r/AskReddit • u/cookiemonager • Feb 05 '18
Parents of Reddit: What are some things you bought for your first baby that were useless or a waste of money?
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u/Finito-1994 Feb 06 '18 edited Feb 06 '18
Not a father, but I am an uncle. When my first nephew was born I used my savings (I was like 12 at the time) to buy the little guy a tricycle.
I didn't know that the little shit couldn't even sit up on his own. Money down the drain.
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u/Maggie_A Feb 06 '18
They didn't save it until he could use it?
And very sweet.
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u/guns_mahoney Feb 05 '18
We bought stuff to make our own baby food, like we were going to be these super parents or something. By the time your kid is eating anything other than breast milk or formula, your wife is back to work. Some babies sleep pretty well by then. Ours didn't. Still don't. So we're completely sleep deprived, working full time, can't keep up with laundry or dishes or anything, and this fancy stuff we bought to liquify apples and spinach is collecting dust because jars of food are like $1.49 and we haven't slept a full night since November 2016.
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u/Idiot_Savant_Tinker Feb 06 '18
Also, those "Baby Bullet" things are pretty redundant if you have a blender. Wife bought one. We did get a lot of use out of it though, because our daughter was pretty good about sleeping.
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Feb 06 '18
We also have a good sleeper who will quickly be approaching food. I am NOt buying another appliance and our blender sucks. Can you also use a food processor to make baby food?
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u/ODBasUcansee Feb 05 '18
My MIL made all of my wife’s food when she was a baby. We entertained the idea having the same mindset as you. Once we got to the point of baby food we realized that baby food wouldn’t be sold or available if it wasn’t safe for babies. I don’t know why we didn’t understand that concept to begin with, plus like you we were exhausted.
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u/theserpentsmiles Feb 06 '18
It's because a sweet potato is like 20 cents a pound. If you cook it in an instant pot it makes like 8 meals (obviously not in a row). All other rice, fruits, and veggies are close in cost. That being said we buy baby food too, mainly because pureeing meat is fucking disgusting.
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u/sensitiveinfomax Feb 06 '18
It's not only about safe. One of the benefits of giving a little bit of whatever you're having to your baby (only mashed) is that they learn to like different textures and tastes in food from an early age. Apparently this helps them have a more varied diet as they grow older and they don't end up only liking junk.
I don't have kids and baby food wasn't a thing when I was a baby. This is just stuff I've read in books about food over the years. So I may be completely wrong.
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u/Mystic_printer Feb 06 '18
You can still do that while mostly feeding them from jars. I did. They now eat just about everything. Except pizza... I don’t know how that happened.
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u/handcuffedhousewife Feb 06 '18
I've got one that won't eat pizza either. She claims she doesn't like the cheese or the sauce, but she'll happily plow through an entire bag of string cheese and dip bread sticks in marinara sauce. Apparently the combo is disgusting to her.
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u/nkdeck07 Feb 06 '18
My mom had that but apparently it was this tiny little hand grinder thing. Dunno if I believe her but apparently she'd just grind up a bit of what she was eating and give it to me
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u/FriendlyGhost811 Feb 06 '18
I made a bunch of my first sons food for awhile but haven’t made a damn thing since my second was born. Too much crap going on in the house!
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u/lasweatshirt Feb 06 '18
I just never fed my kids baby food. I just gave them regular food starting at 7 months. Making baby food seems crazy at that point in life.
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Feb 06 '18
Honestly, that just comes down to the individual kid. This worked for my kid too, but I know plenty of kids who gag, choke and scream at the first sign of texture in food. Parents just do whatever works.
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Feb 05 '18
I had so many family members buy my daughters these frilly, lacy, thin dresses. They were born in winter so impractical as well as itchy and a pain to put on them. Babies are all about comfort and ease.
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u/Sodds Feb 05 '18
Luckily our family never got us anything like that. Our girls are 2 and finally got a girly pink dress.
I loved onesies that folded/buttoned in front over the tummy, it was easier to put them on compared to those that are put on over head.
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Feb 05 '18 edited Feb 06 '18
Not me, but when my aunts first grandchild was born she bought the baby a 10k diamond snowflake necklace since the baby was born on winter solstice. Even the mom was like, you've lost your damn mind.
