Dude to Dad Episode Seven: "The Baby Gear We Actually Use" - Fatherly

The “gear video” is a staple in any vlogger’s arsenal. There’s an entire cottage industry devoted to people filming themselves unboxing, explaining, and reviewing the latest tech, toys, and dinglehoppers. When I started filming Dude to Dad for Fatherly there was an episode that was clearly on the schedule: “The Baby Gear Episode.” I had trepidations.

First, I’m no gear expert. I’m no expert at all. That’s the entire point of my series. When it comes to products, I’ve done what most new parents do: read the online reviews, discussed products with my wife, and tried to sift through the piles of baby ephemera that spills out of the bins in my son’s nursery. Is one product truly better than another? Will my son grow up to resent his Father for not providing him with a selection of all-natural wooden rattles? Is the Baby Sleep Dream Sack really going to help him get his Zzzs better than the Baby Dream Sleepy Dreamer Baby Bag?

Secondly, I felt guilty recommending one product over another. What if there’s a Dad out there who’s seen my video and doesn’t buy a product that would actually help their baby, based on a stupid joke I made? What if the NoseFrida does work, and I’m just too dumb to figure out how to siphon boogers out of my baby’s nose? Is it even possible to recommend baby products, when every newborn is so different?

But then I remembered how we got all those baby products in the first place: gifts from friends and family, pacifiers picked from forums, strangers on the Internet sharing their stories about reflux and sleepless nights. The products that helped them stay sane and keep their baby fed and healthy.

The firsthand information I have to offer is a valuable resource to new parents. And so I pass on the information I’ve gleaned in these first months to you in video form. I can’t promise it will all work, but if one item brings you and your baby piece of mind, it will all be worth it. It’s part of being a small cog in the baby industrial complex. But it’s also part of being a good member of a community of parents.

Enjoy the latest episode of Dude to Dad. Happy booger sucking.