Best Gear for 2 Under 2 Life: Must-Haves for Your Baby and Toddler

Inside: The best baby and toddler gear for 2 under 2. Tips and tricks from a mom who has been there with a 15 month age gap. 2 under 2 strollers, monitors, bath supplies and more.

When you have two babies in two years you learn the ins and outs of baby supplies pretty darn quickly.

Well, truth be told, by the second child and through a lot of trial and a lot more error you learn the ins and outs of baby supplies.

With Jack, I had the audacity to think my child would simply accept all of the baby items we had purchased and embrace them for their proper use. When Norah came around 15 months later, I realized that was utter foolishness.

Just because you have a bassinet does not mean your baby will enjoy the bassinet (read: sleep in). And just because you have a baby carrier, doesn’t mean you’ll know how to put it on in a way that won’t make your child scream in your face for 25 minutes like he’s at a death metal concert.

But thanks to some experienced parents, and by learning from our mistakes (sorry Jack), we did find some gear that helped us survive and thrive while living that 2 under 2 life.

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My Best 2 Under 2 Toddler and Baby Gear Recommendations

The best 2 under 2 baby and toddler gear

Video Baby Monitor

“What do we need a video monitor for?” we said with arrogance and naivete. “We can get a regular audio monitor and if he cries we will go get him.”

That was dumb.

Sometimes babies/toddlers cry a little in their sleep but they aren’t awake. You know what will wake them up though? You running into the room. And if you’re sleep training, your kiddo might stand up in the crib for a few minutes being REAL mad.

But if you have a video monitor you can watch him go from real mad to “fine I’m tired… I’ll lay down” and you won’t need to worry that the sudden quiet is the baby drawing up maps to plot his revenge.

And sometimes you just want to roll over in your bed and check on your little ones and watch their cute little chests go up and down as they breathe peacefully. That’s right kids, I watch you while you sleep… It’s fine.

For the two under two set, we have this Motorola video baby monitor with two cameras.

Baby Banana Toothbrush

This one seems weird, I get that. But with Jack we started brushing his teeth a little later than we should have as a baby and we got the brunt of his wrath in return. Getting his teeth brushed became a full-body workout.

Norah started getting her “teeth” brushed basically straight out of the womb. Using this little toothbrush/teether and some water, Norah got super used to brushing her teeth twice a day and nowadays with a full set of chompers, we can brush her teeth with no problem. Ah, progress.

Shower Hats

Jack always liked the bath. Except for the hair part. Which is fair because I don’t think I would like being waterboarded either. He always got over it with minimal crying though.

Norah was a different adventure. She would happily sit in the bathtub for about 3.5 minutes. Not about. Exactly 3.5 minutes. And then she would start screaming like you had taken away all the love, hope, and crackers in the world. Particularly if you tried to wash her hair in those 3.5 minutes. And then Jack would start to lose it too. Torturous.

So we decided to throw money at the problem and buy these little shower hats. And dude, they are awesome. The first couple times Norah thought they were demons coming to possess her soul, but when she realized that they were actually engineered to protect her eyes from water and soap she was on board. Bathtime is now enjoyable for all. If your babies or toddlers are anti-hair washing, I recommend these bad boys strongly.

BOB 2 Under 2 Stroller

Walks are good for everyone’s mental and physical health, which is where a good double stroller comes in!

On days when Norah was fussy and Jack was antsy, into the stroller we went. It’s amazing how much everyone’s mood changes when you are outside, and how much easier it is to parent when both children are strapped in. The BOB Duallie was great for 2 under 2 because it’s not crazy heavy and glides like a dream.

But I BEG you to find one of these second-hand like we did. They are wonderful but also pretty pricey to buy new. The two under two life is expensive enough as it is.

Formula Dispensers

Breastfeeding mamas, pumping mamas, formula feeding mamas (and papas) – you do you. There are a lot of right ways to parent and I support you!

For us, after multiple lactation consultants looked at my anatomy quizzically and basically said “Hmmmm…. well maybe if you breastfeed in this harness that I can hang from your ceiling fan… That might work” we decided to go the formula route.

If you are formula feeding, these little travel formula containers were awesome. For some reason, with Jack we put formula in little snack bags when we were out and about and it never worked out well. I felt like I needed a degree in engineering to get all the formula out of the bag.

These travel formula dispensers though – you dump the formula right into the bottle with no mess. And it takes less time so you can feed the baby and get the toddler down from the store mannequin he inexplicably climbed.

Winning.

Jambini Magnetic Cabinet Locks

When attempting to keep both of our kids out of the cleaning supplies cabinet we tried frustrating safety latches that took four years to open, rubber bands, and a padlock.

None of these options compared in the slightest to the Jambini Magnetic Cabinet Locks though. These little babies are super secure and invisible! You set up the magnet lock inside the cabinet, and the use this little magnet key and it pops open. Keep the key safely up on your counter out of reach of both of your 2 under 2 and you’re good to go.

One More 2 Under 2 Gear Recommendation!

I LOVE me some Amazon Subscribe and Save. And the Amazon Baby Registry. The convenience! The prices! The fact that I don’t need to put on real pants to buy diapers!

But before you buy anything look at consignment sales/yard sales/Craigslist. We found bouncy seats, toys, a Pack ‘n Play, hiking backpack, etc. All very lightly used and for pennies on the dollar. I’ll say it again, 2 under 2 is NOT CHEAP. Reduce, reuse, recycle yo!

And most importantly have a blast! The 2 under 2 life is absolutely nuts, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.