Journeys With a Pregnant Lady

In Da Crib

So Kim and I started looking at cribs. I didn't realize how complicated the crib buying process could be. Like all good parents to be, Kim and I first signed up for Consumer Reports. Although, I am not sold on Consumer reports. They are helpful, but they don't seem to report on every of "whatever product" in its particular category. The reports are sometimes over six months old and don’t reflect the newest products out there. But they are the industry standard, so we will use them.

If you read enough about cribs, you soon realize that this is your first chance not to kill your kid. The information sources out there would have you believe that every other crib on the market is potentially dangerous.

If the slats (or bars) of the crib aren't close enough together... your kid will get strangled.

If there is exposed hardware on the crib... your kid will get maimed in some way.

Is there any particleboard used in the construction? Hope not, the kid will succumb to chemical fumes.

How about that wood finish, does it have enough coats of a safe material for your kid to chew on? Hope so, or else the kid buys it.

You would think that there is one standard that all cribs are held to, and that safety would be on the top of every maker’s list. Why even get into the crib building business unless you are going to make safe cribs, right? So I’m sure that every legitimate crib maker makes a relatively safe product. But with the cautions all swirling around in your head, you immediately go to the high price cribs.

I'm not sure that the higher priced cribs are better, considering that one of the highest rated Consumer Reports cribs is only a $100, but the higher priced ones look nice.

I didn't realize that these things are like Transformers, the turn into like 10 different things. They go from a crib to an adult full-size bed. Doesn't that seem weird? These Cribs are so nice that when they convert to a full-size bed, they have a headboard and footboard that almost looks better than the ones we have on our bed.

Like I said, we are only just starting our crib journey. Now if every purchase for the child takes this much thought, we might not have everything purchased before she is born.

When I know more about cribs I will write more.

Posted by him at August 10, 2005 04:51 AM