High Chair - An Indian Brand which makes it's mark: R for Rabbit 

Finally it makes sense. Why most of us have just one child. Consumerism has ensured that babies are an expensive business and simply mind boggling! The choices available can confuse even the most systematic research oriented parent. Especially when you know that the baby will soon outgrow it or may just not take a liking to it. Add to it the contradicting opinions & beliefs thrown at you, seeked by you and observed. My mom never used a high chair to feed her 3 babies and all 3 of us are well and enjoy meals! And knowing my mom I don't think she ever tolerated any sort of mess so I doubt she practised baby led weaning. 

The elders in the family were aghast when I offered a whole banana to my munchkin! I was insisted upon to feed him purée! So there I was a confused mommy pulled apart by wanting to try BLW and yet ensure the baby was being fed! Anyway, that is another story all together!

So there I was waiting for S to start sitting up on his own so I could get him the high chair! His own chair on which he would happily eat any and every thing I'd present to him! (Grand plans I had!) and that kickstarted my hunt for an ideal high chair. By default the hunt begun on Amazon and boy! I was honestly taken aback at the options- available-brands, colours, features, style & the damage on my pocket! It only made my decision harder Coz I was even more lost!

Almost all seemed similar! So how does one decide which to pick?! It was time to get down to some basics! I sat with my pen & paper & made a list of questions running through my mind to make things easy.

Q1-what purpose does the high chair fulfil?

A1- a comfortable & safe chair for the baby to sit on while I feed him, approximately 40 minutes thrice a day.

Q2-who will be using it more? And how?

A2- S & Me & other family members. S struggling to get out of it, preferring to sit underneath it. Me trying to be a cool mom & for me to stand or sit by the dining table to feed him.

Q3-where will I be using it most?

A3 - At home, by the dinning table or the terrace.

Q4-what potential difficulties will  I or the baby face when using it?

A4- Call me crazy but the only major difficulty I can think of is cleaning it!!! stability of the chair being the other concern.

Q5-how long am I hoping to use this high chair?

A5- Hopefully until S is 3 or 4 years old or until he can sit on a chair table suited for him & self feed.

Q6-does it need to be trendy?

A6- Errmm...yes...no! Be practical! uff!

Q7-price?

A7- I will not spend more than Rs.5000/- on a high chair simply because I don't know if S will actually allow me to strap him into it & feed him and i do not want meal times to be intense Maa-Beta Drama! 

So, there I was, with some clarity, I listed down my minimum requirement list as follows:

-No Cushion or Removable Cushion (Cushions manag to develop fugal growth because of left over food & the humidity)

-Round edges to ensure S doesnt hurt himself when he crawls underneath it or around

-5 Point Harness

-Stable widely spaced legs for better balance

-least number of crevices to prevent food collection & decay

-Wide food tray (I do a mix of traditional weaning & baby led)

-super ease of cleaning

-Leg Divider under the food tray to ensure S doesnt slip down

-multi utility

-Ease of assembly, dismantling & storage  

Yes, I consciously kept away from listing down the frills! Its the same approach I adopt when buying new machinery for my factories- Keep it simple, add ons can always be added on later when the need arises. Stick to functionality!

Now most of the available high chair brands are imported and easily served all my questions. If you are to compare most available brands (imported & Indian) you will find them almost similar. Ultimately it comes down to pricing which starts from Rs.5000--Rs.1 Lac! Yes!!!! 

Going by above parameters, I zeroed down on a relatively new on the block Indian brand called R for Rabbit. Primarily Coz I have a thing for all things Indian. Secondly the pricing was super affordable so even if S didn't take to it, it wouldn't hurt as much. Thirdly it fit the bill of functionality perfectly. 

R for Rabbit: Cherry Berry The Convertible High Chair (Green colour)

(Claim a 20% Discount on all R for Rabbit Products on their website. Use SPECIAL20)

I placed an order on the company website which was rather simple & quick like other eCommerce sites. Infact the company communications system is very prompt & efficient & they offer an option of COD also! perfect!

Assembling it was a matter of 10 minutes even with S being the man meddling in. (They have a super short simple video explaining the assembly). It's light weight (approx 3.5kgs) allows you to easily carry it with one hand while holding your munchkin in the other & drag it between rooms. Even sans the baby you can easily carry it to the bathroom for a wash down. I keep moving it between the dinning room, terrace, kitchen & the bathroom. The edges are extremely well rounded moulded finishing ensuring zero harm to baby. They feel soft. The legs are wide & have a rubberised wide capping ensuring stability & grip. The chair is fixed atop the table quickly with a very simple click. The 5 point safety harness is removable making it easy to scrub it & decently sturdy. What I truly loved about it was the simple design minus the fan fare which enables me to literally wash it down with a hand shower after each meal and yet it's all dried up and ready to be used for the next meal! This was of utmost importance to me! Even though i bought a cushioned high chair I don't use the cushion. As the cushion if washed once will take a day or two to dry off plus on my experience any foam cushions tends to develop fungal growth when there is food on it and it's a pain to clean. A big plus with this high chair is that it can be used 3 ways:

1. A mounted high chair

2. A chair with a food tray

3. Table & Chair 

this multi utility makes it absolutely paisa vasool at Rs. 4950/- Perfect Value for Money. 