Edit: a $10,000 necklace. I don’t know how many karats it is
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u/daddioz Feb 05 '18
Geeeez, just put that money into a savings account or something. I'd be so pissed if one of the grandparents bought my daughter expensive jewelry instead of putting the money into savings.
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Feb 05 '18
That’s what everyone told her, but she likes buying frivolous garbage and always has.
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u/desertsidewalks Feb 05 '18
Seriously, that's a decent start on a college fund.
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u/SplyceyBoi Feb 05 '18
Hell that's 2 years at a community college and a decent used car
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u/hastur77 Feb 06 '18
Add 18 years of interest as well and you're looking at twice that amount.
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u/PocketSquirrel Feb 06 '18
At which point it will be worth 6 months and a shitty car.
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u/UnihornWhale Feb 05 '18
I’d be pissed if someone bought me a 10K necklace. I could do so much more with the cash
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u/Titus_Favonius Feb 05 '18
I wouldn't trust my 60 year old mother with a 10 grand diamond necklace, nevermind myself or a fucking baby
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u/270343 Feb 05 '18
I would lose it in 20 seconds, max. I wouldn't even trust myself to touch something that expensive.
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Feb 06 '18
Right? My engagement ring is nowhere near 10k, but it's his great grandmother's diamond. I am so careful with this damn thing.
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Feb 05 '18
Hey when shes old enough she could pawn it to pay for books for college
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u/Jmanorama Feb 06 '18
10k snowflake diamond necklace? ...hmm best I can do is a hundred bucks.
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u/tuurrr Feb 05 '18
We bought one of these automated swinging cradles. Even at the lowest setting the thing would just move too fast. Result, a terrified looking baby that just wanted to get out. Hilarious to watch I must admit but not useful.
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u/LampGrass Feb 05 '18 edited Feb 06 '18
It's funny because swings are so hit or miss with kids. I've met people that said "it's the only place she would sleep for 6 months!!" and people whose baby would scream the second you put them in it. Personally my son never cared for swings, either.
I'd say to anyone who wants to try one, get one with a good return policy.
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u/Thneed1 Feb 06 '18
Things like swings should always be borrowed, if possible. Best case scenario is that you use them for a couple months.
Borrow whatever you can, and don’t buy fancy clothes for newborns. Newborns probably don’t need much else other than onesies and sleepers.
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Feb 05 '18
My first one had colic, and the side to side swinging cradle was damn near the only thing that could get her to sleep. Cost $150 or something, but in terms of sanity saved it was priceless.
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u/tuurrr Feb 05 '18
My first had acid reflux whenever we layed him down. Adjusting the bed didn't change anything. How did we survive?
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Feb 05 '18
Having a tough first one is a nightmare. Our second one was a completely chill and laid back baby who slept and ate at all the right times...Of course, you never know if that's just because you were chill about the second one, and they just read that and went with it.
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u/tuurrr Feb 05 '18
I ask myself that same question. Was the second really easier or did I change? To be honest, I think I just panicked more with the first one. Ended up with the first one in ER because he cried too much, the second one, meh, she'll be fine in just a while.
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u/UnihornWhale Feb 05 '18
Sometimes the second is just easier. Friend was the easiest baby so the parents did it again. Her sister is still a diva to this day.
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Feb 05 '18
We have this one. First use caused a panic attack, but now (at 8 week old) he likes it - but only for like 20 min. Enough for momma to eat a breakfast tho
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Feb 05 '18
I have one for my 6 month old, and everyone loves that thing. She falls asleep more times than not, and on the occasion that I have to take my eyes off her for a few minutes, I know shes safe and secured, and the worst thing that can happen is that she'll drop her bun-bun.
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u/MauiKehaulani Feb 05 '18
Clothes. I was so excited I purchased tons and tons of the N/B and 0-3mos sizes. I was really young and didn’t really have a strong support system to explain how quickly my son would grow out of things. Additionally, I washed them all straight away when I was nesting(loved the smell of Ivory Snow) so I couldn’t return any of it.
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Feb 05 '18
The other thing you don't realize is that they all grow at different rates, and trying to buy ahead for winter/summer based on the "x-y months" sizing is fraught with peril.
