Image courtesy of Graco Canada

I was thinking the other day, if I had to rid myself of all baby gear except one item, what would that item be? This is a very hard thing to think about in this day and age, what with the abundance of gear available. As I thought about it, though, an item came to mind. It is the one item that we have held on to through the many moves we have made.

We received a Graco Baby Einstein Pack ‘N Play as a gift when my second daughter was born. I assumed that I would just use it when we were traveling, but I found myself using it every single day. It was a great place for her to play where I knew that she would not get into any trouble and it kept her toys contained. I could leave her in it while I used the washroom and not have to worry about what she was getting into.

We did use it when we were traveling, but we also used it when people came to visit. Even if it was just for the day, it was very convenient to have somewhere for a friend’s little one to have his or her nap. We moved halfway across the country when my daughter was 14 months old, and we left her crib behind with a friend who needed it more than we did. She used the Pack ‘N Play as a bed until she was old enough to transition into a big kid bed.

I am glad that we hung on to the Pack ‘N Play, because now that my son is mobile, it’s nice to have somewhere to put him when I need him to stay put. It’s easy to pack it up and take it to the in-laws’ place for Sunday night dinner. It’s a great place to put him where I know he will be safe from the clutches of his energetic hands-on four-year-old sister.

What is/was the one baby item that you cannot/could not live without?

Jen Wilson is a married mother of three super-awesome children—two girls and a boy—who range in age from 0-10. She enjoys photography, organizing, reading, TV, and sarcasm. She drinks her coffee black and dreams of one day owning a dishwasher. You can also find her on her blog, Hey Mrs. Wilson, where she has been writing about life in Saskatchewan since 2004.