Kids Ain't Cheap

But They Sure Are Worth It

Product Review — Shark Steam Mop

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Shark steam mopWhen I first saw the infomercial for the Shark Steam Mop, I froze  — eyes wide and just stared in amazement. “What a glorious invention!” I thought to myself. Then another thought chimmed in, “Remember the Sea Monkeys.” What? Oh  yeah — the Sea Monkeys…

Found on Amazon.com

Sea Monkeys made me cautious

Anytime I see something on TV – that I think looks too good to be true – I usually find out that it is. I first experienced this when I was about 6 or 7 years old. I begged and begged and begged for some Sea Monkeys. If you don’t know what these are take a look. My Grandpa finally gave in and got them for me.

I was over the moon with excitement! I couldn’t wait to see them grow into the creepy alien looking things on the package, to watch them build cities and to do whatever else Sea Monkeys do. I was so disappointed to discover that after waiting for weeks for them to do something — anything, that they did absolutely nothing!

All they turned out to be were stupid little brine shrimp. No disrespect to brine shrimp of course, but they are super boring and look nothing like sea monkeys — or what I thought sea monkeys would look like. Lesson learned.

So, I was cautiously optimistic about the Shark Steam Mop. After all, if it didn’t do what I thought it should, I would just take it back to the store.

Deciding to buy the Shark Steam Mop

I asked my husband to watch the infomercial and he was on the fence about whether or not we really needed it. I explained that it would a be great thing for us to have. I would be able to get the floors clean, without having to worry about using chemical cleaners. This was especially important to us at the time, because the boys were getting ready to crawl and putting everything into their mouths. With the steam mop, it only uses steam to clean the floor. Before long, my husband was on board with trying this product as well.

We found one at Costco (it came with extras that the other ones we saw, did not have) and the rest is history. I love my Shark Steam Mop and I wouldn’t want to be without it. Here are some of my favorite features:

  • It’s light weight and really easy to use. I don’t have to lug a bucket, cleaner, or anything else with me. Simple!
  • As I mentioned before; there are no chemicals — just hot steam to clean your floor.
  • The floor dries in just a few minutes. This is fantastic! With 2 kids and a dog running through the house at all times, I don’t have time to wait for floors to dry.
  • If something gets spilled – and it usually does – I can just grab my steam mop and have it cleaned up in a jiffy! It cuts through everything including juice!
  • I never have to buy floor cleaner — so it saves $$$$. Gotta love that.
  • No streaks and the hot steam leaves the floors really clean.

I just acquired my second Shark Steam Mop. My other one lasted for 3 years. I’ll admit that my first one would have lasted a lot longer, if I had treated it nicer. It got used a lot and I never drained the left over water out when I was done, like the instructions told me to.

Getting my new Shark Steam Mop made me fall in love with it, all over again! It really is a great invention and it’s my favorite cleaning tool ever!

There are a couple of models and I just have the basic Shark Steam Mop (on Amazon.com for $59.85 Retail $99.99). They do have a Deluxe Shark Steam Mop (on Amazon.com for $99 — Retail $149) and they also have the Shark Vac then Steam (on Amazon.com $149.99). I can’t say how those work but if they are anything like the basic model, I’m sure they are wonderful.

Be aware that it is recommended for use on, “…sealed hard floors–including wood, tile, linoleum, and vinyl…”

Do you have the Shark Steam Mop? What do you think of it?

Is Audible Worth It? Here’s How to Make The Most of Your Membership

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is audible worth itI have been seeing and hearing ads for Audible.com for well over a year now but always ignored them.  I love to read and audiobooks never interested me so consequently the ads never interested me.  Over this past year, a lot has changed.  I subscribe to a lot of podcasts.  Some are entertaining and some are educational.  I listen to a few podcasts every day at the office and love the portability of taking them with me on my iPhone and listening to them in the car or when I exercise.  For some reason, I never saw being entertained or educated via a podcast as the same thing as listening to an audiobook. My overall change in attitude got me wondering, “Is Audible worth it?”

Why I Considered Audible

Additionally, my favorite news radio station has suddenly become very hard to tune into consistently.  It must be my car as it works fine in my wife’s car but I no longer have that as an option.  Sure, there are music stations that I like and I always have all of the stuff on my iPhone to listen to but I was still disappointed to lose that radio station.