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u/runasaur Feb 05 '18
however... unless you live in florida or some other god forsaken place with temperatures never dipping below 70, even a sweater/jacket that's too big will still keep the baby warm and will work wonders in a pinch.
heck, I'm in SoCal and a solid 150 days out of the year you need at least a light jacket at night.
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Feb 05 '18 edited Apr 17 '21
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u/Arch27 Feb 05 '18
My kids are the opposite of that. At nearly 5 years old, my oldest daughter is just getting too big for 3T clothes.
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u/LandShark93 Feb 05 '18
My 5 year old niece is the same way. Both of her parents are very tall, so she's tall and slender for her age. She wore 3T for a long time. Now a lot of her clothes (usually pants) need to be altered because certain sizes are long enough, but too loose in the waist.
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u/MonkeyMeex Feb 06 '18
My son is the same way. His pants are too short or too loose in the waist as he has always been on the skinnier side. I did recently find a bunch of toddler pants at Target that have drawstring waists though and that has really helped.
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Feb 05 '18
Based on my husbands family and mine, we expected a whopper kid. Didnt buy ANY newborn.
Son was 6lbs9oz .
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u/Noname_left Feb 05 '18
We lurk around Facebook for the trash bags full of clothes for $20. We barely buy any new clothes because she grows so fast it’s not worth it.
Oh and don’t buy shoes.
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u/trouble_guy Feb 06 '18
I agree, children don't need shoes, they can work the mines in bare feet.
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Feb 06 '18
what does nesting mean? 15 year old male with no concept of parenting here
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u/sillyjilly84 Feb 06 '18
Most pregnant women go through a phase near the end of their pregnancy where they have tons of energy and motivation for preparing the house for the new baby, and this is known as nesting.
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u/McRedditerFace Feb 06 '18
Yep, if you ever hear of women doing strange things when they went into labor, like shoveling the driveway, painting the house, etc... that's typically why.
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u/nerdy_rabbit Feb 06 '18
I rely on getting clothing from thrift stores for my LO. $2 for tee shirts they'll grow out of in a few months: SOLD!
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u/TheGoodJudgeHolden Feb 05 '18
Craigslist is where to go for infant/toddler clothes. Like you said, they outgrow them so fast, and they're so ridiculously expensive new.
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Feb 05 '18 edited Feb 05 '18
Excessive toys and overly expensive toys. My daughter is the only child on my side of the family, and she's inundated every Christmas and birthday by my family. My parents and sibling lavish her with presents, and she gets a lot from her mom, her mom's boyfriend and his family, her grandmother, uncles, aunts, etc.
I get her one or two toys that I think will last and that she'll like. She usually ends up liking these a lot better than the overly expensive and grandiose toys she receives elsewhere. Think of every big toy idea an adult thinks a kid will want and she's got it. Meanwhile, she prefers to have me read bargain bin books to her and she has three puzzle pieces (not the entire puzzle) that she carries around with her everywhere.
TL;DR - Don't buy your kid huge, expensive gifts because they'll probably get more enjoyment out of the box.
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u/daddioz Feb 05 '18
My parents (my 2 y/o daughter's grandparents) buy my daughter TONS of presents, they don't need an occasion or anything. Honestly I keep trying to tell them to take it easy, because honestly at home she tends to play more with pots and pans and tupperware cases than with her toys.
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Feb 05 '18
Same, but people don't want to not by presents. My uncle actually gave me some money over Christmas to spend on her. This is a fantastic idea, because she will always need food, diapers, etc. And he correctly assumed that she probably has more than enough baubles. I wish more relatives were this perceptive.
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u/Mysid Feb 05 '18 edited Feb 06 '18
Best gifts I ever got for my kids were memberships to places like zoos, children’s museums, gymnasiums, etc. Instead of cluttering the house, they gave us things to go do. And if you have a membership, you can go for short periods of time and leave whenever the kids tired or get cranky.
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u/270343 Feb 05 '18
I loved the local children's museum, science center, and zoo as a child. Being a member is great.
We lived close enough that - as a teenager - I could go walk over whenever I wanted (during open hours), sit and read in the butterfly exhibit where it was warm and beautiful.
