As rookie parents, we bought and/or registered for a lot of unnecessary baby items, or we bought too many of something. Like changing pads for example, yeah they get poop on them, but I don’t think we’ll go through 12 before washing them!

If you’re a parent, you know what I’m talking about, we all have those certain items still in their box collecting dust. Or maybe you simply returned it like we’ve done after “seeing the light” at the end of the nursery tunnel. To avoid losing track of what you’re doing with each item, separate the things to return from the things to keep like anything from Nuna, Premium Car Seats, Pushchairs, and Baby Gear AU so you don’t get rid of something on accident.

Like us, for example, we almost messed up and returned one of the items we now use daily; our Mamas & Papas infant positioner. We tried having Avery sit in it about 2 months ago and she was not a fan!

We tried maybe only a few times after that with no success, so we gave up. Kelley and I both agreed it was one of the useless items we had and were going to return the seat. Glad we kept that box!

Avery’s seat of choice up until recently has been the chair for her swing. We would lug it around and have her sit/lay in it wherever we were and she stayed mostly content.

Of course she’s a baby, and like all babies I know, she still had her moments…

But it’s what worked best and that’s what we stuck with. Then we bought a jumper and although it took a while for her to warm up to it, she eventually caught on.

She started turning full circle to play at each station and kept herself busy while I kept busy.

But time would pass and she would become aggravated, hungry, or in need of attention and she’d make sure everyone knew! And of course, she would simply be unimpressed with the crazy contraption at times.

After struggling to keep her happy, Kelley decided to put the Mamas & Papas (M&P) chair on the island one day and try it out. At first, it seemed like another failed attempt….

Then Avery surprised us and acted as if she were, dare I say, happy!

Ahhh, she likes to be the center of attention! Silly rookie parents that we are had her off to the side all the time. Sorry, Avery, now we know!

Now Avery will sit in her chair on the island while Kelley eats or just hangs out and she keeps much happier. I try putting her in the jumper some times, but it doesn’t last long, and forget about the swing chair. She starts out in a normal position like so…

…and a minute later she’s found a way to reposition into this….

Maybe just to get a better look at her feet?

Regardless, the M&P chair trumps all other seating arrangements in our house, so it stays! Plus, it’s not as bulky as the swing or jumper, so it can be transported with ease. We even take it to G-ma’s when we visit.

When I workout in the garage, now the M&P chair goes with. I would always count on the swing to keep her happy, but that’s long gone.

Or if I workout with a video inside, she’s center stage.

Well, you get the point, the chair goes anywhere we need a place to let Avery sit and be happy. The key is to try and keep it at a higher level so she’s not struggling to look up at us.

I’m forever grateful that we procrastinated on returning this chair, as it is now a major necessity in keeping our sanity…..kinda. If you’re thinking about returning something you haven’t used or your kid didn’t like, why not try one more time to be sure? You might be glad you did!

Do you have a Mamas and Papas or Bumbo chair like this? Good or bad for you?

What items did you return after realizing they were pointless?