New York Family Brooklyn Family Queens Family Bronx Family Ultimate Guide to Fall/Winter Fun Long Island Family Ultimate Guide to Afterschool Programs Annual Guide Long Island Special Child New York Special Child Ultimate Guide to Schools Ultimate Guide to Summer Camp
New York Family Brooklyn Family Queens Family Bronx Family Ultimate Guide to Fall/Winter Fun Long Island Family Ultimate Guide to Afterschool Programs Annual Guide Long Island Special Child New York Special Child Ultimate Guide to Schools Ultimate Guide to Summer Camp
Babies & Toddlers

Six Must-Haves For Baby’s First Six Months

By Posted on

Before having a baby, I harbored idyllic visions of only a few of the most beautiful wooden toys and gorgeously illustrated books neatly stacked in the nursery. I was hoping the “less is more” philosophy could apply to my life as a new parent. After all, hadn’t my grandmother and great-grandmother and generations of women before me done just fine without a Rock N Play Sleeper?

Oh, how wrong I was! Not only is our home now overrun with toys, the gadgets and devices for merely getting through the day are too many to count. And during the first 6 months with a new baby there were just as many things that I begrudgingly put on my registry but found they prevented a lot of headaches. Here are the must-have items that made life infinitely easier with a little one.

Whitney C. Harris is a freelance writer living in Westchester, NY. She had her first child, a daughter named Rowan, last summer. Find her at whitneycharris.com.

Save

  • A Two-Sided Nursing Pillow

    A Two-Sided Nursing Pillow

    I don't think nursing pillows were all that common just a generation or two ago, but these days, they are considered the best way to feed your baby without breaking your back. My two-sided Boppy pillow has been my constant nursing companion, as I used the soft side for the first 6 months, and have more recently transitioned to using the firmer side. The U-shaped design was also the only way to get my daughter to do tummy time for the first four months.
  • Foot & Arm Rattles

    Foot & Arm Rattles

    After months of leaning over my baby to show her toys and books and assorted interesting things, I was relieved to discover foot and arm rattles – something she could engage with all by herself at such a young age. Soon after strapping the colorful trinkets to her wrists and ankles, she would start punching and kicking the air, breaking into a smile whenever she heard the resulting jingle.
  • Water-Resistant Changing Mat

    Water-Resistant Changing Mat

     Diaper duty takes up a big portion of your time for the first 6 months, but you shouldn't have to spend extra time washing a fabric changing mat. A good friend insisted I buy the Keekaroo Peanut Diaper Changer. It cost far more than I ever thought I would spend on such an item, but you clean it with a quick wipe of a cloth and you're done. It's faster and easier than any other diaper pad out there.
  • Big Window Fan

    Big Window Fan

     Any mom worth her salt will tell you that white noise is great for helping baby sleep. It took me two months to accept this simple fact but once we started using a window fan, our daughter slept like a pro. The noise lulls her to dreamland and the air flow is good for keeping the nursery from getting stuffy.
  • Bathtub Insert

    Bathtub Insert

     The thought of having to buy an extra device just to bathe my baby was extremely frustrating (can't I just plop her in the sink?), but I don't know how I'd do it without the Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium Bath Center. It essentially cradles your little one in a safe, tub-like chamber, and has three different stages to transition through as your baby develops. I plan on bathing my babe in this device until she'll no longer let me.
  • Take Along Tunes Musical Toy

    Take Along Tunes Musical Toy

    I would never in a million years have picked out the Take Along Tunes musical toy for my baby. It looks like a brightly colored iPod for tots. Of course, it's my daughter's absolutely favorite plaything and stops any crying in two seconds flat. I don't know if it's the classical music or colorful lights that soothe her, but it always does the trick, especially when we're in the car and she's throwing a fit.