Finally, I have a 30 to 35-minute commute to work every day and it just started feeling like more and more wasted time.  With two kids and a busy work schedule, I don’t have nearly as much time to read as I once did.

One day this past November, I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts and an ad came on for Audible.  It just somehow clicked this time.  They were offering 50% off their Gold membership plan for the first 3 months.  I will give you a rundown of the membership plans a little later in this article.  With that initial trial, I downloaded Stephen Kings The Gunslinger, it’s the first book in the Dark Tower series.  It’s a series I have always been meaning to read but never seemed to get around to it.   The audiobook normally sells for $19.93 but with this membership offer, I got it for $7.62.  It’s less than a hardcover book but a little more than the paperback would have cost me.  That seemed pretty reasonable to me knowing that they had to pay a voice actor to read the book.

This was my first exposure to an audiobook and it did not disappoint.  The process of signing up with Audible was simple as was the process of purchasing the audiobook and putting it onto my iPhone.  Audible offers a download manager that takes care of all of that.  The voice actor did an excellent job, his voice matched the tone of the story and it wasn’t rushed.  I looked forward to my commute to and from work so I could listen to the next part of the story.  It took me about 2 weeks to get through it which is a lot faster than it takes me to get through a regular book nowadays (mostly due to time).  I had joined with the intention of getting a book, trying it out but most likely canceling before the 3-month trial expired but I have changed my mind, I am an Audible and audiobook convert!

Is Audible Worth It?

After getting that first book, I decided that it would be a good way to accomplish several goals:

  • Get caught up on books I have wanted to read just for the fun of it
  • Get caught up on the business and personal finance books that will help me improve my financial situation and grow as a businessman
  • Find some books in the Audible for Kids section for my boys and see if works as a way to keep the kids occupied on long car trips

With what seemed like the makings of an actual plan forming, I got a new book in December called Freakanomics.  It’s a book that asks strange questions and really makes think you about the economics of life.  I decided that I would alternate.  My membership plan with Audible gives me one free credit every month that I can use towards the purchase of any book.  Since I can’t afford to spend more than I am already spending on the membership, I will get myself one book a month and alternate between pure entertainment and books that will also educate.  I enjoyed Freakonomics but didn’t learn as much from it as I had hoped.  It was more a collection of essays that got you thinking that it was a lesson in economics.  Still, a worthwhile read/listen but probably not one I would recommend as a must read.

January came around and I got the second book in Stephen King’s Dark Tower series but I also sprang for a second book (it was only $6.49).  The Audible for Kids books are pretty inexpensive if you are a member and I really wanted to see if my kids would enjoy listening to something in the car.  My son is in Dinosaur mode.  It’s all he talks about, thinks about and plays with these days so when I saw the Magic Tree House, Book 1: Dinosaurs Before Dark I had to get it.  It’s meant for longer car trips like the one we are taking in a week to see some family but I tested it out on the drive to daycare and to my surprise, there wasn’t a peep out of either of my boys on the whole ride.  They sat there with mouths open listening to the story.  When we got to daycare, they said they liked it but weren’t ecstatic about it nor have they asked to listen to it again so I got a bit of a mixed review from them.  I think the real test will come from that hour-long cart trip we are taking next week.

Audible Membership Plans

Before deciding whether or not Audible is worth it for you, you should know there are several membership options. Before you sign up, it’s important to know what you are going to get with each one.

No Membership

This isn’t really a membership plan but it should be mentioned as an option.  You do not have to become a regular recurring member to buy from Audible.  If you only think you are going to want a few audiobooks a year, this is the way to go.  You will have to pay full price for that audiobook but it’s better than committing to a monthly membership plan.  To participate, simply go to Audible.com and buy a book.

