The Staten Island family

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5 stay at home dad essentials and a Bright Starts Playtime to Bedtime Sleeper giveaway!

by 249 Comments

Congrats to our winner Tiffany!

If you ask my kids, I'm sure they'd enthusiastically espouse the merits of hanging with their dad   as opposed to me. Of course, my husband wholeheartedly would echo their sentiments and insist that staying home with dad is infinitely more fun for kids than with mom because dads care less about the small stuff.

My husband asserts the daddy fun factor can be attributed to the fact that men in general are ultimately more focused on life's big picture, a trait most moms, myself included, have trouble embracing. So, the child wants to wear his bathing suit all day and eat peanut butter and jelly for breakfast, lunch and dinner? Dads will more often than not say, “Go for it son!” whereas mom counterparts would tell the kid to change into his clothing and draw the line at one PB&J for the day.   Kids can expect to get nice and dirty at the park as fathers don't care much for baby wipes or hand-sanitizer. They'll also likely get a healthy dose of frolicking under a lawn sprinkler because   what dad doesn't welcome the idea to multitask and water his lawn while providing ample opportunity for his kids to exhaust an hour?

And being that there are far many more stay-at home dads minding the kidlets than EVER before with the five items below, now dad can be ready for anything that comes his way, from impromptu naps to outings with these baby and toddler essentials.

momboâ„¢ from Comfort & Harmonyâ„¢ (starting at $29.99 at Babies R Us) is the newest innovation in nursing pillows that can be used for bottle-feeding with dad! With a unique Firm2Softâ„¢ design for better support and positioning this pillow comes complete with a soothing vibration feature for lounging and tummy time. mombo is also customizable with an assortment of stylish slipcover fashions. Perfect for quick changes, these covers allow you to choose multiple styles so you'll always have a spare!

Bright Starts Playtime to Bedtime Sleeper ($39.99 Walmart) When dad needs a few extra minutes, this inclined seat helps baby sleep more comfortably. Also, great for the guy on the go, with a lightweight folding frame that makes it easy to move from room to room and is comfortable enough for sleep or playtime with your little one!

Bright Starts Lights & Sounds Fun Pad ($12.99 Target, Toys R' Us/Babies R' Us, Walmart) Let baby be just like dad with their very own tablet! The large, soft, buttons on the fabric screen are easy for baby to press for fun melodies and activities. With 5 colorful lights that dance across the screen, baby will be introduced to animals, shapes, colors numbers and more, all while feeling just like their dad on his smartphone.

InGenuity Washable Playard with Dream Centre ($99 at Babies R' Us) Dad's life is a little easier with the first full-size playard made of fabrics that easily zip off in just about one minute for machine washing. Thanks to InGenuity's unique and innovative design, this playard provides a hassle-free way to wash away germs, allergens, bacteria and dirt, answering moms' need for a playard that can be kept as fresh as the rest of baby's bedding. Such a great time-saver for dad!

Bright Starts Having A Ball5 in 1 Sports Zone ($49.99 Toys R' Us/Babies R' Us; (12m -36m) An interactive and exciting game zone for dad and baby! Comes with 5 ways to play from baseball, basketball, golf, soccer and more! Features include: digital scoreboard with fun animations, multiple ball drops and ball play, action packed lights, sounds and music, and even promotes motor skill and muscle development!

And we are giving away one Bright Starts Playtime to Bedtime Sleeper ($39.99 Walmart)  to a lucky reader! For a chance to nab it leave a comment on this post with one baby essential you could NOT live without. For   a second entry you can LIKE The Staten Island family on facebook and for a third entry you can follow @MelissaSChapman on twitter and retweet this giveaway! Good luck Giveaway ends March 1st!

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Comments

  3. Tara says

    I could not live without my bobby pillow. It gave me so many options for breast feeding and baby propping. After that is the baby swing.

    Reply

  9. Terri Moore says

    The Baby Wraps are something my daughter says she uses every day. It keeps the baby safe when they are in public and frees her hands for getting things done and everybody is happy.

    Reply

  39. christine w says

    I could not live without the desitin diaper rash ointment with zinc. No other brand works like it and I’ve had four babies to test it out on!

    Reply

  74. Kristi P says

    I couldn’t live without our swaddle blankets with our first. They were a must have! I am due in April with my second so this would be great to win.

    Reply

  87. nicole w says

    i dont think i had any cant live without baby items, i would say the adorable cloth diapers were my favorite thing 🙂

    Reply

  101. Colleen Maurina says

    One baby essential that you can’t live without is a baby swing. It may be the only way you can sit down and have a meal together!

    Reply

  107. Jennifer says

    I couldn’t live without my vibrating bouncer seat. It is the only thing that calmed my daughter down.

    Reply

  112. Dara Leinfelder says

    I couldn’t live without the pacifier! Helped my little guy sleep a little longer at night. 🙂

    Reply

  113. danielle evans says

    i could not live without dr browns bottles, helps a ton with reflux. i tweeted and followed the twitter account, and liked the page

    Reply

  120. Heather Campbell says

    I couldn’t live without Dr. Browns bottles, they are the only bottles both my sons could use.

