tricks to soothe them. What's something that ought to be among them? The Baby Shusher, a nifty—albeit, strange—device that, well, shushes your baby. This noise machine mimics the rhythmic sounds of the womb, triggering your baby's "natural calming reflex," helping to stop him from crying. In other words, it's a quiet house in a weirdly shaped can.
6. Snuza Baby Movement Monitor
Fact: when your (first) baby rolls over onto his tummy in his crib, you're bound to freak out. Sure, your little one may finally be sleeping like a rock, but with all this talk about how "back is best," how could you possibly catch any Zzzs? The Snuza Baby Movement Monitor does exactly what it says: monitors your baby's movement, so you don't have to. You simply clip the device onto your baby's diaper near his tummy, and if there's no movement for 15 seconds, an alarm will sound. A must for parents who feel the urge to constantly check on their sleeping baby. (You know you've put your finger under baby's nose to see if he's breathing during an extra long nap.)
7. Itzbeen Pocket Nanny
You may think you'll remember the last time you changed your baby's diaper or fed him, but when you're in the throes of newborn-dom, you won't be able to remember whether or not you showered. The Itzbeen Pocket Nanny is perfect for keeping track of baby's naps, feedings and poopy diapers—the trifecta of parenting topics.
8. Watch Over Me Dream Station Mobile
A mobile is a mobile, right? Not when a mobile can soothe your baby back to sleep in the middle of the night! The Watch Over Me Dream Station mobile is so smart that it senses when your baby wakes up, fixes him a bottle and rocks him back to sleep. Kidding. But, this mobile does sense what stage of sleep your baby is in, and if necessary, intervenes with the proper lights and noise. Getting baby back to sleep without getting out of bed? Um, yes, please.
9. A Smartphone
Sure, smartphones are lifesavers for moms for a million reasons—the camera, the calendar, the apps—but the real reason mamas absolutely need one is because: what on earth did people do while nursing before smartphones?! You'll be thanking your lucky stars that you've got a smartphone to play around with during those middle of the night feedings. And an added bonus? It grows as your child does! A smartphone is also the perfect thing to bring with you when your baby becomes a toddler who insists you stay with him while he falls to sleep. It's the gift that keeps on giving!
10. A Tablet
We all want to be the parents who never allow screen-time for our kids, and instead have them frolic in the garden for hours on end, allowing them to develop their imaginations. But, the fact is, rain exists. And snow. And when all other attempts to entertain the kids fail, the tablet is always a shoe-in. Also, don't board a plane without one. Your fellow passengers will thank you.