Audible Listener Gold

This is the plan I am on.  This plan costs $14.95 a month but with that, you get 1 free credit every month and with that credit, you can get any book you want.  They key here is books on Audible range from $4.95 up to $35 so if you are going to subscribe to a plan like this make sure you are using that credit to buy a book that costs more than the plan.  It doesn’t make sense to spend $14.95 for the month and then use that free credit to get a book that would have cost you $4.95.  Most books are more than $14.95 so you will have plenty to chose from.  As a gold member, you also get 30% off anything that is not purchased with a credit, free audio programs and a complimentary subscription to the audio version of the New York Times or Wall Street Journal.  You can get the same deal I did and click the following link to get 50% off your first 3 months at Audible

Audible Listener Gold Annual

This is the same as the plan above but you pre-pay for the entire year.  When you do this, your cost per credit goes from $14.95 per credit to $12.46 per credit.  Worthwhile savings if you know you are going to stick with it for a year.  If you aren’t sure, it’s better to play it safe and go month to month.  You can still get the same discount on the first three months, just go to 50% off at Audible.

Audible Listener Platinum

This is similar to the Gold plan that I am on except it costs $22.95 a month and you get 2 free credits every month.  This brings the cost of those credits down from the $14.95 I pay to $11.48.  A better bargain if you think you will get through 2 every month.  I am not sure I can so I am sticking with the gold plan for now.  They don’t have any special offers that I am aware of with the Platinum level so sign up by going to Audible.

Audible Listener Platinum Annual – This is the same as the plan above except you pre-pay for an entire year.  This will bring your cost per credit down from the $14.95 per credit I pay to $9.56.  Pretty cheap if you know you are going to go through 24 audiobooks in a year and can afford to lay it out all at once.  Sign up by clicking here to go to Audible

Summing it Up

Audible isn’t for everyone.  If you aren’t big on books or don’t have a lot of quiet time to spend listening to these books, it’s probably not worth it but for me, they make my commute into work a lot more enjoyable.

Do you use Audible? What do you think of audiobooks in general?

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Basic Baby Tools Reviewed

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A crib is one of the things you need to buy when expecting a baby
Photo on CAPL

Funnily enough, 2010 seemed to be the year of the babies. I have so many friends who welcomed their bundles of joy last year and so many who got pregnant and are expecting this year. It really is beautiful to see the beginnings of a life, to see the joy in the parent’s faces, and to see all my new mommy-to-be girlfriends fret over all the baby things they think they need.  This is especially true (and fun to watch) with my friends who are going to be first time mom’s.

I remember very well what I thought I needed when I was pregnant with my first child.  I remember it was a few months in chaos listing all the things magazines and sites were telling me I needed.  And, being the anal person that I am, I got MOST of these items.  Only to find out later that I didn’t really need half of them.  Good thing was I was able to use them for my second child. Wonderful how some baby things just don’t go out of style.

Anyway, I thought about doing a list of things you really need after you find out you are expecting and a basic time chart for when to get them. It might be helpful for all the first time mom’s out there.

6 months before D-Day:

By this time, I think it is OK to start getting the big stuff. This is because you will have had enough time to save up for them and because you will still have enough time to pay them off should you decide to get these on installment.

1. Crib

OK, you can choose whatever crib you want here but I personally think that if you have no baby cabinets yet, then get the ones with the drawers and the ones with the bed that can take the baby into the growing years.  There are some cribs that are cute and may fit a little nook in your room, but for practicality and for budget’s sake, these are not the smartest choices.

2. Stroller/Car Seat/Bassinet

OK, there are sooo many choices in the market today and some ranging from the reasonably expensive to the outrageously expensive.  The things I would say to look out for are the material of the stroller and car seat, the quality of the belt and the fasteners, the padding around the bars, the size and quality of the wheels and the shocks of the stroller.  Any brand that presents above average standards for all these is a thumb’s up for me.

4. Bottles and sterilizer

Now, if there were many crib and stroller choices, there are even more bottle choices.  And the manufacturers have made these bottles so complicated that  it almost feels like you need a degree to choose the right one!  The rules I followed were two things: that they were designed to produce a non-colicky baby, and that they were made from material that does not leach BPA or bisephenol, which is a harmful byproduct of plastic that can go onto the liquid in the bottle if it is heated above 175F.  The thing is a lot of the really cute and popular bottles use Polycarbonate plastic despite this fact because it is lightweight to bring around and for the baby to hold and offers flexibility in design of nipples and bottle.  But there are a lot of bottles made from safer and greener plastic that are just as pretty. It really is personal choice here.

