My wife has had some great entrepeneurial ideas for new products based on her experiences in child-rearing. Here are a few:
1)Sound-proof glass between the children’s area and the front seats in a minivan.
This first idea is inspired by the 200-decible screaming that goes on in our minivan on a regular basis as our two young boys go about their daily routines. And this is WITHOUT friends. When the friends are there, raise it to 300 decibles. A nice sound-proof barrier would keep parent sanity and allow us to maintain the serenity of Nicholeen Peck (the M* writer and World’s Strictest Parent), not to mention help us keep our hearing into our 50s.
2)Individual cones of silence in the minivan. Otherwise known as the “stop touching me” divider. Couldn’t something like this be made out of plastic and come as an option in all good minivans?
3)Better diaper bag backpacks. My wife has serious problems finding good bags for carrying diapers and the other assorted baby-related minutae. Most of them are over-the-shoulder models, but they are difficult to carry if you have small children. The over-the-shoulder models are always falling off and whacking your kids in the face if you reach down to pick them up. But if you pick up the kid first, then you have to reach down and put on the over-the-shoulder diaper bag while carrying the kid. Basically, it’s a mess.
Meanwhile, most backpacks don’t have the dividers and compartments you need for holding baby formula, juice boxes, diapers and wipes, etc. They are just big holes. So, my wife believes there is a market for a good diaper bag backpack. She also adds that diaper bags do NOT need to have yellow ducks and teddy bears on them. She would prefer a style for grown-ups, who are, after all, wearing them.
4)Some kind of product for kids to convert your standard toilet into a urinal. Anybody trying to potty-train young boys will understand.
My wife has plenty of other ideas, but they primarily have to do with toddler shock collars and toddler tranquilizer guns, which are probably not good items to discuss here. Those who have raised little boys may understand my wife’s perspective.