    Reply

  132. Anna Johnstone says

    I honestly couldn’t live without my bright starts bounce seat or my moby or even my Playtex nurser drop ins. They all saved my life.

    Reply

  136. Danielle says

    I could not live without my portable swing. My son loved it and I hope my little girl will love in when she is born in 6 weeks.

    Reply

  138. Eileen Wolf says

    I could not live without my bobby pillow. It gave me so many options for breast feeding and baby propping

    Reply

  144. Plonnie says

    Right now I can’t live without my bright start bouncer, my daughter loves it. It keeps her calm, I don’t know if its the music or vibration or both

    Reply

  146. brittany Howes says

    Baby item I could not live with out (with baby #3 on the way) I would say is a swing/glider! Our boys both loved their swings, making everyday activities like going to the restroom or getting a snack so much easier!!

    Reply

  151. Sarah Woods says

    The one thing I could not do without would be my husband; sometimes Mom needs sleep or extra help. He makes life sane 🙂

    Reply

  154. Jessica says

    Dr. Brown’s Pitcher for formula. It was a godsend! You can make a whole day’s worth of formula, the mix it in the pitcher which reduces bubbles and store it in a fridge all day. Since my baby wouldn’t take to breast feeding it was a huge help.

    Reply

  157. Matt says

    I can’t live without earplugs…well…ok…I’ll make a better choice. One thing I always found useful was the pack and play. I think it’ll get a lot of use when our new baby arrives in March.

    mattschmunk at gmail dot com

    Reply

  161. Miranda W. says

    I can’t live without my Swaddle Designs Swaddles!!!!! Or my Petite Frites Swaddle! LOVE THEM! And so do babies!

    Reply

  173. Melanie Milliman says

    I could never live without the nasal aspirator given to me by our hospital after delivery! It was the best kind I have used so far! That thing has been through the wringer and back, and narrowly missed being tossed in the trash by my daughter! It has saved me a ton of anguish with my little girl trying to make it through colds. I swear when she threw it in the trash in the living room I about panicked 😀 (I had no idea and tossed out the bag! Luckily after scoring the house I went outside searching through many tiny bags of soiled diapers :/ I found it peeking through the clear plastic! Woo!!! And my bf thought I was nuts for freaking over it XD).

    Reply

  175. Krisi Vadnais says

    I could NOT live without the Baby Einstein Musical Walker. He used it for 6 months! It kept him contained and out of trouble, but he was still able to explore. I actually got to make dinner!

    Reply

  176. Mlynzey says

    I couldn’t live without my breast pump and boppy the first few weeks she was born along with her vibrating monkey chair from target and snug a monkey that plays 20 mins of music. I also couldn’t live without her pacifier!

    Reply

  180. leticia says

    I don’t think i could be with out a bouncer… my little one is just so in love with it and demands to be put in her bouncer to eat her bottle, she is such an independent princess. 🙂

    Reply

  186. kristy young says

    I could not have lived without my swing with plug in adapter when my daughter was a young infant. She practically lived in that thing!

    Reply

  201. DM says

    I wouldn’t be able to live without my Medela breastpump. I follow you on FB and Twitter, and have also retweeted this giveaway. Thank you!

    Reply

  219. Andrea Mcmonagle says

    I could not live without my boppy and a walker. My son loved his walker ! I loved it for the 15 mins it bought this NON-MORNING mama to drink her coffee to wake up.!!

    Reply

  227. Vivian says

    I couldn’t live without my moby! Made carrying baby around and running errands and little more easier!

    Reply

  228. Sandee says

    I can’t live without my baby carrier. We started with a Boba stretchy wrap and just upgraded to an Action Baby Carrier. Makes life soooo much easier! 🙂

    Reply

  232. Munique says

    The boppy has been a dream. it had sooo many uses, from encouraging tummy time to nursing, from a safe place to help her sleep elevated to an awesome “chair” so she could sit up to eat…. A year old and she still looks for it to sleep on (she likes to be upside down)….. then we got the 2-in-1 activity table from Bright Start…. the “walker” seat is on the OUTSIDE of the table and goes around it, then it DETACHED so when she got big enough to stand at the table and play the seat was out of the way! This was perfect so she wouldn’t feel “trapped” in a typical exersaucer or walker AND it grows with her (big $$$ saver!)

    Reply

  233. Ginny Daniel (MOMentarily Distracted) says

    Babies LOVE to be held so I could NOT live without my various slings/wraps & carriers (we have a variety because they are all good for when you want to do different things). My husband loves them also! I love the must-have list for daddies! 🙂

    Reply

  235. Magaly Ramirez says

    I could not live without our excersaucer! My baby has loads of fun and he is safe. This allows me to clean, cook and do other activities!

    Reply

  237. Casey Clark says

    I can’t not live without my boppy pillow!! It helped me breast feed, help my daughter learn to sit up, and still makes a perfect pillow for my daughter 🙂 I love it!

    Reply

  246. Kelly Posso says

    How’s things, nice blog but there is a issue whereby on occassion I am redirected to the base page when I look at other webpages within your website.

    Reply

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