3 months to go:

1. Bedsheets, clothes, blankets

I cannot stress how many of these you will think you need in the first two months after the baby is born.  You will want sheet replacements in case you need to change the sheets, and change you will need to do often.  You will want clothes that can come off and go on the baby as easily as possible and these usually are the ones that you tie up front. For tropical countries, it is important to have cotton clothes to keep the baby cool and it is essential to have changes of clothing to keep the baby clean and fresh. I has a set of 6 tops that you tie in front, 6 that you button on the shoulder, and 6 wide neck ones.  I used them all.  Blankets and towels are equally important as they cover the baby, keep the baby warm, and is what the baby will be wrapped in for chnks of hours over the day.  I had 6 of these although I know of others who had a dozen to be safe.

2. Washing/changing station

If you are old fashioned like me, you will do with a regular tub with a dipper in the bathroom.  If you are more mod, you may want to use a changing table that can convert into a washbasin. This is entirely a personal choice.

3. Breast pump

Now, if you do not intend to breastfeed, this is a moot point. But, if you do, finding a good pump will be a lifesaver.  Like most things, a pump has a price range.  I didn’t try all but I have tried a few to be able to make some kind of recommendation. I’ve also thrown in comments from friends for good measure.

  • Medela- This range of breast pumps is, as far as I’ve heard, the Ferrari of breast pumps. It is strong but not painful and really gets the milk out. Plus it has some sort of suction imitation thing that keeps breast milk in production even if the baby is not breastfeeding from the breast all the time.  This is pricey though.
  • Avent- very very well known for quality bottles and pumps, I had the opportunity to use the manual breast pump. It was very good. No need for an electric pump at all. It was virtually painless to use, had good suction, and was easy enough to use for a few hours straight. The only thing I found a bit off putting was that it was rather large to use and hold (for me at least) but this really depends on the woman’s grip and hand size.  I would recommend this breast pump if your budget allows as this is also a bit on the pricey side.
  • Pigeon- this is the more budget friendly brand and I was able to use the manual and electric varieties. The manual one was great. It was small enough so it was not cumbersome, the pump was soft enough to use for a few hours straight, it was virtually painless as well. I would definitely recommend this pump. I used the electric one as well because i thought i could get a lot of milk minus the manual pumping. It was very painful. I stopped using it after two tries. I do not recommend this at all.

4. Diapers

You will need to change the baby around eight times a day in the beginning and will only taper off when the baby is well withing the first year so stocking up early is not a bad idea. Diapers do not have an expiration date but they do have sizes so stock up on some newborn diapers and small ones first.  Research on how often you need to change the baby and how fat they grow on average to get a rough computation of how many pieces you might need. If you want to use cloth diapers, you will need about 2-3 dozen of the small to medium ones first.  You will need some baby friendly soap and a good washing machine and dryer as well.  Have a basin with some water mixed with detergent handy so you can soak soiled diapers immediately.  This makes them easier to wash and prevents staining.

5. Diaper bag

You can have two to three of these ion different sizes.  You will need a variety as the amount of things you will bring around will change depending on where you are headed. make sure to have bottle holders, a changing mat, other dividers and an insulated area.  It would be great to have an outside or other pocket for your personal things so you don’t have to carry a handbag but this is optional.

These are the most basic things you will need to have before you welcome your new baby. Of course, there is a whole novel full of other things you will want to have but those you can stress less about.  Having these basics will at least get you through the first couple of weeks.

What are your favorite tools for caring for your baby?

Review of Groupon and Tips for Using It

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Groupon is a popular deal siteI have known of Groupon for awhile now but until recently, it wasn’t available in my local area.  I used to check out the site and see what deals were available in Philadelphia, which is about an hour and a half from us, but with two kids, work and a very tight budget, we don’t get the opportunity to go into the city as often as we used to.  I was pretty excited when Groupon starting offering deals right in our town and it looks like it plans on launching sites for many of the surrounding areas very soon.  The company seems to be growing at an amazing pace, hopefully the people behind it are able to manage that growth so they don’t become the next dot com fatality but only time will tell.

