Parenthood has changed so much over the generations. With new and improved products every other year, this has made the life of parents a whole lot easier. If you are from the Z generation, you may not know some of the things your grandparents had to go through raising their young. Still, we have them to thank for because they did their best with what they had back then, while we enjoy the fruits of product evolution since then. Here are some of the things that parents had to do back in the days to provide the best for their own.
Bottle sterilising
From boiling glass bottles in a pot to tablet sterilisers to electric sterilisers to microwave sterilisers and now UV sterilisers, we have certainly come a very long way. Although some parents still choose to boil the bottles the old fashion way, others prefer the convenience of electric steamers that double as a bottle storage area. Back then when you boil your bottles you still need space for a drying rack. Also, back in the 80s UV sterilisers were mostly commercial-grade: bulky and unpopular. Nowadays they are designed to be more compact for consumer use and are becoming more popular especially after the global pandemic.
Cloth diapering
Remember those ugly rectangular cloth diapers you have to fold after every wash? Raise your hands if you can do the diaper fold depicted in the picture on the left because we’re pretty sure diaper folding is a dying skill!
Cloth diapering today is not the same as it was before. Back then it was a necessity but today it has become a bit of a craze and fashion trend with mums everywhere showing off their CD stash. Yes, we kid you not – that’s the abbreviation amongst cloth diapering mamas. We can see why mums would gladly share their stash shots because have you seen the diapers covers lately? They are made out of gorgeous trendy colourful fabrics that are waterproof and comfortable. Also, cloth diapers today come with removable inserts that are far more convenient and requires minimal folding.
Tongue cleaning
Did your parents clean your tongue and gums when you were an infant? It is important to clean an infant’s mouth to maintain general good oral hygiene. Back then mums would use a clean soft cloth or gauze dipped into a bit of warm water to clean the tongue and gums after a feed. Today, this replaced by disposable gum wipes and reuseable silicone finger toothbrush with gentle bristles. Although washing the inside of an infants mouth with a soft cloth is still commonly practised, the newer generation parents are starting to switch to silicone as it is supposedly less abrasive and more gentle on infant gums and tongue.
Breastpump
Working mums should rejoice at how compact, portable and discreet breast pumps have become. Our mums and grandmothers had to be contented with glass breast pumps like the one the left. It’s that or head down to the hospital to use the hospital grade pump to help with engorgement.
We cannot imagine any working mum today would want to whip out a glass pump like that and pump at the office. Sure, it is quiet, but it would probably take forever and what if someone dropped it! Thanks to the advancement of better pumps, working mums today can have the peace of mind to return to work after confinement and still provide the best milk for their babies.
However, with the ever-increasing demands of work and today’s lifestyle, we can only expect that baby products will continue to evolve and surpass our expectations of today. Perhaps 10 years down the road, some of the things we still use today will become obsolete. What are some of the products and practices you remember as a child that is no longer practised today? Share with us in the comment box below!
