Got Quads?

In these tough economic times many of us will be turning to consignment stores, yard sales, and hand-me downs to clothe our children. Hey, I’ve been doing this since my daughters were born and you can find some great bargains out there. You can also find some things that make you scratch your head and wonder if the giver truly thought about what they were doing.

A few weeks ago my daughters’ preschool teacher told me another mom had six bags of girls clothing she wanted to donate to her church, but then thought of me and wondered if I would want them. Sure. I’m not above hand-me downs and neither are my daughters (at least not yet since they don’t understand the concept of name brands). I finally had a chance to go through the bags and a lot of it made me sad. Out the six bags I filled an entire bag with stuff that simply needed to be tossed. I’m talking non-removable stains, dirt and holes. Small stains I can handle. A quick wash, a little stain remover or bleach and there’s a good chance that tiny stain will be gone. It’s one thing to get rid of your old clothes, it’s another thing to think the recipients will take any ‘ol thing.

Don’t get me wrong. I am very grateful that the person in question thought of my family when going through all these clothes. I still ended up with three bags of clothes for my daughters (two more bags I’m going to donate because there were some things I just didn’t need… and no, I didn’t put the aforementioned stained clothes in there). I just wonder what goes through people’s minds when they’re getting ready to donate items to charity.

I remember when the country rallied to help those affected by Hurriane Katrina. People nationwide were making generous donations of food, money and clothing. Yet I also remember reading that some of the donations were simply ridiculous: evening gowns (because when you lose your home to a hurricane the first thing you need is an evening gown) and used underwear (come on!).

Now is the time to look at your “stuff” and see if you have anything to give. But give wisely and kindly. Are you donating your old clothes because they no longer fit or are out of style? Or are you donating them because they are ruined but you can’t stand the thought of throwing them out? I know I sound harsh… I don’t mean to be. I just ask that when you give, no matter how good the intention, ask yourself if what you’re giving is something that you would want to receive.

After media outlets around the country jumped on the lead safety regulations set to go into effect next month, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has clarified the laws. Under the regulations, children’s products with a certain level of lead cannot be sold in the United States, however, resale, consignment and thrift shops will not be required to test their products. Had those businesses been required to test their products most of them would have stopped selling children’s clothing because of the cost associated with the tests.

As I mentioned in Wednesday’s post, I’m all for safety. I’m glad the CPSC is around to help monitor those types of things and give guidance to second-hand stores on following recalls or products with questionable lead content. In fact, while those businesses are not required to test items they are instructed to not sell items which could have high lead levels and could face civil or criminal penalties if they violate these orders.

So what does this mean for parents who shop second-hand? Simply put, you need to do your homework. Before you set out to buy big ticket items (think cribs, car seats, etc.) know what has been recalled and why. Be wary of certain items that may contain lead such as children’s jewelry and painted or wooden toys.

I’m grateful measures are being taken to keep our children safe. I’m also grateful that the regulations aren’t as stringent as they first appeared and that those of us who need to shop second-hand will still be able to do so.

A new law set to take effect in February has me scratching my head and looking helplessly at my wallet. New regulations under the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act could very well mean the end of thrift store/re-sale shopping as we know it. In an effort to keep products with lead away from children the regulation  mandates that all products sold for those age 12 and younger — including clothing — be tested for lead and phthalates, which are chemicals used to make plastics more pliable. Those that haven’t been tested will be considered hazardous, regardless of whether they actually contain lead. (Click here to read one of the dozens of articles I found about this on the web ).

I’m all for safety, but I’m a little concerned about what this means for me as a parent… and not just a parent of multiples. These regulations could shut down re-sale shops, meaning, at a time when the economy has us all pinching pennies, we’re going to be shelling out more money to clothe our kids. I rely on second hand stores for a lot of things, especially school clothes and shoes for my daughters. Kids grow out of shoes fast . I can typically find shoes in good condition for my daughters for just a few bucks (ok, it’s usually my stepmom who finds these bargains, but the concept is the same). Yes, my daughters have new clothes, too, but most of the clothing they wear to school is second hand. I would rather have them spill paint on a $2 shirt than a $20 shirt, not that I typically spend $20 on a shirt for them. 

According to one article I read, high levels of lead were found on clothing tested at various resale shops, so I understand the potential need for the regulations. I just hope something can be done so we can still have second hand shopping in some form.

Whether you’re trying to get out of the house with one toddler or four, there are certain things you can keep in your car to make your errands easier.

• Hand sanitizer

Keep some in your purse, your glove compartment, somewhere. I prefer the foaming spray versus the traditional gel. The foam doesn’t slide off small hands quite as fast, giving them a chance to rub it in.

• Disinfectant wipes

Many grocery stores where I live have wipes near the entrance for shopping carts. The supply always seems to be empty when I shop. I’ve learned to carry my own, which comes in handy at stores that don’t typically provide wipes. I wipe the shopping cart handles off even when I’m shopping sans kids.

• Plastic bags

The bags you get at the grocery store have a multitude of uses. First of all, they make great trash bags. They also make great barf bags if you have a motion sick traveler. I also use them to store soiled clothes from a motion sick traveler until we are near a washing machine.