Groupon Deal of the Day

For those of you that don’t know, Groupon is a “deal of the day” web site that provides huge savings in your local area.  I have seen the savings range from 25% to 75% off with most being close to the 50% off range.   Each deal has a tipping point that activates the offer.  In other words, if enough people don’t buy it, then the deal is null and void.  Most of the time, more than enough people jump at the deal.   The deals can be for almost anything.  In the short time it’s been available in my local area I have seen discounts for restaurants, local stores, flying lessons, spa treatments, and more.  It’s part of the attraction of the site, every day brings something new and you feel compelled to read the emails, check the Twitter feed or view the site to see what the days deal is.  It’s the perfect execution of a viral marketing plan.

It’s hard to see how some of the companies that use Groupon actually make money.  To keep the math easy, let’s say a local restaurant offers a $100 meal for $50 (a pretty common deal on Groupon) the restaurant doesn’t get $50.  They split that money with Groupon so Groupon get’s $25 and the restaurant get’s $25.  After selling that particular deal, they still have to offer the $100 meal that was advertised.  It’s not unusual for hundreds of people to jump on a deal like that so if you do the math, it’s quite a lot for a small business to absorb.  Talk about eating into your margins!

Despite all that, there seems to be no limit to the number of companies interested in offering a huge discount on sites like Groupon.  So, how do they make money or at least hope to make money, offering such huge discounts?  I have a few thoughts this:

  • It’s a service or product that has huge margins and they can afford to offer big discounts in the hopes of gaining a new customer
  • The company knows it will lose money on the deal but hopes it will make up for it by the increased exposure and the chance to capture new and repeat customers
  • As with most coupons/gift certificates, a certain percentage of people will buy the deal but will never actually use it.  When that happens, it’s pure profit for the business offering the deal.

The only negative press I have been able to find online is from companies that have used it and failed to turn a profit on their particular deal but is that really Groupon’s fault?   They seem to be pretty up-front about what they have to offer companies but I have no first hand experience.  I am sure I am missing some strategies that businessmen smarter than me have been able to take advantage of and I would think that a good portion of the companies that use it must make out alright for the company to be growing as fast they are.

How to use Groupon

Okay, so enough about how Groupon works for the businesses that use it, let’s take a look at the customer, the end user for the service.  Can you really save that much using Groupon?  Absolutely!  That I know for certain.  The deals they offer are legitimate and easy to cash in on.  Before you give them your credit card number and start buying up discounts and special offers, we do have a few tips on how to best use the Groupon site:

  • As with any coupon, don’t get sucked in by the deal and spend money on something you didn’t need or never intended to buy in the first place.
  • You can get $10 just for referring other people to Groupon who make a purchase.  I signed up and referred my wife, my sister and my parents.  If they opt into any of the deals that come along, I will get $10 to spend on any deal I want.
  • The site can be fun and addictive, don’t let that overrule your own common sense.  If you can’t really use it, it doesn’t matter how good of a deal it is, don’t spend your money on it
  • If you do buy it, make sure you pay careful attention to the expiration date.  They are counting on a certain percentage of people buying into the deal but never getting around to actually using it.  If you aren’t sure you will be able to use it before the expiration date, don’t buy it.
  • Take a look at what other customers have to say about a particular deal before you purchase it by clicking on the “Jon the Discussion” link.
  • I never buy into the deal the first time I look at it.  I typically check out the Groupon site first thing in the morning before work.  If I am not interested, I don’t go back until the next day.  If I am interested, I wait a few hours and go back to the site on my lunch break.  It gives me time to think about whether I will really use or need the offer and helps to remove some of the emotional excitement from the transaction.
  • Make sure you read the fine print so you know exactly what you are getting and what the restrictions are.
  • If you are interested in the service, make sure you register and create a profile, it will make it a lot easier to purchase deals and keep track of what offers you have available to you.

I highly recommend Groupon, if you can exercise a little self control, it’s a great way to save a LOT of money.  You can check out their web site and sign up by going to Sign Up with Groupon


Do you use Groupon? How do you make it work for you?

