Product Review: Daddy Time Doll by Woombie (Geared towards Ages 3-8)
Help your Child Understand “Time” and “Patience” in a Fun, Natural Way
I have been following the Woombie company since I frantically looked and found the awesome Woombie original swaddler for preemies (for babies 3-6 lbs) when I was desperately looking for a swaddler small enough for Brooke right before her NICU release. My husband, whose older brother died of Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), was adamant we would not swaddle with blankets that could come loose in her crib (see other SIDS prevention tips below) and she had grown accustomed to being swaddled in the NICU. Although she promptly earned her very first nickname of ‘bug’ from this swaddle, I have to admit, it kept her happy and sleepy being cozy and snug in her Woombie. When I saw Woombie’s latest product called the Parent Time Dolls, I felt I had to give it a shot with such a unique concept of teaching patience (gasp!) and time to a young child. They are such original and interesting-looking dolls and I wanted to see how Brooke, who is on a counting kick after recently learning to count to 10, would feel about the Daddy Time Doll.
The Daddy Time Doll (Mommy Time Doll is also available) is a soft doll with multi-colored yarn hair that has a timer (think about your kitchen timer) in its chest. Yes, you read that right…a timer…in the doll’s chest. I asked Karen Barski, Parent Time Doll creator, how she came up with the idea and she said the concept came from her own use of a timer with her children to help them understand time. Karen said the timer would actually give her a chance to get a quick break while her children would sit with their timer and watch it count down and it helped teach them patience and courtesy. She later added a cute doll so her child could have something soft to hold and added some additional simple skill building tools (like laces and zippers) so that a child could also practice skills while waiting. And, strangely, it does seem to work. At least, Brooke loves to play with the timer, which can be set for 5-15 minute increments, and it does keep her occupied for a nice break. I am not so sure about her concept of time just yet, but we will keep talking about it and working on it as she grows. I find this unique Woombie product to be a fun tool that will help her learn to count down the minutes and I love the added interesting activities to keep her busy like the zipper pants and Velcro hands. Plus, I am already getting lots of inquiries about the funny little doll with a timer in its chest and it is a fantastically fun subject to discuss!
About Woombie: Swaddle. Snuggle. Sleep. Launched in 2007, the Woombie sleep swaddler (geared for a baby’s first six months of life) was the brainchild of Karen Barski; Mom’Preneur, mother of five, owner of KB Designs LLC, Certified Infant Care Specialist and Sleep and Parenting Consultant! Her Bridgeport, CT corporation has won multiple awards for their swaddler products. I imagine that the Parent Time Doll, just released in late March 2012, will be another award winning product for Karen. Check out Karen’s Blog that deals a lot with the ‘fourth trimester’ (the first 3 months of a child’s life outside the womb) and sleep issues.
Reducing the Risk of SIDS: As you can imagine, my husband and I became informed on the prevention of SIDS before Brooke’s birth and my husband felt very strongly that I needed to add the importance of having breathable fabric (for example, the Woombie is 95% cotton fabric) for an infant to this post as well as adding the link to the American SIDS Institute prevention page. Babies are at risk for SIDS their first year of life, but it seems especially between the ages of 2-4 months. We took every precaution to prevent it based on Brooke’s pediatrician recommendations; although doctors do say there is no guaranteed way to prevent it since they are still not 100% sure of what causes it. However, it is said that since pediatricians started recommending that babies sleep on their backs that the number of cases of SIDS in the U.S. has dropped by 40%.
Daddy Time Doll by Woombie (Geared towards Ages 3-8)
List Price: $24.00
Momma's Bacon 