This is Alpha, the first-born, when he was 2YO.
This is Beta, the second-born, when he was about 2YO.
This is Gamma, the third-born, when he was about 18MO.
What to Buy When You’re Expecting
Mar
10
2008
The advice I give new parents-to-be is to buy a video monitor. Most people go for the audio monitor – the standard baby monitor – but don’t realize what that entails. When I hear that someone is having a baby shower or has registered for baby gifts, I recommend to him that they register for the video monitor. The response usually involves something like “Why do I need a video monitor to see that the baby is awake? A regular sound-only monitor will tell me that.”
Keep reading if you fall into that category, or if you’re undecided and wondering “Should I buy the audio monitor or spend extra for the video monitor? Is the baby video monitor worth it?”
The audio monitor will inform you just fine if the baby has been sleeping and is now awake. But that is only one-third of the story. Trust me, if you buy the audio monitor, you will still be getting out of your own bed to check on the baby and you will regret not getting the video monitor. It is worth the money. And the money is not that much, about double a good audio monitor.
Two main reasons why you should get a video monitor: when the baby is falling asleep and when the baby is asleep. Again, the audio monitor lets you hear the baby crying, typically so you know he’s awake. What about when the baby is falling asleep?
He has been making noise, crying or fussing perhaps, and now he is quiet. Is he asleep or has something else happened? The other case is that he has been asleep and everything is quiet. Now you hear a thump or a bump. Has the baby just kicked the side of the bed, or has he fallen out of the crib? How are you going to check that he is okay with the audio monitor. What if you hear one short cry and then silence? Was it just part of his dream or is he hurt? As a new parent, you will be wondering those things.
Yes, it is a good thing for you to actually go into your child’s room. You can still do that with the video monitor, but at least it gives you the option of staying in your own bed if are curious about the state of your child during the night.
“Just as a father has compassion on {his} children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.”
– Psalm 103:13
