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.

Phil and Ted's

Antilop high chair

Proper baby slings as opposed to Baby-bjorn types

Baby Bjorn carrier for getting dads involved in the attachment thing.

Portable blackout blinds.

The bases that newborn car seats clip onto so you don't need to fiddle with the seatbelt every time. And carseats that go onto buggies (they might be more than 10 years old).

Was going to say grobags but it seems they're not new.

10 years isn't actually a very long time. There's probably not much that is new.

I have to agree with sidge that a lot of the things listed on here are a bit, "uniconic".

The things that really make parenting for me easier are things like baby shoes that don't fall off ( star child etc) calpol and nurofen, ( not sure how long they've been around but my parents didn't have that advantage. Also I think knowledge has to come under the " This we have to help us list" My parents took the Doctors word as final, knew only as much as they were told. Knowledge is the most useful tool.

Not "This" but things!!! grr!

Iconic:
For DH and I, the peltor kids ear defenders. Maybe not as useful for all parents on here and possibly been around for longer. However for those parents who don't let having kids get in the way of continuing to enjoy live music/festivals, these have definitely reached 'iconic' status in the last 10 years.

Super useful:

• BPA free plastic products from bottles to toys ect. I know we all survived with BPA ridden products as babies but for my kids, I'll always choose or seek out BPA free
• 100% chemical free baby care products such as weleda baby. Again, may have been around for more than 10 years but they've really taken off and expanded their product range in the last 10 years.
• greater access to more environmentally and baby friendly products such as disposable nappies, bamboo products and sugar free baby food (esp brands like Ella's Kitchen)

Sock ons

Bosie boo infrared temple thermometer

Calpol in sachets

Travel grobags

Mini micro scooter
Ear thermometer
Phil and Teds get my vote.

Love Tripp Trapps and sleeping bags too. Have never had anything from Ikea for the DCs and hated the buggy board.

I would like to message board to this lists
10 years years there were very few/none and fewer pc now a new mum would not be out her "lappy"

1. Sleeping bags/grobags/growbags
2. Bumbo seat
3. Breast pumps ( eg Avent)
4. Pull ups ( both disposable and reusable eg Kushies)
5. Isofix car seats
6. Gina Ford Books
7. Annabel Karmel books
8. Steam and microwave sterilisers
9. Calpol sachets
10. Chat forums such as Mumsnet
11. Supermarket delivery ( Tescos)
12. Braun ear thermometer
13. Disposable swim nappies and a better range of reusable swim napies
14. Trunkies
15. The MPV car such as the FORD S-Max That's about it!

Most the things listed here also existed 11-12 yrs ago (when DS was born), so not really applicable to original question. On new2cm's list I can only think of Bumbo as something that might be less than 10 yrs old (not common around here, 3yo DS is one of many toddlers who keeps thinking they are potties).

I'd say the Wii, too, if the last 10 years thing is really supposed to apply. Bugaboo, too, that's quite different.

Baby Feed Wheel- I think it's fab.

The dream tubes to stop a child falling out of bed- no more bump in the night :) pretty sure they're less than 10 years old.

Bumbo
Bugaboo/Phil and Teds making a buggy a want have accessorie
Buggy Board
Trunki
Bath swivel seats
Gro-bag
BT monitor with temp/lullaby
Microwave sterilizers
Swim Nappies
the foam armbands like floats/ shark floats for older children
Jumperoo
Cbeebies
Sky +
Little White company duvet covers (or that might just be me coveting them!)
Sunscreen tops/suits for the sun for baby

Got to be Mumsnet really, hasn't it.

Ok, I was wrong about the Gina Ford book. I am told that it was available in 1999. However, the other items such as the Isofix fittings and car seats were not mainstream until about 2002. I remember buying a car back then and the Isofix fittings were a selling point as it was not standard. Nowadays, most cars have Isofix fittings. I realise that breast pumps were around prior to 2000, but those were cumbersome - you could not hide a pre-2000 model breast pump discretely in a handbag like the current ones!

I should have perhaps pointed that during the last 10 years these items have become more mainstream, cheaper and more widely available. For example, when my brother bought a Braun thermoscan is cost him around £69. Today, you can buy one for half the price and that is during a time of high inflation and 20% VAT.

ds was born in 2000: the Avent hand breast pump that I had (2nd hand from best friend so at least 2 years old - not sure if she used it with her older kids) was small and neat and easily kept in my handbag. I had to fly to London from Glasgow regularly on business so I had to take it with me (went back to work when ds was 4 months and fed him until he was 13 months).

Brightly coloured plastic Ikea children's cutlery and bowls. I don't know anyone who doesn't have them.

Agree with

Antilop
Tripp Trapp
Bugaboo and Phil & Teds
TotsBots
Rainbow coloured Ikea plates/bowls/cutlery
Trunki
Cbeebies
Mini Micro

Has anyone said baby leg warmers yet? Or baby organix posh wotsits?

Cbeebies? Seriously? This a not an iconic parenting item, it is something that I find a lot of parents use as a free babysitting service/teacher/distraction so that they don't have to bother. Blimey.

Yes, CBeebies seriously.

And wheelybugs.

I think that parents are lazier today than ever. With all the above help listed, it is a wonder that we have to get up and do anything at all.

Buggy buddies. Although they are possibly older than 10y?

Stokke xplory - I wouldn't have done half as much if I'd stuck with 'travel system' we were given - or enjoyed making faces at DS while out and about

cbeebies - gave me a shower in the mornings and time to cook when talking to DS from the other side of the room just wasn't enough for him up yours mullinsamy

Otherwise, I don't think there's much I've used that wasn't around in some form or another for years. The main thing is just that everything's just so much cheaper than when we were kids - so you don't have to bankrupt yourself dressing a toddler, but can get sackfuls of clothes from your local supermarket. I think that's probably made a huge difference to us all. (apologies if anyone's already pointed that out - haven't read the whole thread)

Oh, and the Ikea bath chair for babies, whatever it's called.