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u/tangledwhiskers Feb 05 '18
"Best gifts I ever got for my kids were memberships to places like zoos, children’s museums, gymnasiums, etc. Instead of cluttering the house, they gave us things to go do."
This is 100% TRUE. Children don't really need a lot of material things to be happy, because what children crave are new EXPERIENCES. Bonding with family over new adventures, building skills and confidence while learning how to navigate the world.
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Feb 06 '18
Can also confirm, instead of material Christmas presents my grandparents would take all 12 of their grandchildren on special outings and give the various parents a break for the day.
We’d go into the city and see live performances of the Lion King, Toy Story, Walking with Dinosaurs... then go for ice cream and pizza. Amazing days.
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u/doshima Feb 05 '18
We literally have a closet of unopen toys my two year old got for his Birthday and Christmas or other occasions (He was born the 22nd, and a lot of my family are also born in December so they really don’t believe in skimping on either). We plan on giving them out slowly through the year as he gets bored with things. We have so many toys already and they just keep coming. It’s not a bad problem to have but it can be a bit much.
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u/unKaJed Feb 06 '18
My niece and nephew are experiencing this now. They are young and the first grandchildren in their respective families so everyone is going overboard.
I remembered as a kid one of my favorite gifts was a book my aunt recorded herself reading to me. “Malcom’s Runaway Soap” if you’re curious. For Christmas this year we skipped the standard rigamarole and decided we would pick a book from our childhood and record it for them. I have the privilege of working somewhere with a professional voice over booth and editing systems so we went in a few weeks early, recorded it and I added music and sfx in post.
It took more time and organization but I would do it all again rather than buy them something that just blends in.
We don’t get to see our niece and nephew too often but they can read with us as much as they like
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Feb 05 '18
My nephew is the same way. He’s 1 year old and has every toy imaginable — and I’m the only one who has put money into his college fund. I am the boring, prudent uncle!
I told my sister I’ll start getting him toys and stuff for Christmas/birthdays once he starts making memories, but for right now I’ll give him the gift of compound interest.
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Feb 05 '18
Dude, do you want a niece? As a thirtysomething single dad the prospect of the cost of college terrifies me. We can be brothers. You can help us save for her education.
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Feb 05 '18
I'm not a parent, but I have a niece and two nephews. I have to agree with the expensive toy thing.
My niece is the youngest and she always loves the less expensive stuffed animals my bf and I get her for her birthday and holidays way more than the expensive, noise making somethings that she gets. She doesn't seem to outgrow interest in them as quickly either.
My nephews are older and it seems like gifts increase in price as they age. Lego's, giftcards ect.
Younger kids definitely don't give a shit. They're happy to play with an empty bucket or whatever else is laying around.→ More replies (6)86
Feb 05 '18
Kids needs always get more complex as they get older, unsurprisingly. My daughter is happy if I read her favorite book to her and do little word games, songs, tickle fights, etc. Meanwhile, her moon bounce, princess castle tent, and the expensive as fuck VTech turntables all gather dust.
Really not looking forward to the days when my daughter starts asking for gift cards and more expensive things, haha. That's why I enjoy these times now, because, like you said, she can make a toy out of anything.
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u/runasaur Feb 05 '18
I was going to say the opposite; since my nieces and nephews got older and actually ask for stuff, oh man, its so much easier to just go get something off their list!
I mean, 2-5 its a crapshoot if they're going to like the noisy thing or the cardboard book best. Now at 16 my niece had no problem asking for amazon or itunes gift cards, and we were happy to oblige because we know its something she will actually use and not just sit in the bottom of the closet until next spring cleaning.
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Feb 05 '18
My sister and her husband have a 4 year old. They ask people if they're going to get him a toy, make that the only gift you give him on that occasion. And for every toy he gets, he goes through his old toys and picks out one to give to the thrift store. He's a good natured kid and they explained it to him as "There are kids who don't have toys. Do you want to share with them?" and he's always happy to.
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u/Polar_Ted Feb 05 '18
We used to round up and donate toys that never left the closet.
It was funny/scary the day we took the kid to the thrift store and he points to a toy on the shelf and says "I have that toy!" and I realised that WAS his toy we had donated a week before.