• Hand vac

There’s nothing quite as messy as stepping on stray crackers. Since we’re on the go a lot during the week I tend to give my girls a snack in the car, but it can be messy. We’ve got a hand vac that plugs in to the cigarette lighter and does a pretty good job of cleaning up crumbs.

• A fun CD

My daughters really enjoy singing along to nursery rhymes. Our favorite CD right now is a sing-along-disc of Fisher Price “Little People.” I get a kick out of hearing my girls giggle through the songs. It makes our drive-time go a lot faster.

Some parents of multiples like to leave a diaper bag and change of clothes in their vehicle. I would rather be forced to pack those prior to each outing to make sure I have the necessary supplies. There’s nothing quite as frustrating as reaching in to your diaper bag to find out you used up all the wipes during your last trip.

Some days I feel my basement is simply a storage area for baby gear. We’re slowly selling the stuff we don’t need, but it’s barely making a dent in the pile. How much stuff do you need with quadruplets? Here are my recommendations: (I’ll do a “Best of…” later to share my favorites)

2 bouncy seats

2 swings (preferably portable)

2 exersaucers

2 high chairs (we fed our babies two at a time, if you want to feed all four at a time then you need 4 high chairs)

2 double strollers

1 quadruplet stroller (I didn’t use mine a lot because it was heavy, but it was so nice to be able to take my girls out for a walk around the block)

1 large pitcher for mixing formula or storing breast milk

1 ½ days worth of bottles (even if you breast feed you’ll want these on hand so others can occasionally give bottles while you rest)

4 cribs (I know there are many out there who like co-bedding, but my daughters slept so much better when we stopped co-bedding and gave them their own space)

1 changing table (some people would rather have 2, one upstairs and one downstairs but I never tried that)

1 cool mist vaporizer per baby bedroom

1 baby tub

4 portable cribs (we had these set up in our living room, so even if you don’t plan on traveling, they’ll certainly come in handy)

I know I’ve left out the little things, but this is a pretty comprehensive list of the big items you’ll need with four babies.

Living in a dry climate really takes a toll on my family’s skin in the winter. The obvious solution is to drink plenty of water and always wear gloves. Here are some of the products I’ve found that help, too.

Vaporizer

With small children  you really need a cool mist vaporizer. I’ve started using Vicks Cool Mist Vaporizer and really like it. There are two settings depending on the size of your room and it’s easy to clean. It has really made a difference with dry skin, chapped lips and dry throats during the night in my daughters’ room.

If you’re putting the unit in a room without children, I strongly recommend a warm mist humidifier. The air will actually keep your room a little warmer, too. I’ve tried a few Holmes models which I liked. They were tough to keep clean, but I was using well water at the time, which likely was the main source of the tough to remove deposits.

Chapped Lips

While a humidifier/vaporizer definitely helps, I’m the type of person who constantly needs something on her lips. One of my daughters has painfully chapped lips in the winter and, at 3-years-old, the thing that works best for her is Aquaphor . She’ll leave it on and it’s not too greasy.  Vaseline is a lot cheaper and works, too, but I’ve found Aquaphor to heal a little faster.

Lotion

For  my daughters I tend to use Johnson and Johnson’s baby lotion.  It’s thick so you can tell how much you’re getting on and it doesn’t rub off very easy. For me, I’ve started using St. Ives Intensive Healing Lotion and like how fast it works.

One tip to pass along: bathing your child every night is not necessary. Obviously if your child is out playing, getting dirty or exposed to germs than you want to get her clean. If you’ve had an easy day around the house then reconsider a nightly bath. Giving your child’s skin a break will help cut down on dryness and dandruff.

40 diapers a day: that’s what we were told to expect in the first few months of our daughters’ lives. I would love to say that wasn’t the case, but it’s a pretty good estimate of what we went through on a regular basis. Through trial and error I was able to find what worked best for us and what might prove best for you, too.

Diapers:

Hands-down my number one choice is Pampers Swaddlers. At first I used these because that’s what the NICU used. I tried switching to other brands but never had any success. While some of my friends swear by Huggies, my daughters had a leaky diaper every single time we used that brand. Pampers never posed that problem.

I have to give an honorable mention to the Member’s Mark (Sam’s Club) brand. Due to the financial benefits of buying in bulk I gave these a try around size 2 or 3 and was very happy. I think they were originally called “Smiles” but are now “Strollers.”

Wipes

I give a huge thumbs up to Member’s Mark . These wipes are thick enough to clean up any mess without getting the mess on your hands. They come with a convenient pop-up lid that easily dispenses the wipes and are inexpensive. I keep a container of wipes by the table now and use them to clean my daughters’ faces after a particularly messy meal.

Cream

Desitin has always been my favorite. It’s fast acting and doesn’t have too much of a “diaper cream” smell. I’ve also used it to quickly clear up eczema on one of my daughter’s knees.

Diaper Pail

I can’t say enough about the Baby Trend Diaper Champ . The 4100 model is the best diaper pail EVER. The big plus is that you don’t need any special bags… it’s compatible with any ol’ trash bag. I like it so much that I’ve given one to friends as shower gifts. I also must give kudos to Baby Trend for revamping the latch. The previous model (4000) had a hard to open latch and I broke countless fingernails on it. The new version has a button you press and voila… the pail is open.

From time to time I’ll bring you more “Best of…” to help you figure out what to buy and what to avoid.