Stroller Envy Insight
I have a fantastic stroller! In fact, it has served us very well over the past 20 months and has plenty of life still in it. It is sturdy, dependable, not too heavy, and easy to use. But I must confess ... I have defintely been guilty of stroller envy every now and then.
You see ... the travel system (car seat and stroller) we chose comes in a variety of colors. Before Jack was born, I had my heart set on the green and grey color scheme. But when Jack decided to make his arrival into the world one month earlier than expected, we had to quickly purchase our car seat separately rather than taking the time to find the whole travel system. The only car seat available near us came in orange and grey. A few weeks later we were able to find the stroller in the matching orange and grey and our travel system was complete!
Every once in a while, we will be out shopping and see a family pushing around my favorite green and grey travel system and I experience a small twinge of stroller envy. Sad ... but true!
Just this weekend, my husband and I were discussing how funny it was that when I was pregnant, I spent so much time and effort choosing all of the baby gear and hunting for my favorite styles and patterns. I would spend hours online and in the stores trying to decide which ones I like the best and trying to predict what our little one would like the most. But when all is said and done, baby gear is used for such a short period of time that the style and pattern don't matter. What matters is the safety, durability, and practicality of the gear. I am reminded of this fact every time I go down into our basement at home and see the exersaucer, swing, and bouncy seat (among other gear) packed away where styles and patterns don't matter at all! We loved these things while we used them, but before we knew it, Jack had grown out of them.
The insight I'm trying to take away from this is that it doesn't matter what color your stroller is or if your swing and bouncy seat match the nursery decor. What matters is the time spent soaking in life with a baby, because before you know it ...
... your baby ...
... becomes a little boy!
In the March 2010 issue of ParentLife, our "On the Way" department for expectant provides helpful tips for narrowing down what kind of baby gear you really need — the essentials! If you are an expectant parent (or if you know someone who is expecting a baby), be sure to check it out!
Comments (1)
oh, that is SO TRUE. I smile when I see & hear friends discussing the cutest trends and clothes & such for their new little ones because I remember feeling the same way and shopping for just the right pack&play pattern (which my baby refused to sleep in more than 3x!).
In retrospect, I wish I'd lived in the moments and sat on the floor more with my babies. Now they are 6 & 8 and life is very different from what it was a few years ago! But, really, it is just as beautiful as they learn to express themselves and communicate well. Every age & stage is wonderful...I'm learning to really truly embrace it and love it right along with them!
Posted on March 10, 2010 2:02 PM