Parents are used to be being marketed to. You go in to Babies R Us to register for your first baby, and they give you a list of "must have" items that includes 3 different kinds of strollers, 2 carriers, 3 beds, a wipe warmer, and 6 different kinds of bottles. It's all right there in the store and they try to convince you that you need all of this stuff. Luckily, most of us are smart enough to realize that we don't need all that or poor enough that we can't have all of that. Bottom line is that we have a bunch of choices.
Then along comes a baby with some special needs and you. are. on. your. own. At least in the baby gear department.
Example #1. I first noticed this when looking for something to dampen the noise in the room for K. After searching and searching, I found one pair of noise dampening headphones. They work great, except that they are heavy and cumbersome, especially for a baby with very little head and neck control.
Example #2. Keira has significant motor delays and thus will not be walking for some time. I still have to carry her like a baby because she doesn't have the strength to sit upright. It has been a huge help to have a front-carrier to tote her around or to keep her happy while I'm doing dishes, for example. However, she's getting longer and this poses a problem. My carrier is no longer big enough to support her head. Last weekend I spent a total of 3 hours online. I researched about 50 baby carriers and emailed back and forth with about a dozen companies. I have a special order in for a Mei Tei, the company that seemed to be the best pick in terms of being able to carry a larger child and still provide head support. We'll see.
Example #3. Some babies like the extra sensory input that comes from vibration. The OT has helped us recognize that this is very soothing to Keira sometimes. So, we were told to look for toys that vibrate. Word to the wise: don't google "vibrating toys." You can try, "baby toys that vibrate," like I did, but you won't find anything. I finally found 2 toys from obscure companies, but being as that was all I could find, I ordered both. The first came weeks ago. It's a stuffed bunny (think beanie baby) with a pocket for a battery operated box that vibrates. Ok. Nothing special, but it's vibration is pretty intense and K doesn't really seem to like it. The second toy came the other day. As you can see, it works kind of like a pulsating toothbrush, with an animal like a pencil topper on the end. It was overpriced and not very cute and I'm not sure what you're supposed to do with it...? Frankly, I think it looks a little embarrassing...too much like a "vibrating toy."
Example #4. Weighted blankets. Kids with sensory stuff sometimes like the feel of a weighted blanket. You can by these online. But they tend to be ugly. And expensive. They shouldn't be. It's basically a quilted blanket with pockets of beans or shot or plastic beads. I bought a couple of tube socks and filled them with beans for K. Not cute, but they work.
Example #5. Simple, simple toys. K benefits from toys that give feedback to even the gentlest touch. Remember these? Thank goodness my OT collected these years ago. She's letting us borrow them for as long as we need. I told her I'd promise not to sell them...after I looked to by my own and saw what they were going for on ebay. Good grief. It's hard to find something simple and colorful. The modern day equivalent includes lights and music and a coffee maker, I think. No wonder our kids all have ADHD.
Anyway, all this has been kind of an adventure. It'd be nice if there were some sort of one-stop-shop for these more unusual children's' products. And it'd be nice if the products were affordable. And cute. These "treasure hunts" have required some creativity and thank goodness our OT has lots of ingenuity. I know this is only the beginning. Will I be looking for "baby food" for a child who can't chew solids? Will I be looking for a harnessed car see for a 6 year old? A stroller/wheelchair? So much to learn...
Actually, Toys R Us has been tentatively sidling in your direction. You can get their little "Toys for Differently Abled Kids" pamphlet at the door or if you're on their mailing list.
ReplyDeleteMy take on your experience with googling "v1bratimg toys": You are a very lucky individual if you have been able to spend little enough time with computers that you didn't expect this.
You won't believe this, but we were actually talking about the rocking-ball-dome toy on my toy-collecting message board! It's nice to stumble onto such a nostalgia bomb among the conversations about Transformers, My Little Pony and vintage 12-inch G.I.Joes. I even remember how it sounds: "Gleeeng, gluuurng, gleeeng, glurrrng!"