The first time my husband and I walked into a Babies R Us store, we wound up really, really cranky.
“Do we really need all this stuff?” I mumbled while he wandered off toward the cribs with a glazed look in his eyes, a baby registry list in his hands. Of course, it didn’t help that I was everything-annoys-me-now pregnant, or that neither of us knew much about babies. In hindsight, it would have helped to have a little guidance. Now, Babies R Us has it, and so do I.
As I wandered through the newly redesigned Babies R Us in Union Square, New York City, for a media event two weeks ago, I couldn’t help but think that what they were doing with the store is what I did with my newly released book, “Stop Second-Guessing Yourself — Baby’s First Year.”
For starters, both are helpful and don’t leave you cranky. But it’s more than that:
1. They tell you what you really need. Their baby registry booklet has a two-page “must-haves” checklist that includes everything from infant car seats to bibs to splat mats. Okay, so some of the stuff is more “nice-to-haves,” but it’s a nice list broken out in easy-to-follow categories.
Similarly, my book provides a list of “what-you-really-need” under the category: “The Smallest Person in the House Requires the Most Stuff.” Plus there’s this great tip from Angela of Corpus Christi, Texas: “As hard as it is to resist, don’t buy a lot of clothes. Babies grow very quickly. There’s always another cute outfit in another store.”
2. They lay it out so it’s easy to find stuff. Instead of aisle after intimidating aisle of stuff, there’s an entire stroller section, a place for toys, areas designated for cribs, clothes, diapers, etc. and, my favorite, a safety station that tells you exactly what you need to babyproof your home.
Likewise, my book is laid out in easy-to-read bites, because you barely have time to shave both legs on the same day when you have a baby, and when you’re still pregnant, you may nod off or throw up between chapters. It also tells it like it is, like this tip from Alice in Sugar Land, Texas: “Get up, shower, dress, eat breakfast, brush your teeth and get out of the house before noon. Yes, the baby will cry. However, he will be crying for the next 365+ days, so ignore him for a few minutes at a time while you look after yourself and your needs.”
3. They have cool stuff.
So do I. This is a video I made based on the book:
4. They make it easy to buy things.
Me too.
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Love the analogy, and miss those days. I remember being intimidated by the mounds of stuff in stores like Babies-R-Us and Baby Depot, but that’s what made registering fun. I could fantasize about all of the oodles of bizarre “must-haves” and then the other mom’s who would be using my registry would bring me back down to earth and then buy what they knew we would really need.