It’s 2017 and how the times have changed since your grandparents have had children. We now have a variety of different baby products to choose from that they did not.
There are many safety concerns to think about now that they didn’t have to think about back then and they have become more adaptable.
We have items that can grow with a child, eliminating the need to buy new ones when they grow out of them. Here are my top five baby gears that are pretty new and that my grandparents (unfortunately) didn’t get to enjoy.
Double Jogging Stroller
Back when our grandparents had children, there was no such thing as a jogging stroller, let alone a double jogging stroller. Their strollers didn’t carry the benefit of holding two children at the same time. I presume our grandparents didn’t care much for the idea of jogging with their children in a stroller, therefore the strollers weren’t designed for such activity.
Unlike the ones from back in the day, these strollers are now designed to be easily folded.
A
double jogging stroller is equipped with all terrain tires, so they’re perfect for exploring the great outdoors, whether you’re going for a jog or just a casual walk with your babies through any terrain.
All Terrain Stroller
Since the time of our grandparents, strollers have certainly come a long way. They weren’t equipped with all terrain tires. Although with the lack of sidewalks in the day, they definitely would have come in handy to brave the rough terrain.
An all terrain stroller can come equipped with three or four wheels. The tires are usually larger in size and filled with air so as to glide smoothly over any sort of terrain.
Just like the jogging stroller, they are designed to fold easily unlike the ones our grandparents had.
While they are easy to fold, they are heavy and not very compact...which is where they are slightly comparable to the strollers of our grandparents’ day.
Travel Crib
My mom told me when she was growing up, her grandparents lived down the street eliminating the need for travel. Nowadays, chances are we live further away from our immediate family which means often times we’ll have to travel with our little ones to go see them. This creates the need for a
travel crib in order to have a place for the baby to sleep.
Travel cribs are great especially if you’re a frequent traveler. They are often times lightweight and easy to fold when you’re finished. If it needs to be washed, it can be taken apart to wash. Often times they come with a carrying pack so it’s easy to carry when you’re traveling.
If you have an infant, you can sometimes find one with a bassinet to hold your little one that you can also remove when they’ve outgrown it.
Now instead of not knowing where to put your sleeping baby, you can easily set up the travel crib and have a comfortable, temporary place for them to sleep.
All-in-One Car Seat
When our grandparents used car seats, there weren’t safety standards like expiry dates, safety harnesses, and certainly no rear facing in the back seat. Nowadays car seats require all of those items in addition to the cushioning to keep your little one comfortable and safe.
They have evolved even further than that into an
all-in-one car seat. Car seats are now able to grow with your child. When a child outgrows a car seat, they are still required to sit in a booster seat until they reach a certain size or age...whichever comes first.
There is no longer a need to switch out the car seat when your little one has outgrown it. Pay one price and have multiple seats. With a few quick adjustments, it can switch from car seat to booster seat in a snap.
Convertible Stroller
Convertible strollers were not a thing of the past, thankfully we have them now. They make life a whole lot easier for the parents who are always on the go because you can attach a compatible car seat, so there’s no need for the extra car seat and you can easily switch from the car to the stroller.
The
convertible stroller is another one of those handy baby items that grows with your child. When your baby outgrows the car seat, you can just add the toddler seat for them to sit in. This way you can choose to have them front or rear facing and it conveniently reclines when they’d like to have a nap.
Most of them allow for you to switch from a single stroller to a double stroller. This saves you time and money from having to go out and buy a double stroller.
Closing Comments
Now I’m not saying that all of the products that our grandparents used were all bad, but they have certainly evolved. As I mentioned before, safety standards have changed in order to keep children safer. In order for this to happen, they would have to adapt to these changes.
One of the best things about the changing times is that they’ve found a way to make some of these things grow with children. Buying things for babies and children can get quite pricey and unlike back in the day, we no longer have to replace a lot of these items once a child has outgrown one.
Who's the Writer
Evelyn is the person behind
Mommy Stroller. The blog was started by Evelyn and her husband, Paul, who both decided to blog about baby gear after the overwhelming feeling they experienced when trying to pick out their first stroller. Both of them enjoy spending time with family and friend, live music, and going on jogs with their kids (in a stroller).
For detailed baby gear guides, stroller reviews and anything and everything stroller related, check out Mommy Stroller! You can also connect with the Mommy Stroller crew on
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