We hear over and over again that babies are so different, but some products seem so effective, that it’s hard to believe that it wouldn’t work for ALL babies until you have… another.

1.  Ergo – Noelle and I practically lived and breathed the Ergo for the first year of her life.  I used the Ergo with her until she was 16 months. It was my godsend baby item, and I thought it could do no wrong. Just snap three buckles and you’re good to go  No lengthy cloth straps to deal with, no weird maneuvering of the baby to get her in the right position. It was magical for me. Then Jaren came along, and would squirm and push me away the instant I put him into that thin.  He hated being trapped in such a tight space. What?! I thought all babies wanted to be held and close to mama, all the time. Not my son! He vastly preferred being walked around in a stroller, where he had his freedom and space and could see beyond the little cocoon of my chest and arms. For what it’s worth, I tried the Baby K’tan and Moby Wrap too – both were rejected by my anti-babywearing son.

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2.  Jumperoo -This was another item Noelle loved and could play in for 30 minutes at a time when I needed my hands free for a moment. She started entertaining herself in this thing from 5-8 months, and was as happy as a clam in it. I thought, what baby wouldn’t like jumping up and down and all-around, with toys at every angle? The birth of Jaren silenced my know-it-all mouth again. My son could not stand being confined in a jumperoo and refused to jump more than once or twice in it before itching to get out. At first I thought maybe he was too young, and I’d try again in a few weeks. A few weeks turned to months, and he never really took to it.  I sure could’ve saved myself a huge chunk of living room space if I had known from the get go that he would hate it forever!

3.  Activity Gym – I thought this was great with my first. What a handy little area for babies to hang out in when they’re not too mobile. It’s a colorful and fun place for them to practice tummy time too! Can’t go wrong with an activity gym, right? Nope.  Jaren could care less about the hanging toys and rarely tried to make a grab for them. He just wanted out, and would look left, look right, whine, fuss… until I finally saved him from the torment. Needless to say, the activity gym stayed tucked away in our closet until we handed it down to a baby who would appreciate it more.

What did your baby think of these products?  Which items do you swear by?