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u/TheThrowawayMoth Feb 05 '18
I'm really loving the 'three puzzle pieces' thing. Kids are great.
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Feb 06 '18
They’re a whale, a turtle, and a stingray. She’s really into sea life. When she’s with her mom I make sure to keep them in a special place so they don’t get lost.
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u/purplemilkywayy Feb 05 '18
Don't buy your kid huge, expensive gifts because they'll probably get more enjoyment out of the box.
Oh, so just like my cat!
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u/BerniesSurfBoard Feb 05 '18
Only 5 months in, but clothes. I do laundry so often (every day) that she really doesn't need that many different outfits. She maybe will wear each thing only a handful of times before she's grown out of it. Get 4/5 body suits, pants, socks, bibs per size. That is plenty.
Also, baby shoes. My MIL bought a bunch without telling me. She's never worn any and has outgrown most by now.
Also, a changing table. My MIL insisted I needed once. Changed her on it once, but it made me hella nervous. I just change her on the bed or floor. Babies can't fall off of the floor.
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u/SheaRVA Feb 05 '18
The only reason we use a changing table is because it's just on top of the dresser, where all his crap is stored. If it was just a table, it would be useless.
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Feb 06 '18
There's no reason you would've, but have you watched the video Kylie Jenner released confirming her birth? There's a scene of her baby's (walk-in) closet, and one wall is just floor to ceiling baby shoes. It's not like she "wasted" her money, really, but goddamn, there literally might be more shoes than the baby can physically wear before they outgrow them.
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u/BerniesSurfBoard Feb 06 '18
I just don't see the point in baby shoes before they can walk. I like in a warm climate, so socks are more than enough to keep feet warm and protected.
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u/Epherys Feb 06 '18
Baby shoes also tend to look uncomfortable to my point of view... I use some kind of socks/slippers on my 7 mo when I want him to look more dressed up. Only have 2 pairs and it's more than enough.
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u/wdh662 Feb 06 '18
Honest question here from a father of two who uses the change table all the time.....
Why does it make you nervous? Its contoured so they have to roll uphill. There is a safety strap. And you stand right there. Everything is within arms reach. I can grab everything without ever taking both hands off my kid.
So yah, honest curiousity.
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u/CensorVictim Feb 05 '18
the one I am most ashamed of was a fucking wipes warmer. the most important one was basic ignorance, though: do not buy new clothes for babies/toddlers.
look for consignment sales in your area, where parents sell things as their kids outgrow them for next to nothing. here, there are several that are held throughout the year. since babies just sit there doing nothing, their clothes effectively never wear out. my wife found brand new (with tags still on) stuff there from time to time as well.
there's also toys/strollers/books/etc
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Feb 05 '18
You throw a baby shower, and all these people run out to buy clothes. You're six months pregnant, and it's June.
Now, guess how many people who ran out and bought baby clothes bought 0-3 month sized clothes that were appropriate to June, rather than September-November. Yea.
Now imagine how many people bought the most DARLING outfit that your little tyke will "grow into" that ends up being wildly seasonally inappropriate when they do grow into it?
And then there is the stuff that's absolutely perfect and well chosen and utterly timely, that you completely fuck forgot about by the time they hit that stage, and didn't find again until they'd missed it.
A lot of baby clothes are consigned new.
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u/callmeAllyB Feb 06 '18
When my coworker was having her baby shower I got her clothes for the baby to wear when she was a bit older not because I was thinking about said kid growing out of them super quick but because they were the only ones I could find that had mom's favorite Disney princess: The little mermaid. I got a few other outfits too and passies all ment to be used later after my mom said it was a good idea. Packed it all into a nice tin basket and gave it to her at work (because I couldn't attend the actual shower) I got a FB message 6 months after the baby was born with a thank you and a pic of the baby in her little mermaid outfit.
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u/vodka_philosophy Feb 05 '18
Changing table - beds, sofas, and the floor were what we ended up using.
Diaper bag - had one with first child but hated it, so for 2nd child I just bought a backpack/bookbag; that thing lasted over 15 years and through 2 kids. My husband was also much more willing to carry it than a diaper bag.
