What is part nightlight, part attention grabbing activity, and part gateway to sleepy-land all in one?
Forget a mobile. Two out of three of my kids actually were scared of the mobile. Or maybe it was the way I danced around their nurseries as if I was a fairy when the music played. Now that’s a scary thought. Hopefully no long-term damage was done.
Who am I kidding. They’re fine. And don’t pretend you didn’t get a little bit crazier once you became a parent. It happens to us all.
Anyway, I saw a huge difference with my third child after I put a star projector in her room. Sleep training was so easy after that! The way she stared at the stars on her nursery ceiling was mind-blowing. I could leave her in her crib and she’d put herself to sleep without any crying.
So how did I choose one? Well, I wasn’t about to spend thousands and thousands of dollars on the best of the best star projectors. Yes, there are star projectors out there that cost thousands of dollars. It depicts star constellations just like the night sky, shooting stars and all.
I don’t know about you, but my newborn baby doesn’t really care about all that jazz.
So, I did the only thing a mother with no prior knowledge about star projectors would do–I googled it.
Contrary to what you may have been told, googling takes some finesse. It’s not as easy as it looks. There’s a lot of garbage out there. And at the time, I was less than competent with a computer so this was a real struggle for me. But, alas, I found the perfect star projector for my tiny human child.
I’m not about to give you the name of it, though, because as time goes on, better products are made. That magical machine isn’t the best anymore, but what I will do is give you a list of all the things you need to keep an eye out for when buying your own so you can use it exactly how I used a star projector in my nursery.
- It can’t get too hot or it will become a fire hazard. It shouldn’t have easily accessible batteries. As you know, these can pose a choking hazard (or worse). And it shouldn’t have a ton of cords. Cords and babies don’t mix.
- Auto-off. You usually won’t want this thing to run all night, so get one that has the option to stay on all night (just in case) and an auto-off option, too.
- Quiet. The last thing your baby needs is to hear unwanted background noise. And the last thing you want is to disturb her slumber. So make sure it doesn’t rattle, hum, or squeak.
- Durable. Something that can take a little tumble and barely be affected is ideal for being in a kids room. Even if your little one is too little to even reach the star projector, you may find yourself stumbling through a dark room, knocking over anything in your path.
- Good Reviews. Always check out the reviews on the products you buy for your kids. Someone else’s story about their disaster with the star projector you’re considering could save you a huge headache.
- Display. Make sure it is something your kids will want to look at. My daughter’s star projector actually rotated so it looked like the stars were moving. I guess it was almost like hypnosis for babies, the way it knocked her out. Genius!
That’s it! Simple. Yet, so SO hard! Hang in there, once you find your magical machine, it will change your life.
Okay, okay, that may be a little extreme, but if your kids take to it like mine did, you will be singing the sweet star projector praises just like I am.
All you have to do is place your baby in her crib at bedtime when she starts getting drowsy, turn on the star projector, and let it do all the work for you. This is where the auto-off option comes in handy. It’ll run for about 30 minutes and shut off automatically. By then, your baby will be knee deep in dreams about milk and cuddles with momma.
And that’s exactly how I used a star projector for my nursery. It gently sends your baby off to dream land, while you, my friend, have more time to enjoy your evening, whatever that may mean.