About the Author

More from Babies & Toddlers

Relevant Directory Listings

See More

Incarnation Camp

<p dir="ltr">Wilderness adventure & classic summer camp fun!</p> <p dir="ltr">Located in coastal Connecticut, on over 700 wooded acres surrounding a mile-long private lake, Incarnation Camps are the country's oldest co-ed camps.  Since 1886, we have provided a fun-filled, traditional camp with experiential learning and group living in the outdoors.  We guide campers through well-rounded & adventurous programs that develop an appreciation for nature & celebrate the uniqueness of each individual.  We offer both overnight and day camp programs on our property and serve over 1000 campers each summer through our various programs.</p>

TADA! Youth Theater

<div> <div style="text-align: center;"><strong>TADA! Youth Theater </strong>- Camps & Classes</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Gotta Sing! Gotta Dance! Gotta Act!<br /><br />Join TADA! this fall for after-school and weekend musical theater classes available to students ages 4-12!</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Throughout the semester students will:</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;"><br />ENGAGE IN MUSICAL THEATER TRAINING</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">STAY ACTIVE</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">LEARN VOCALS & CHOREOGRAPHY TO FUN, UPBEAT BROADWAY SONGS</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">RECEIVE INDIVIDUALIZED ATTENTION AND SOLO OPPORTUNITIES</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">EXPERIENCE ENSEMBLE-BASED INSTRUCTION BY TWO PROFESSIONAL NYC TEACHING ARTISTS</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">MAKE CONNECTIONS WITH NEW FRIENDS!</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Limited spots available! All of our classes take place in person at <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/search/15+W.+28th+Street?entry=gmail&source=g" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.google.com/maps/search/15%2BW.%2B28th%2BStreet?entry%3Dgmail%26source%3Dg&source=gmail&ust=1726934764446000&usg=AOvVaw0VHbAyCvA7tMsvjssdURPg">15 W. 28th Street</a> (between Broadway & 5th) and culminate in a final sharing for an invited audience.</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Classes Schedule September 28 - December 17, 2024 (10 Sessions)</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;"><br />Mondays: </div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Mondays, Ages 4-5 | 3:45PM-5:15PM</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Mondays, Ages 6-8 | 3:45PM-5:15PM</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Wednesdays:</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Wednesdays, Ages 8-12 | 4PM-5:30PM</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Saturdays:</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Saturdays, Ages 5-7 | 10AM-11:30AM</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Saturdays, Ages 8-12 | 12N-1:30PM<br /><br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Class Descriptions:</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">AGES 4-5, MUSICAL THEATER MINIS:</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Creativity takes center stage! In this upbeat, high-energy class, your Musical Theater Mini will learn new introductory skills in the areas of singing, dancing, and acting. Each session, students participate in fun, creative-play activities as well as learn vocals and choreography to popular Broadway songs. </div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;"><br />AGES 5-7, 6-8 JAZZY JUNIORS and AGES 8-12, RISING STARS: This class offers the perfect blend of musical theater exploration and fun theater games to keep kids creative and active all semester long! Each session, students participate in musical theater training as well as learn vocals and choreography to popular Broadway songs. </div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">REGISTER TODAY!<br /><br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;">Link: <a href="https://tadatheater.com/education-overview/fall-classes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://tadatheater.com/education-overview/fall-classes/&source=gmail&ust=1726934764446000&usg=AOvVaw0H9gU2AKJIVibL0qw-2lOn">https://tadatheater.com/<wbr />education-overview/fall-<wbr />classes/</a><br /><br /></div> </div> <div> <div dir="ltr" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"> <div dir="ltr"> <div dir="ltr"> <div dir="ltr"> <div dir="ltr"> <div dir="ltr"> <div dir="ltr"> <div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

Artistree Performing Arts

<p>Join us for the most incredible summer of musical theater at CAMP ARTISTREE!  If your child loves performing, then Artistree is the place to be.  Each day combines the essential components of putting on a show--acting, singing and dancing--with the fun of a traditional camp atmosphere like games, crafts and time outdoors.  It's a camp experience like no other!  Preschool Camp runs the weeks of June 14th <strong>(Descendants)</strong> and 21st <strong>(Frozen)</strong>.  </p> <p>We then begin our Summer Show Intensives for both Kids, Grades K-4 <strong>(Willy Wonka:  July 6-23 and Jungle Book:  July 26-August 13)</strong> and Tweens/Teens, Grades 5th-10th <strong>(Shrek:  July 6-23 and Into the Woods:  July 26-August 13)</strong>. </p> <p>Teens and Young Adults have their own show <strong>(Rock of Ages--July 6-August 5)</strong> which rehearses in the evenings and is performed at Harbor Island Park in conjunction with the Village of Mamaroneck.  </p> <p>We end the summer with week-long theater intensives the weeks of August 16, 23 and 30.  Mention Westchester Family and get $50 off any camp program!  Enroll now at artistreearts.com.  We can't wait to spend the summer with you at Camp Artistree!</p>