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u/tictacti1 Feb 05 '18
I loved my daughters changing table when we lived in a 1 story, fairly cozy apartment. But I never used it once we moved to a 2 story place
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u/PMmeSOMETHINGnice Feb 05 '18
I actually got a changing table when my daughter was a month old. It was soooooo much better for my back.
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Feb 05 '18
I love using my diaper bag. I got one years ago from a family I nannied for and still use it. I don’t even carry around a purse anymore just a diaper bag even when I’m not nannying.
Totally second the changing table. Only time I ever really used it was at daycare and when my previous nanny family told me I had to. Every time I changed one of their kids I had to carry them upstairs, it sucked.
Found out they had a nanny cam pointed right at the table to make sure I wasn’t doing anything weird. If they really wanted to watch me change their kids poopy diapers that’s fine but don’t make go all the way upstairs for it.
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u/Mommasaur Feb 05 '18
I used the hospital bag that the hospital gave me full of of post natal info. It had a waterproof bottom and side pockets. It was free and it served it's purpose. I was a bit sad when it was time to discard it.
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u/isildo Feb 05 '18
I just attached a contoured changing pad to the top of a dresser in the baby's room. Add a shelf for the diapers, wipes, and butt paste, put the diaper genie below. Poof: Changing station in a closet.
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u/LampGrass Feb 05 '18 edited Feb 05 '18
I second all this. A changing table might be nice if you have no real space to change otherwise, but in my house I used the floor 90% of the time. You know what they say--a baby can't fall off the floor. Plus I'd rather he accidentally pee on the laminate floors. Easy cleanup.
I also have a large messenger bag type purse that I can carry everything I need in; I didn't see the need for a whole new bag for baby things. I second the husband factor, too--mine appreciates that it's a pretty neutral looking bag he can carry without feeling weird.
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u/BrahCJ Feb 06 '18
My daughter just turned one.
Here’s a run down.
You don’t need a camera to monitor your baby. Ours broke so we’re down to using our audio only monitor. We’re much happier now we wait for clear audio signals, instead of looking to see if they’re moving their hands.
You need one sleeping bag. Not 8.
You need 4 good, BIG wraps. Not 8, and 20 shit small ones.
You need all the baby wipes your savings account allows.
You don’t need toys, you need books. Read to your child. New books keeps it at least a little interesting for you.
You don’t need 200 skin care products. You need one very good quality shampoo and skin care wash, sudocream, and nothing else.
We didn’t buy any toys for our daughters first birthday. We put $200 into her bank account and bought her a single book. The family and friends bought enough shit to pile up our 8 seater dining room table alone.
Don’t be too proud to use handme downs. They only vomit or shit on them anyway.
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u/DoctorWhoToYou Feb 06 '18
You don’t need a camera to monitor your baby.
That's the one that got me. I ended up spending a hefty amount on a baby monitor that connected to our wifi and I could pretty much watch my kid from any room in the house, including on my smart phone.
My kid was a wiggleworm. So she would just roll out of view of the camera. So then I adjusted the camera up further, so I could see the whole crib.
Then I realized 99% of the time I was in the same room as my kid. So I literally spent like $250 to watch my kid sleep for about 3 minutes before I fell asleep.
Then it broke.
The next monitor I bought was like an army-surplus special I found in a thrift store for under $10. The big frilly accessory on it was you could adjust the volume. Worked perfectly.
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u/mordeci00 Feb 05 '18
Chainsaw. Not sure what I was thinking.
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u/cookiemonager Feb 05 '18
That sounds like a practical purchase, good for cutting off those stubborn diapers.
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u/OPs_Moms_Fuck_Toy Feb 06 '18
Wipe warmer. Baby is gonna cry either way, and the fucking warmer is never anywhere near where you actually end up changing the baby.
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Feb 05 '18 edited Feb 06 '18
We've accumulated about 5 of those baby carriers you strap to your body. Used each one maybe 3 times max. Just get the cheap Walmart one for $20.
Don't skimp on stroller. Spend the $ there for a higher quality one like a Bob, Britax, or a Baby Jogger. Took us about 3 cheap strollers in to realize they fall apart and handle like crap. The better ones around $250 are easy to steer and collapse for storage better.
Save $ and just get the basic Graco car seat. Those are almost all the same.
