This post may contain affiliate links, which means I'll receive a commission if you purchase through my link at no additional cost. You can read my full disclosure here.
Toddler essentials are just as important as newborn essentials. Just like when you have a newborn, having the right products for them makes that stage easier to manage, so is knowing what toddler essentials to have in your arsenal.
For busy moms who like to watch the video over reading, you can watch the video version or my youtube channel.
I will be going over the top products that I use for my son’s 12 to 24-month infancy. Shameless plug, but you’re not following me on social media you should. Here is where you can connect with me.
I can not believe I have a 2-year-old. All this preparation is why I will be going over the crucial everyday products that let us do daily life with him. If your child goes to daycare, these products are great. You will be able to transition your toddler easier since some of the products you can use there.
This post is about toddler essentials.
Top 5 Toddler Products I recommend
We’re not going in any particular order with these products. wanted to list them. I know a lot of parents, especially when you’re transitioning them from home into some type of daycare facility. These products were really great.
Noah started going to daycare when he was almost fourteen months old. I know that when this is being written, we are in the middle of a pandemic (covid-19), so when your child starts daycare might be a little different from when my child had to start daycare. However, these products really helped me, my toddler, and my family makes sure that some dates were like he was good to go.
Toddler Essentials for Daycare, Travel, and More
Here’s one of the reasons why we love the Essentials Nuk Sippy Cup. We love this cup so much because it doesn’t leak or have issues like other cups. It comes with a stopper and the stopper you would install at the top. Then screw it back on, and bam, you are good to go.
Another reason why we love this so much is because when you go into any daycare facility, they will require that your older infant and young toddler be transferred to a sippy cup. That’s because it’s just a lot easier for the daycare facility to manage. Bottles require a lot more sterilization. This has to do with the nipple and how often you have to clean out the bottles or cups.
Cup Toddler Essenitals
When you have a sippy cup, you want this to be sterile. You can bring multiple of these, and it’s just that it’s more hygienic. Daycares will require that at least if you’re toddler will if your child is 12 months, which is considered a young toddler, they will require them to have a sippy cup. This one is the best. We don’t have any leakage issues.
We have so many of these, and we do some for travel. I mean, they go through the airport in a different country, and this is really held up. If you’re looking for a sippy cup that doesn’t have a cab and that still allows milk or water to flow through, but it’s not messy that we get one of these, and trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
Toys Your Toddler Love from Favorite Shows
Next, we have Cocomelon. Being that you have kids, you know all about Cocomelon. If you didn’t know, Cocomelon now has a lot of products. I went to Target recently and did you know that there is a tent with Cocomelon. Cocomelon has a bunch of toys, and Noah really likes this bus because it plays the “Wheels on the Bus” song, and it plays like all the top songs from their hit TV show.
As your baby starts to get older, you will notice that around the 15-17 month mark, they will begin to become more independent since they are walking and can get things they want on their own. I will say that this does for him because it allows him to start with individual play. Getting toys from your kid’s favorite show will make them feel more involved and have a lot more fun since they are familiar with the characters when playing.
Toddler Essentials For Language Building
After my son reached 18 months, we shifted the toys that we were getting to toys that started developing language. The Learning Friends 100 Words Book was gifted to us by my dear friend. We absolutely loved the book because it actually goes through all the different words in English and Spanish when you press it.
A section in the book goes over all the common single words that will help toddlers build vocabulary. At this age, building vocabulary is so essential. By the time toddlers go to their 18-month doctor’s appointment, toddlers should have about 3-8 words in their vocabulary bank.
Getting a book that just has a hundred words is fantastic. Another great thing about the 100 Words book is that it’s not just animal-focused. LeapFrog (the company that makes the 100 Words Books) has books and concepts focused on your lifestyle.
For example, if you want your toddler to learn more lifestyle words, there is a book for that or more industrial words. If you wanted to do vehicles. The 100 Words Book has several different types of these 100 Words. You will have a field day with the number of words your child can learn. I will say that it’s definitely an excellent investment.
Best Lightweight Stroller for 12 Months+
If you don’t know, you are now about to get put on the best lightweight stroller we have come across on the market. The GB Pockit+ All-City stroller is the best everyday stroller for busy moms. I did a full review of it that you can check out below.
It’s been the best toddler essentials investment for a stroller. It’s a very lightweight travel system. One of the reasons I like it is that it’s easy for me to assemble and disassemble. We have the Chicco travel system (you can watch the video below) that we still use for more heavy-duty traveling.
Difference Between Travel Systems
If we’re going a long distance and need to pack a lot more items with us, we need to, for example, if we were going to go to a museum or we’re going to go to the zoo, a more extensive travel system like the Chicco system is better. The GB Pockit+ All-City stroller has really come through when it comes to just everyday traveling. Often, it’s just me and my 23-month-old and having a heavy stroller system when I also have to take my dog Cooper is a lot.
For me, something lightweight is also great because, by the time toddlers get to the 24-month mark, they can get really, really fidgety. You only have a small window to get them in and out of the car without conflict.
Overall, it’s just an excellent investment. Is inexpensive, and I just mentioned the video I would recommend for children over the age of 12 months. It’s not something that I would recommend if they are smaller. I would invest in a full-on travel system that comes with an infant car seat just so that you have that protection they need since they are that little.
Bath Tubs that Grow with Your Toddler
At your baby shower, you probably got a baby bath that is just for the first six months of the baby’s life. We really should be shopping for baby baths for months 12 to 2. For over a year, we have used an excellent bath is the Primo Baby Bath.
What’s unique about this bath is that you can actually start using it for them when they are an infant, and it grows with them. We’ve been using this for my son, Noah, for about 6-months old with another baby bath. My husband and I like this one a lot better because after he got about 12 months, we were able to turn it around and use the bigger sides so that he’s able to be more independent.
The tub has two sides to it, one that your baby can lay down, which is typical when infants are 12 months and younger, and then there is the other side for when they can sit up on their own. This is the more prominent side that allows them to have their legs sit on either side while allowing toddlers to play.
Final reflection on Infant Mom Life
We just absolutely love it. No one enjoys bath time as much as our 23 months older, and he is still at a point where he’s not too big where we can probably get another couple of months out. Great investment. Lastly, my toddler is just really comfortable in it. It’s really safe and remarkable because it has a line where you can fill the water up so you can easily remove the water if it is too hot, and you have a lot of control, making it the perfect bath for your toddler.
We will get through this phase of our baby’s lives, mamas. Having these toddler essentials should make the transition a lot easier.
*This tub is sold out, but I have found a very similar tub that will work and have the same functionality as the Primo Bath.
This post was about toddler essentials.
Leave a Reply