3 Products a Father of Two Can't Live Without
Celebrate Father's Day this year by gifting products that will make Dad's life easier. To help, Jay Deitcher, stay-at-home dad and father of two, breaks down the top baby products he values most.
Almost four years ago, I jumped into life as a stay-at-home dad. As a social worker, I was accustomed to caring for kids, so I yearned to spend my days with my own son, cuddling him, feeding him and bonding together.
Within a few months, I crashed. He constantly wanted to be held and took hours to go down for naps, only to wake ten minutes later if I sneezed. Luckily, I found some products to support me in making it through my days and nights. Here are the top three products I couldn’t live without as a stay-at-home dad.
My Baby Bouncer
- Avg. Retail Price: $209.99
- Avg. GBG Price:$150
When my son was born, my older brother gifted us a baby bouncer. Nothing fancy about it. No toys attached. It didn’t light up or vibrate. But it protected my son’s neck and head, and when he turned five months old, I could slide him in and bounce it with my foot, providing me sweet respite from having to cradle him and feed him every moment of the day.
Eventually, he was supposed to learn how to bounce himself in it, but he enjoyed making me do all the work, and really, I didn’t mind because this offered me long breaks—up to a half-hour—multiple times a day until he was around a year old and learned to walk.
My Sound Machines
- Avg. Retail Price: $50
- Avg. GBG Price: $30
Right next to my son’s bed sits a little circular miracle flooding the room with white noise–a sound machine. No sound can get past it–not the dog barking, not my mom-in-law chatting on her phone, not construction outside his window. All he can hear is simulated windy nature noises. I have even brought it on vacations, and he snoozed in hotel rooms.
My Overnight Cloth Diapers
I’m a co-sleeper. I don’t love getting peed on when diapers don’t last through the night. During my son’s first two years of existence, he chugged milk—then water—at all hours, needing multiple diaper changes throughout the night. Every change risked fully rousing him from his sleep.
So my wife and I made it our mission to find the perfect cloth diaper to survive till morning. We sampled a couple of styles, eventually settling on a duo with a bamboo inside and waterproof cover. It’s super absorbent and durable, providing us with fully un-urinated on nights.
Soon after my son turned two, my family welcomed our baby girl to the family. Caring for two kids seemed so much easier than when I first struggled through caring for my son. I was confident in my skills. Knew what to expect. And I had the perfect products to support me and my kids on our journey.
Finding the ideal gear to support your journey as a parent is so important. At GoodBuy Gear, we’re on a mission to make shopping and selling baby and kid gear sustainable for the planet and accessible for everyone. If you’re on the hunt for those must-have products to make your journey as a parent easier, consider shopping open box and secondhand. Not only is it better for the planet, but your wallet will thank you.
About the Author, Jay Deitcher
GoodBuy Gear Contributing Writer
Jay Deitcher is a writer, stay-at-home dad and licensed clinical social worker with over a decade of experience as a therapist for children with behavioral and special education needs. His writing has appeared in The Washington Post, Esquire, The Cut and more.