The leg divider is also removable & easy to clean up.The food tray is wide, however I personally would have appreciated for it to be a little more wide but I wont complain. 

It's height cannot be adjusted nor is the seat a reclining one. However I have not felt the need for these features. It does not have wheels however the rubberised caps allow it be dragged sans much noise.

So yes, in all, I'd say, R for Rabbit High Chair is a brilliantly designed in India, Manufactured in China, Shipped from Gujarat High Chair. It is functional to the T, its multi utility ensures its used either ways & is priced just right for a baby product. Indian brands are great & I love them! 

So if you are a pragmatic parent not wanting to spend a bomb on a high chair, I'd highly recommend the R for Rabbit High Chair! Worth every ruppee!

P.S:

What I wish it would have:

-Hooks behind the chair to hang bibs ;)

PPS:

Claim a 20% Discount on all R for Rabbit Products on their website. Use SPECIAL20 

Hobby or Business?

I have come across so many women with so many skill sets developed as a child or over the years and yet they assume they are not skilled enough to pursue a career, a business or a life beyond their lovely homes, family and children. It worries me to think what will they do when the little birds will fly out & the nest will be empty? Women must work, pursue a hobby, not just for the money but more so for their sense of independent being.

Hobbies are recreational but have you ever thought of converting it into a career or a business? If yes, fantastic, if not, let us think over it and probe the very idea.

Questions to ask yourself:

1. Which skills or talents do I possess? Can it be tangible? More importantly, are people willing to pay for it? For example, can I cook really well? Can I cook for at least -50- people at one go? Is my cooking such that people will pay for it? Can I make candles which can stand apart? Can I make -100- candles in a week? Will people pay Rs.100 per candle for it? Question is- would you also pay for it? Can I write well? Am I comparable with the professional writers or can I hone my skills? Can I churn out content each day? 

2. Do you have the time, commitment, passion and a huge amount of discipline to engage yourself in your chosen hobby each & every day? Trust me, it seems it is easy to work from home, however, it is not so. At an office, you are physically away from home, family members & kids. You do not entertain sudden guests! Whereas at home, the maid, the kids, the neighbours, sudden guests, Television Serials, Phone calls, house chores and errands are constantly seeking your attention. Do you have the self-constraint in you to assign few hours strictly for your work when each family member knows not to disturb your space & time?

(Do not allow this to discourage you! It is a check which you need to make happen! One has to INVEST TIME.)

3. So you have zeroed down on your skill which will now be your business. My next question to you- Where will you showcase your work? Where will you sell? Via Facebook, Whatsapp, Word of Mouth, E-commerce Sites, Retail Shops, Wholesaler, Exhibitions, your own stand-alone store, Networking forums or will you create a mobile application for it? Yes! You need to showcase & sell where your Buyer is present or seeks your products & services.

4. When you fell in love, married, had a child or bought your new Jimmy Choo, did you not flaunt it to the whole wide world? Then why are you so conscious of wearing your skill on your sleeve and flaunting it? Wear it, be it, love it – it is an extension of your identity! Be your own Brand.

5. Are you content being a hobby free-lancer or wish to be a suave businesswoman? The attitude matters, it influences your thought process & your approach to your work. Believe me, there is absolutely nothing wrong in being a hobby free-lancer working as per one’s convenience. It is a personal choice and yes what you feel is right, is the right choice. 

(I technically work only -4- months a year, and yes, I couldn’t have been happier!)

6. Let’s do some Math! Can you align profitability to your chosen hobby? Yes, you have to make money not just to cover costs but also to reward yourself. A lot of women entrepreneurs forget to take into account the money value of their time, energy, labour and skills into the selling price of the product. Set a standard for yourself. 

7. Once you are a business woman, you aren’t just the Creative head. You also are the Office boy, Courier Boy, Receptionist, Sales Team, Purchase Team and the Accountant! So, set yourself up for the challenges and enjoy these new roles of your life! People’s Skills is what will get you through all this. Ability to connect with various people. Essentially, Business is all about Networking with the right resources and delivering work!

8. A lot of women entrepreneurs shared with me that they do not wish to manufacture & sell. Selling & customer relationships is not their forte and it is a time consuming process too. If you too have a similar thought, my question to you then is- Can you TEACH your hobby and make that into a business for yourself? Share your skill sets, train others & enable them to manufacture and sell? Think over it!

9. Now, let us think differently. You love to cook. However, due to constraints of any kind, you do not wish to actually cook & sell. Can you convert your knowledge, ability to network into an Intellectual Property? Can you not create an event around food, associate with stake holders like chefs, nutritionists, vegan followers, food bloggers, food photographers, foodies, eateries etc. who would benefit from such an event, invite participants, execute it each year and create your own brand with it?

(If you decide to do this, we at Businesswali expect an invite!)

10. An extremely important question- Do you have the initial funds available to kick start the business? Yes, make an estimation of required funds, consider time lag of receiving payments, keep a buffer for delayed payments & advance payments. Set a target & work towards it.

11. Now the big one- Scan the market for your competition & beat them! Yes, all said and done, if you take up something, be the best you can be, be known for it & demand a price for it and don’t forget to make profits!

So, why wait, let’s get started and create a bit of us! Good Luck!