Review of Large Building Blocks from Smart Monkey Toys

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Review of Smark Monkey Toys large blocksThe other day we received a 16pc large red building block set, in the mail for a product review. These are by Smart Monkey Toys and I have got to tell you; even before I started assembling the blocks, I could tell they were going to be a hit with my boys.

16 pc Large Red Blocks by Smart Monkey Toys
Price: $25 – $36

When the kids saw the picture of the blocks on the packaging, they got super excited and immediately asked if they could play with them. I wasn’t crazy about trying to put the blocks together with two very impatient 3 year old boys, buzzing around me like a swarm of bees.

Assembling the blocks

Anyhow, they were really keyed up and kept saying “please Mommy” in a cute non-whiney kind of way, so of course I had to finally concede. I’ve got to say, the first block took me a little bit to figure out — but once I decided to pull out the helpful and easy to follow instructions that were enclosed, it was a piece of cake. I was able to put all 16 large building blocks together in about 15-20 minutes. That is record time for getting anything done while my children are awake.

Kid tested, mother approved

As soon I was finished, the boys immediately began playing. They worked together to build a large firehouse. Then they decided to see how tall they could stack the building blocks. I was very impressed with how flush, the blocks fit together. We have an older, cheaper set, by a different company and those blocks always tip over before the stack gets too high. The blocks from Smart Monkey Toys are also much sturdier than the others we have. I know this, because the boys later decided to use them as ice skates.

They are made of lightweight corrugated cardboard so if they fall over, or if – and this would probably never happen – one brother accidentally flung a block in the direction of the other brother, no one would really get hurt. Nice!  Despite the fact that they are light, they are very well engineered and will hold a lot more weight than you might expect.

Another thing you can absolutely love about these blocks, is that they are made of recycled materials.

So, in case you haven’t figured it out already — YES; I would definitely recommend these blocks. They are wonderful!

These blocks are available from these fine retailers.  The prices listed below are what they were being sold at when we wrote this review

Have you seen these blocks? What do you think of them? Would you buy them for your children?

Review of Owly Volume 1 by Andy Runton

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Owly Volume 1As I have mentioned in previous posts, I have loved and enjoyed comic books for most of my life. Most people that have never been truly exposed to the medium lump them all into one category, childish superhero fantasy.  While I am a big fan of superhero comics and find most modern superhero comics to be anything but childish, the point of this review is to show you that the medium of comics can and does tell a wide variety of stories.

Comics, in the simplest terms, are stories told with both writing and art.  They cover a huge variety of genres and are aimed at an equally wide number of audiences and age groups.   Owly is an independent comic book that is both written and drawn by Andy Runton.  There is very little text in Owly.  Mr. Runton uses expressive imagery to tell very emotional and heart warming stories.

Who is Owly?

Owly vol 1 is the first comic book I bought for my children.  Harrison was 3 and Sean was 1.  Both were too young for it but they have grown into it since.  Owly is not in the typical comic book format, it is shaped more like a standard book and much thicker than a comic.  The first volume includes two stories: The Way Home and The Bittersweet Summer.  Owly is an adorable owl who knows what it means to be human.  He is a reflection of the sweet and innocent child in all of us.  In the first story, Owly is lonely and in search of a friend.  He is misunderstood by the other animals around him but he perseveres and in the end he learns the meaning of friendship.  In the second story, Owly needs to learn how to let go but he also learns that goodbyes aren’t always forever.  Both stories teach a valuable life lesson to children.

As I mentioned previously, there is very little writing in Owly, it’s done almost entirely in black and white pictures but that is the beauty of it.  The art is so expressive that it’s easy to take your child through the story and talk about what is going on in the panels.  The book also allows your little one to express himself through the images, to create his own dialogue and explain to you what is going on.  It let’s them use their imagination to tell a story that matches up with the images in front of them.  My wife had a hard time with this book at first.  The first part of the first story is heart wrenching, poor little Owly just wants to be friends but is rejected at every turn in the beginning.  The art is so expressive it nearly brought her to tears the first time.

If you can’t already tell, I highly recommend Owly.  I reviewed vol 1 simply because it’s a good starting point but there are 5 volumes that I know of.  Owly is published by Top Shelf comics and may be available via your local comic book store.  If you can’t find it locally, Amazon has it at a great price.  Check it out for yourself at Owly Vol 1.

