MumMumMum's Full Review: Fisher-Price Sounds and Lights Monitor
I received my Fisher Price Sounds N Lights Monitor as a baby shower gift….nine years ago! This obviously means that the monitor I am reviewing is not exactly the same as the one pictured. What it does mean is that this monitor is a durable, well-made product. It also means that it does what it is made for well, or I would have gone out and purchased another one years ago, since I have had two more children since I received it.
The monitor consists of a transmitter and a receiver, both of which weigh next to nothing. The transmitter is approximately six inches wide by four inches tall, with a carrying handle on the top. The receiver is approximately five inches tall by three inches wide, and has a clip on the back of it perfect for attaching it to your clothing should you be moving around a lot when using it. Both have a soft-covered flexible antenna approximately three inches long at the top. The transmitter has an easy to see on/off switch. A very small red light comes on to signal that the transmitter is on. The receiver has an easy to use dial that can be turned on to any volume that you desire. I can’t actually imagine needing to turn it up to full volume because it can be pretty loud, but I suppose if you are an extremely sound sleeper this would be a benefit. You also have the option of two channels (I believe A and D), but keep in mind that both the transmitter and the receiver must be set to the same channel for them to work properly. (I used to consistently pick up the neighbour’s conversations on the “A” channel….not a very interesting couple, so I switched it over to “D” and had no more problems with it.)
The receiver also has what to me is one of this monitor’s biggest selling points, a light bar that “shows” the sounds coming from the area you are monitoring. If baby is quiet you’ll just see one light that the receiver is actually turned on….movement, talking, and crying will all cause this light bar to move according to the volume of what is creating the sound. So if baby is just adjusting position, then there will be very little movement of the light bar. If baby is crying the light bar will advance accordingly.
Although both can be run on battery power (the transmitter with 4 C cell batteries, the receiver with 1 9 volt battery) I have not had much need for this feature. (This may be different for the newer models.) I have always used the included AC adapters. I imagine that if you spend a lot of time outdoors when your child is sleeping (gardening, tanning, playing with your other kids, whatever), that having the battery ability would come in handy, as it would if you were to go camping. That is if you don’t have an outdoor electrical outlet to plug it in to nearby. I would imagine that the cost of batteries would run rather high if you were to choose this option on a regular basis.
When my nine year old was a baby we were living in a two-story house. I was quite concerned regarding nap time, because I was worried that I would have to stay upstairs in order to hear if my son were crying or waking, or having some form of distress. This monitor solved this problem completely. I was able to clean the first floor of the house, including doing the vacuuming while the baby was sleeping….all because I could “see” any sign of problem just by looking at the receiver’s light bar. This was a tremendous relief to me. Not only could I see if there were any problems, but I also wouldn’t feel stressed out by not being able to get the house into at least a semblance of cleanliness.
And it’s not just for babies! Since I’ve owned this monitor it has been put into service for a wide variety of reasons. Not only have I used it for the babies I’ve had in this time period, I’ve also used it to “monitor” the kids when they’re playing downstairs in the family room, and it was a real “life saver” for my son when he decided he’d really like to have his bedroom in the basement. Although he felt he was “grown up” enough to move downstairs, he was still very uncomfortable with the thought of not having mom right next door. This monitor became his life-line to the “mommy world” if he were having a problem sleeping, not feeling well, or was having a nightmare! (He has since decided that he wasn’t really quite ready for this move, but it was something he needed to learn on his own.) This monitor has also been quite useful when my “handy” but very disorganized husband is working on a project in the garage….he’s able to call me when he needs help with something without having to run back and forth.
The Fisher Price name is highly regarded in my home. I have found their products to be of the highest quality, durable and dependable. This monitor has been dropped on more than one occasion and I have not yet had any damage done to it. It has been used almost constantly since we received it, and still works like a charm! In fact, the other night I was desperately trying to figure out just what that sound was that I kept hearing when I was trying to fall asleep…..turned out it was the ticking of the Elmo clock I had just put in the baby’s room! Maybe this monitor works too well?
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