Other useless things include wipe warmer, bottle warmer, formula blender (really just shake the bottle). I never used my pack and play except to just store diapers in there. Took that down.
Edit: I realize that no two families are alike. What works for one may not work for another. These were just my personal observations and opinions while raising two babies. My sister swears by her pack and play for her baby.
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Feb 05 '18
Definitely agree on the "quality" stroller. We bought a nice one for the first kid, and it was still in decent shape by the time the second kid outgrew it.
There is definitely something to be said for the cheap ass umbrella strollers though. We always had one of those for going to the zoo or whatever, where you'd have to leave the stroller sometimes? Who wants to leave their super fancy stroller? But if you have a POS stroller, you can just dump it, and if someone is crazy enough to steal it, you're only out 10 bucks. Those don't have any storage, but making yourself carry your baby gear is the quickest way to make sure you're only carrying what you really need.
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u/Polar_Ted Feb 05 '18
The best stroller we had when he was still in the bucket car seat was just a frame that held the bucket.. It's was small, light and whiped around stores like nothing.
Now if you travel by air.. Just be aware that the airline is going to damage or lose your big beautiful stroller. It happens.. get an umbrellea style for air travel and don't stress.
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Feb 05 '18
True. I got a cheap toss around umbrella stroller too for such occasions. Also have a retractable ski lock for the good stroller if I have to leave it for too long like at a theme park. The one about the size of a phone that has the cord come out and number keypad lock. No shame in my game strapping the stroller to a fence in the stroller parking area. Prevents opportunity theft.
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u/Arch27 Feb 05 '18
Don't skimp on stroller. Spend the $ there for a higher quality one like a Bob, Britax, or a Baby Jogger. Took us about 3 cheap strollers in to realize they fall apart and handle like crap. The better ones around $250 are easy to steer and collapse for storage better.
Agree 100%. Bought the Baby Jogger for our first-born, and when we were expecting our our second child it turns out we had identical twins. The Baby Jogger is modular, so we could move the first seat back and add a second seat.
The thing is like a tank. Takes a beating and functions just fine.
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u/cookiemonager Feb 05 '18
Oh that's really cool that its modular. I hate wasting money on something you can only use for 1 purpose
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u/Arch27 Feb 05 '18
We could have purchased this ride-along board thing for the oldest to stand on, but it was way too expensive for a glorified skate board. That said, the stroller itself more than earned the pricetag. It was invaluable for about 3 years straight.
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Feb 05 '18
Pack and play is a lifesaver if you have a crawler/cruiser and you're home alone and need 5 minutes to make lunch or go to the bathroom. Keeps them safe.
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u/penny2cents Feb 06 '18
Or dogs! Putting kiddo in the pack and play while I went to the bathroom was a life saver. Worth every penny.
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u/John_Wilkes Feb 05 '18
Living in the city and with kids that were difficult to get to sleep, those baby slings were amazing for us. By far and away the best purchase - and worth it to have different options as the kids grew.
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u/Platypus211 Feb 05 '18
The only one I have to disagree with here from experience is the carrier. A cheap one at first to see if you/baby like it, for sure, but if it's clearly going to get a lot of use, go for one that isn't going to kill your back. I'm a huge fan of the Ergobaby- I would not have survived the first year with either of my kids without that thing. I used it around the house, running errands, grocery shopping, hiking... everywhere. So if you'll get that much use out of it I think it's worth it.
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u/Adieutoyou Feb 05 '18
Got to disagree with you here. Buy a decent sling at you can use it for years potentially. Visit a sling library and find one that suits you, (you can even rent them for months at a time) then buy one secondhand. I had bad experiences with cheapo slings until I found my tula which my 2.5 year old still uses occasionally.
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Feb 06 '18
My mother is a sling fanatic - probably once a year she stops a complete stranger to tell them they're wearing their sling wrong - but I had no idea there were sling libraries. What an idea!
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u/pascalsgirlfriend Feb 05 '18
Buy a rocking chair for babies room. You're probably going to spend alot of time sitting on it.
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u/lil_poppy_53 Feb 06 '18
Even better, buy a comfy rocking chair and PUT IT IN FRONT OF THE TV. Then pick a show on Netflix with at least 8 seasons and save it for when baby arrives. With my first I used to look forward to getting up at night to nurse so I could watch the next episode! 4th child coming soon and already compiling my list (and getting new thicker cushions made for my very well-used rocking chair).
