What do you think are the most iconic parenting products of the last 10 years?

[JustineMumsnet]

Hi all,
We've been asked by Angels and Urchins magazine to suggest the most iconic parenting items - things that have arrived on the scene during the last ten years that are truly fabulous or you can't now imagine parenting without. So, great design, practicality, beauty.

Your thoughts would be most helpful.

Although if we are allowed to nominate Mumsnet that would be my no.1 though. I truly think there is no better help with parenting around.

As soon as I read the question Grobags immediately sprung to mind. Dr Brown bottles (although not sure how old they are.)

Bumbos
Cbeebies
Sleeping bags
Balance bikes
Amby hammock

I think the new designs in cloth nappies are great, but reading this thread it struck me that nearly every product mentioned here is probably not available to about 80% of the world's children, and therefore probably we could do without most of them.

My Laptop.

For obvious reasons :)

Mini micro scooters
My iPad with child friendly apps...great for car journeys etc..no more "are we there yet"... Now it's...I don't want to get out of the car... [busmile]
cbeebies
Banana guard ( not sure how long these have been around..but great to stop the banana going brown lying at the bottom of my bag)
Individual freezer pots for weaning
Microwave sterilising bags
Tommy tippee suction mat to secure bowls to the table.
Leak proof any way up cups

Those doidy cups are 40 years old apperently... Never heard of them before this thread though!

Phil and Teds - could not have left the house with 2 under 2 without it!!

KickArseQueen - Agreed on the laptop, however, it's the wireless broadband that makes it sing. Sitting at a PC, tethered to the wall was never terribly practical with small dc around.

Phil & Teds buggies - still using it at 4 & 2 and will stick with it for a while yet.

Gro Bags - I like the different togs. I'm sure they helped my dc's sleep so well.

Anyway Up Cups - Don't leak, don't drip, Ideal for car journeys and bedrooms.

Buggy Snuggles - Doesn't fall off or need re-tucking. Very cosy.

CBeebies. I wouldn't be sitting here eating breakfast in peace without it.

Plum Baby baby food - Smells and tastes almost like the real thing. Different flavours to other brands too.

Littlelife toddler rucksack / reins - They can carry their hats, tissues and a snack in them. Even my 4yo sometimes needs reins if we're somewhere dead busy, at least these don't look babyish.

Agree re the sleeping bags
Bumbo
Baby food in squeezy bags like Ella's
Buggy Boards (are they recent?)
Balance bikes

Baby slings eg. Ergo and Mei Tai.

1-2-3 Magic!

Maybe not a product, but all over every town you can hear mothers calling irately "That's One! If I get to Three we will go home!"

And yes - formula in cartons. Can be safely dumped for weeks in bottom of baby bag with a Boots sterile disposable bottle. Strictly for emergencies (such as friend saying "Oh I'll have him for a couple of hours, have you got a feed for him?")

My M and D did that to me back in 1975! 1-2-3 is not new I'm afraid

Bugaboo pushchairs
Grobags
Mini micro scooters
Gina ford and annabelle karmel books

Ds will be 11 in September and slept in grobags. Blooming Marvelous and John Lewis stocked them and they are in no way "new". In fact, IIRC, he also had a two second hand ones from my best friend - and her ds graduated last year!

There is surprisingly little that is "new" - everything I have read so far I used/knew about for ds eg Tripp Trapp chair - given to him for his first Christmas, like-a-byke - 2nd Christmas, had Annabel karmel's boos, didn't read Gina Ford , Gap baby socks, Baby Bjorn sling, Baby Einstein..........

Maybe I was just ahead of my time

The only things that I have seen on this thread that are genuinely new - and potentially iconic - within the last 10 years are:

Bugaboo pushchairs
Mumsnet
Bumbos
Cbeebies

It's very subjective isn't it...my kiddos couldn't get anything out of anyway up cups (and I have an inkling they're over 10 years old), they aren't at all convinced by the balance bike (maybe because it's not pink enough for my 2 year old...) and I HATED the wrap sling that many love and the buggy board that again is loved by lots did my head in and was a bit of a necessary evil for a while. We (all 3 of mine) loved the bumbo but many don't like, but again I think it's around 10 years old.

Still think MINI MICROs should be top of any list!

How're you going to decide Justine?

(prettybird, my oldest is 8 and had a hand on bumbo so either my lovely friend was WAY ahead of her time or they're not new either)

Bumbo was the best for DS, DD didn't like it
Mini Micro scooter the best for DD, DS not bothered
Ikea plastic cups, plates and bowls
Ikea swivelly covered chair

I think the Bumbo is about 10-11 years old - I seem to recall it being launched round about the time ds was born. I could be wrong though - I never got round to buying one (I just propped ds up in his Tripp Trapp with ski socks!) and it might jsut have been a new PR campaign.

I had a doidy cup and I was born in 1963,so they are far from new (as am I..).For my dds I loved the little mesh container with a handle,to put fruit etc in, for a teething baby,without worrying about choking.My friend's baby has ours now and he loves it. I love our rear facing car seats,which aren't new in that they have been law in Sweden for ages but they are new to the UK.

Most of the things people have listed on here are not remotely 'iconic' to me - most of it is just stuff cleverly marketed at parents, it isn't really needed and is superfluous to parenting.

For me, truly remarkable products that make parenting easier or better are:

Isofix car seats
Tympanic thermometers