Choosing a Crib for Your Baby

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A crib is one of the things you need to buy when expecting a baby
Photo on CAPL

There are many baby items that are perfectly safe to buy second hand. Unfortunately there are a couple of items, such as a car seat and a crib, that are safer for baby if bought brand new. New cribs can be very pricey but you do not need to spend a fortune to keep your baby safe during sleep time. The least expensive crib on the market can be perfectly safe for baby as long as it meets the government safety requirements and is assembled correctly.

If you do purchase secondhand, make sure it is from someone you know and trust. Regardless of where you purchase, it is important, for the safety of your baby, to always keep an eye on current baby product recalls at www.recalls.gov (in the United States) and http://cpsr-rspc.hc-sc.gc.ca/PR-RP/home-accueil-eng.jsp (in Canada). In my experience, most of these recalls are easily fixable and often the company ships you a small repair kit, free of charge to you, complete with instructions. It is only in more drastic cases where you would actually have to discontinue use of the product you have purchased. When buying new, many baby items come with a registration card that you mail to the company and they will mail information concerning recalls directly to your home.

Statistics show that although 4 million babies are born in the United States each year, only 1 million cribs are purchased. In the United States, 26 infants die each year and another 11,500 are hospitalized in crib related accidents. Unfortunately, many of these accidents occurred in older-style cribs that do not meet current government safety regulations. In the United States, the Consumer Product Safety Commission states that only cribs made after 1991 are likely to meet all current safety standards. In Canada, all cribs made after September 1986 are likely to meet all current safety standards. Health Canada states, “Using a crib manufactured before September 1986 poses potential hazards that may result in serious injuries, including death.”

Crib Safety Standards

Crib safety standards in both the United States and Canada include:

  • Crib slats must not be more than 2 3/8 inches apart so as to prevent baby from slipping through them. You should not be able to pass a pop can through the slats. If you can, then the slats are not properly spaced.
  • There should be no broken or missing crib slats or any other missing or broken parts of the crib.
  • Hardware should be properly installed on both the crib and the mattress support, according to instructions. Only use original hardware for both. Hardware should not be loose or damaged.
  • The crib mattress must fit snugly inside the crib with no more 1 3/16” (two fingers) width between the mattress and the sides of the crib. If the mattress is not a tight fit, the baby could become wedged into this space and become trapped.
  • There should be no decorative cutouts in any part of the crib, including the headboard and footboard, where your baby’s head or body become trapped.
  • Corner posts should be no higher than 1/16” (US), 1/8” (Canada) above the end panels of the crib. Your baby’s clothing can hang off of them if they are any higher. This includes decorative knobs and posts.
  • The crib mattress support should always be set so that your baby cannot climb out of the crib. You can use the highest setting for newborns but as soon as your baby is able to push himself to his knees you need to set it to the middle setting (usually around 4 – 6 months) and when she is able to pull herself to standing, the crib setting should be at its lowest setting (usually between 8 – 12 months).

For more detailed safety standards please visit http://www.cpsc.gov/businfo/regsumcrib.pdf (USA) and http://dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca/Collection/H46-2-03-332E.pdf (Canada).

Crib Types

The standard crib is by far the most popular type of crib. It features stationary sides, dual drop sides or single drop sides. For the safety of your baby, however, it is recommended to always keep the sides of the crib to the highest setting. In fact, many crib manufacturers are now doing away with drop down sides. So if you are buying a new crib, it is best to buy one with stationary sides, even though drop down sides are very convenient. If you are buying or using an older crib that has drop down sides, it is best to leave the sides up at their highest setting at all times.

Convertible cribs offer all the features of a standard crib but convert into a toddler bed. Some even then convert into a double bed. This means that you pay one time for a bed that will last your baby well into his or her adulthood!

Other types of cribs available on the market include round cribs, canopy cribs and portable cribs. Round cribs are fairly new to the market. Canopy cribs are available in standard rectangular shapes or as a round crib. Portable cribs are about one-third smaller than a standard crib and fold up easily for travel.

Whatever crib you choose for your baby, just remember to keep safety at the top of your list!

What type of crib did you use for your baby? Where did you get yours?

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