Books are sacred to me. They bring a moment of stillness on even the most stressful of days, and I hope my kids will always appreciate a good read, too. In fact, my 10-month-old son is already devouring books ... and by devouring, I mean eating them.
Obviously the book-lover in me cringed the first time he began chewing on his board books. (Don’t even get me started on the paper books he has ripped.)
As the chewing and ripping was getting more out of hand, I remembered a small paper book that was given to us from a family friend when he was born. It was called “Baby Night-Night,” and the cover line was intriguing for our current situation: “Chew Proof, Rip Proof, Nontoxic, 100% Washable.”
"Indestructibles: Baby Night-Night," by Amy Pixton & Kate Merritt
I gave it to him, and — I’m not exaggerating — he played with it for 20 minutes straight … without me! I had 20 minutes to sip coffee and watch my sweet son play joyfully by himself as he fiercely tried to rip, chew and crinkle the pages of the book. All that without any fear of him getting a paper cut!
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Was it a fluke? I can report it was not. There have been many chunks of time since then where it has kept him busy. I was even able to have a completely uninterrupted phone call with my mom during one of them.
The book is part of a series called “Indestructibles,” which I will now be buying for every new mama I know (and mama-to-be). They cost around $6 — the price of a baby shower card.
"Indestructibles: Things That Go!" by Amy Pixton & Stephan Lomp
The books feature brightly-colored illustrations, which are super cute, but there isn’t much in terms of actual “reading.” In the one we have, it’s just pictures of bedtime routine things with labels on it, like “Take a bath” and “Brush teeth.”
If you’re looking for a book to cuddle up and read together, there are plenty of other options with fun themes.
"Indestructibles: Baby Animals," by Amy Pixton & Stephan Lomp
"Indestructibles: Taste the Fruit!" by Amy Pixton & Lizzy Doyle
"Indestructibles: Baby Babble: A Book of Baby's First Words," by Amy Pixton & Kate Merritt
Other parents have had success with the “Indestructibles” series. The Amazon reviews are filled with praise from moms and dads who confirm that the books are nearly impossible to destroy, and are the best way to keep wild babies busy.
“These are great to throw in the diaper bag on the go and keeps her entertained on car rides,” wrote one reviewer.
“I have one that is 4-years-old that was handed down from my oldest, and it still holds up,” wrote another.
Until my baby is old enough to appreciate "real" books for the quiet moments they bring to a reader, I’ll just enjoy the peace and quiet these indestructible books bring to me as a parent right now.