Toys... toys... and more toys

Another OJT (On-job-training) post

Sometimes we learn through the hard (and costly) way... I have concluded that one of the hardest part of taking care of an infant is trying to keep her entertained. In our quest to keep Ashley entertained, we have purchased many different toys and gadgets - many of which cost quite a bit but was not put to much use...

It started with "bear bear"... This was a Fisher Price toy meant from birth+... We bought it coz it looked fun and came with built-in sounds... It cost us $120... Not sure if she's finally starting to like this toy since I left it with the nanny.

 

Then it was a cot mobile that cost $80... Looked beautiful but did not entertain much as the mobile and lullaby had to be manually winded... It has now become just a decor piece to her cot...

 Next it was a Fisher Price rainforest swing... Daddy Randy remembered himself enjoying swing rides at the playground when he was young and imagined Ashley would get a kick out of this too... Paid $180 for this... Thankfully she's beginning to enjoy the "Viking rides" much more in the recent weeks...

Then there was the Lamaze Tummy Time mat... Cost: $60... She didn't like this... Could only last 3 mins before she makes her displeasure known. Eventually I realised that not all babies enjoy being on their tummies... I know baby Zeph loves to, apparently Ashley prefers to sit upright in a TV-watching position.

 This mat's quite cool actually... Has a mirror to aid baby in self-discovery... Too bad it's a wasted purchase for us...

 

 Lastly (hopefully I'm not speaking too fast), I bought a baby play gym last week as most of the toys are with nanny and I find myself crippled without any toys during the weekends... $42 for this pastel-coloured play gym...

I would say this is a relatively good buy... She's quite happy staring @ the stuff toy elephants and giraffes... :) 

 Another lesson learned for me: Not to impulse-buy a toy (especially bulky ones... :P ) For one, she may not like it... For two, she would likely outgrow it real soon...

By far, the most effective entertainment is walking her around the supermarket across our home... Both myself and the nanny make sure she gets her walks a few times a day... I asked other mums on what they do and apparently Lydia's 2 kids are supermarket goers too... Thank God for the 24 hrs NTUC across the road!