Today is our Thanksgiving holiday in Canada -- although many people celebrate on Saturday or Sunday. (In general, Canadian Thanksgiving is a much lower-key affair than its American counterpart.) As I've often grumbled here through the years, dh & I are often at loose ends on holidays like this, but this year, we were invited for dinner at BIL's on Sunday/yesterday -- well in advance & not as a last-minute afterthought, which was nice. ;)
Among the other guests was SIL's niece (our nephews' only (living) cousin, whom we've known since she was born) and her three-month-old baby boy. SIL's brother/the baby's grandfather has advised SIL that if she really wants to buy something for the baby, diapers &/or formula would be far more practical than yet another cute outfit (that the baby will promptly outgrow in two weeks) or toy.
So besides stopping at the supermarket on Saturday to pick up an apple pie to bring for for dessert, dh & I took a swing by Walmart to pick up a box of Pampers (after texting SIL first to find out what brand the new mom/baby prefers and what size would be appropriate). I assumed they would be in the pharmacy section -- they weren't -- so we went wandering around the store until eventually we found them -- in the Babies & Toddlers section (right by the toy section, of course). Foreign territory!!
I felt like an idiot -- like I might as well have had a scarlet C for "Childless" stamped on my forehead. Only someone without kids would have to ask a clerk where to find the diapers, right?
Dh, on the other hand, said that walking out of the store with a package of diapers under his arm made him feel "like a Grandpa." Different strokes...!
You can find more of this week's #MicroblogMondays posts here.
I admire your niece for her honesty and forthrightness in being like, "diapers please!" I feel like a lot of people wouldn't have the courage to outright say what they want/need instead of the usual gifts. And so interesting that you and DH had different feelings about the diaper purchases! I feel like the diaper aisle is incredibly visible in our stores here -- especially in Target where it's right opposite the books (a section I visit frequently). But in a Walmart I can't find the highlighters, so I think you can cut yourself some slack for needing help finding the baby section in such a behemoth of a store!
ReplyDeleteJust to clarify, it was my SIL's niece, no relation to me except through marriage... and it was her dad (SIL's brother) who suggested diapers would be a more practical gift. ;) Money is tight for them and she gets tons of hand-me-downs from her friends with babies. But I think they were appreciated -- you know they will ALWAYS be needed, lol. ;) Dh despises WalMart & generally tries to avoid it (nevermind on a long weekend Saturday...!), so that would explain some of our unfamiliarity with the layout. The diapers were way at the back of the store, not hugely visible. But then again, I am sure if we had kids, we'd be better acquainted with the place.
DeleteUmm, I would not have been able to find these diapers. I struggled even when we were in the thick of diapers as each chain of store had their own scheme. I’m impressed this store had a formal baby and toddler section with these stocked because it seriously can be a crap shoot some days.
ReplyDeleteMy point is don’t beat yourself up. It was extremely kind of you to bring such a useful gift. That’s all that matters.
These days, I just figure I'm of the age that I wouldn't know where the nappies (sorry, I can't write the d word, let alone pronounce it!) are, any more than any other woman in her 50s. Especially as shops are always rearranging themselves.
ReplyDeleteYour DH's comment was interesting too. Recently we took my niece to her weekly basketball game, and we were asked by a woman sitting next to us if we were there for a grandson or granddaughter!!!
Honestly, I'd be at a loss for finding diapers in a store too. Not to mention that they come in approximately 700 sizes in 96 brands (all of which are apparently different).
ReplyDelete