The first time I saw a baby wearing one of those neck floaters his/her neck was when we were idling our time away at Bangkok Dolphin’s while waiting for Spud’s baby swimming class to start quite a while back.

Now I don’t know a lot about these neck floaters, neither am I aware of what the general consensus or opinions around it. However, after seeing it for the first time and how it is being fitted onto the child’s neck, I have some serious suspicion about it. My first thoughts were: How can it be safe for a baby? What happens if for some reason the child just slide in, and the baby’s mouth and nose get stuck in between the floater?

The neck floater is a hideous little thing in my opinion. It holds the baby by the neck and suspends the little creature vertically in the water. How anyone can call THAT swimming is beyond me, and any kicking the baby does is no different from when a parent holds or cradles the baby in the water. Neck floaters just look so…wrong.

What baffled me when I saw it was the fact that, here we all are attending a swimming class so our babies can safely learn how to swim, yet there was this parent, who perhaps without much thought, brought along such a floater, dump the child on the side of the swimming pool while the parents looked on from outside the pool? (we are allowed to get into the pool earlier or stay a little later as a another class is in session if we want to and at that time, the parent was doing just that while the instructor was teaching another class)

I was actually appalled at the sight of baby in the neck floater, but apart from muttering something to Silver Bullet, I kept my trap shut. I was (and still am!) curious if the instructor saw the scene at all or if he did, if he had said anything to that particular parent that day.

That was the one and only time I saw that heinous at the swimming class. And apparently, those neck thingies are a really big thing in Asia. If you by now are still wondering what I’m talking about, here is a snapshot taken off Google Image:

(There are also some videos up on YouTube, but I don’t really want to put that up here as I am not advocating such practice)

I don’t know if it offers any health benefits, or if it is being used as some sort of therapy, but gut tells me that something about it is just not right. It is not something one would want to use to teach a normal healthy baby to swim. I don’t want to judge parents who have used it on their child and  if you swear by it, so be it and I am glad it works for you.

However,  to me that whole neck ring floater concept just feels so, so, very ….wrong. I’m inclined to think that looking at how it is being worn, the level of safety is very questionable. That being said, I am also inclined to say that use it only if you don’t love your baby. 

I really think that the people who came up with these things really ought to be shot.

Since becoming a mom, I realized there are several things which I thought are probably the world’s greatest invention. They have become a must-have and  I am so dependent on them that I am convinced that these are certainly my list of things which I cannot live without.

Here is my list in no particular order for anytime, any where:

#1: Wet Wipes. Wet Wipes. Wet Wipes.

Yes, as silly as it sounds, wet wipes are the greatest invention since sliced bread. Our drawers are filled with packs and packs of wet wipes, and we make sure that we stock them up well – different brands, different sizes…we have it all! We always have a few lying around that is within our reach for when we need them, and I make sure that I have a few travel-sized wet-wipes in her tote bag, too.

Why such obsession you ask? Well, we use wet wipes for nearly everything – from cleaning her bottom, to wiping the table and utensils, to wiping Spud’s face and hands during and after meal times, use it to clean our hands, to clean up all the food which Spud spills on the floor and on the table and on the chair…you name it, wipes after wipes after wipes.

We probably have used wet wipes for nearly everything!

#2: Muslin Squares

A square piece of cloth for everything! From a swaddle when babies are much smaller, to a burp cloth, to covering my modesty while breast-feeding, a make-shift bib, as a protective layer under the head for the car seat or stroller, as a shade from the sun, as a comfort cloth by putting it over Spud’s head and eyes if we want to get Spud to sleep while we are out and about, to cleaning the floor after spilling some milk.

They look very boring and unassuming, but they are just god-send! I particularly like the printed ones.

It is not surprising that we have lost a few along the way…

#3: Calendula Cream

Recommended by Blogger Boo who commented on one of my posts (she swears by it!), this is the very cream which cured Spud’s eczema within days once upon a time, when all other things just failed to work.

Since then, it has proven to be a very effective remedy against strange looking marks, bites scratches, as well as the occasional nappy rash.

It is expensive, but I have never looked back since. Certainly money well-spent.

#4: Sudo Crème

Imported all the way from Holland, this always works when Spud has a flare..works wonders all the time. So good that I dedicated an entire post to it

#5: The Wrap or Mei-tai

They are my life-saver!

Not only it is a good means of transporting Spud from one place to another while attached to me, it also allows me to have my hands free for other tasks while Spud stays secure on me. In the early days when Spud was still a little baby, wearing her was the only way to get her to take her naps, or so that I can get on with other things.

Spud still enjoys being worn, and there are some days when she just cannot wait to get into The Wrap when she sees it in plain sight.

Silver Bullet recently made a remark, wondering if his wearing Spud all this while, have actually contributed to a better father-daughter bonding. I certainly think so, and I definitely can see Spud bonding well with her Papa and feeling very at ease with him.

Sure there are other baby things which I can add on to the list, but if I have to choose, these 5 things certainly rank very high on my list. What would my life be without them!

What are your must-haves?