Sarah Mayhew-Craddock is a Mum About Town

Before Sproglette was born I downloaded a list of “must have” items from a major retailer’s website (for mothers who care).

There was stuff on that list that I had never heard of before and at Week 38 of my pregnancy when I rolled into one of this major retailer’s outlets it transpired that their shop assistants didn’t know what many of the things on the list were either.

However, I was 266 days pregnant with only seven days to go, and I HAD to have them! All of them.

Older, wiser parents have since scoffed at my tiny terraced house stuffed to the rafters with no end of “essential” panic buy items that I was convinced would make me prepared for every parenting eventuality (if only).

With hindsight, I could probably have done without many of those items, and could definitely have done without quite so many low-quality hand-towels with flaps for hoods – baby towels, really!?

However, since Sproglette’s been in the world there is one thing that I continue to laugh in the face of those older, wiser parents about.

There’s no two ways about it, Sock Ons are a thing of genius.

Made out of stretchy fabric they look a little bit like miniature lightweight ankle supports, only they come in all of the colours of the rainbow so they can be matched with even the most fashion-conscious baby’s sock-wear.

They can’t really be described as things of beauty, but they are undeniably brilliant, so who gives two hoots what they look like – these clever little things keep babies’ socks on. THEY KEEP BABIES’ SOCKS ON!

Sproglette is a wriggler, it’s winter, socks remaining on is a very big deal in our household, it’s a big deal in most households at this time of year in fact.

All it takes is a wriggle, or a shuffle, or a tug, and those tiny, scampy little socks are off – gone forever.

So, if you’re stuck for something to buy the baby that has everything this Christmas, in my opinion, a baby can never have too many Sock Ons!

Buy them online or from selected baby retailers (there are a few in Oxford).

All I need to do now is find a foolproof way of keeping the socks paired through the washing machine process – a mother’s work is never done!

  • Do you want alerts delivered straight to your phone via our WhatsApp service? Text NEWS or SPORT or NEWS AND SPORT, depending on which services you want, and your full name to 07767 417704. Save our number into your phone’s contacts as Oxford Mail WhatsApp and ensure you have WhatsApp installed.