“shouldering” the burden of a sleeping babe

How not to wake a sleeping baby without having your shoulder cramp up? Now that’s a problem worth fixing…It amazes me that a new category of baby gear can be marketed as a “must-have” item. I’m talking about the Shoulder Pillow from iaxisi, a support device whose name lacks originality, but whose purpose is self-explanatory. Billed as an ergonomic pillow that is contoured to fit a parent’s shoulder, it claims to provide comfort and security to both sleeping child and said caregiver–and “look good while doing it” (the pillow comes in a number of whimsical, kid-friendly prints). Well, unless the Mommy Fashion Police are staked out in my home, I’m not sure I’ll be worrying about my appearance (I’ve got dried spit-up down my shirt, anyhow). This product does gets points for clever, compact packaging that may catch your eye while perusing the aisles. Take a closer look, though, at those parent quotes on the box, saying their 1- and 2-year-olds “can’t leave home without it [the pillow].” Geez, if my 1-year-old can verbalize her preferences, maybe she’ll be able to tell me she needs her very own American Express card next.
In A Nutshell: a comfy towel might cushion your little one’s head just as well in a pinch–and you can wipe off that spit-up with it, too.