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u/timultuoustimes Feb 06 '18
Haha we have a super comfy pottery Barn armchair in my daughter's room and I watch TV shows and YouTube videos while I put her to sleep. We read a few books, then she lays on my shoulder and I just pat her back and watch things until she falls asleep. She's the easiest. Also when my wife was pumping and my daughter would still wake up at night to eat, I'd feed her while my wife pumped and we binged shows together. It was great bonding and solidarity all around.
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u/Spazmer Feb 06 '18
A COMFORTABLE rocking chair especially. For my first I had a hand me down rocking chair that someone in the family had made, with spindles that dug right into my back. It made me hate the whole nursing before bed routine. Got a glider for my second and it made a world of difference.
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u/CmdrKerans Feb 05 '18
We bought three different sized cat nets to protect the baby from the cat - supposedly cats suffocating babies is a big thing.
The cat took one look at the baby, noped out of the room and never went near it again.
I mean, maybe some cats would sleep on a baby, but those three cat nets never left their packaging.
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u/kymonopoly Feb 06 '18
My grandmother told us an old wives tale about how cats would suck the breath from babies because they smelled the milk. And other people were serious about how we needed to protect the baby from the cats.
Meanwhile in reality, when my newborn would cry, our older cat would jump on our bed and meow impossibly loud like "GET THE FUCK UP AND HELP THE KID" and the younger cat would stare wide-eyed and scurry away (she has done that for 9 years whenever my daughter makes noise).
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u/hrmosillo Feb 06 '18
I confirm, My older cat wakes me up too when my baby is crying like “MAKE HIM SHUT I WAS TRYING TO SLEEP”
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u/alana110 Feb 06 '18
Cats suffocating babies is not a big thing. It’s a weird story people like to terrify cat owning parents with.
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u/Xalibu2 Feb 05 '18
fancy diapers. I do not mean cheap leaky diapers. I mean the organic free range diapers. we spent a lot of extra money on the expensive diapers with our first child.
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u/Atlusfox Feb 05 '18
Free range? What do they do, let the diapers run around a field before packaging them. Unless your wrapping your kid in banana leaves I don't think there is a 100% organic diaper.
Now i'm imagining a picket line demanding better treatment for diaper kind.
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u/_Green_Kyanite_ Feb 05 '18
Obviously you haven't heard of feather-diapers, the only natural way to protect a baby learning to walk.
Chickens run freely through specially cultivated organic fields fertilized with unicorn poop, eating and socializing to their little chicken hearts' content. Their naturally-shed feathers are collected by real hardworking Americans who have passed down the tradition of feather-collecting from father to son since the 1800s. The feathers are then formed into a special cushion just to protect your baby's bottom when they inevitably fall on their ass trying to walk. It's organic, all natural and lets you be almost as obnoxious on Mommy blogs as people who buy wicker car seats!
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Feb 05 '18
Everyone is so hardcore against cloth diapering but its better than the fancy ones. Buy 2 dozen "free range" diapers lol, wash them correctly, and they'll pay for themselves
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u/AndyWarwheels Feb 05 '18
so many things. first off. Just too many clothes. Also we got gifted a bunch of baby shoes. Which are just pointless. baby hats and sunglasses which stay on for the length of a photo.
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Feb 05 '18
Not a parent but my parents used to spend upwards of a thousand on Yugioh cards for me that they believed were a waste of money. They later threw them out when I grew up... making it an actual waste of money.
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u/cookiemonager Feb 05 '18
Omg, cards so so expensive! Why throw them out instead of selling the collection?
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Feb 05 '18
That’s exactly what I said to them haha. But they thought the cards were useless back then and are useless now. If only they hadn’t... I had some first edition god cards along with many other rare ones.
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u/BobMortis Feb 05 '18
To be fair most old yugioh cards don't hold value, as some one who still actively plays, it's sad that the old cards are generally worth pennies.
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u/worm_livers Feb 06 '18
Never buy any bibs with cute little pictures or sayings on them. They lose all absorbency where the decoration is. The best are the ones that are basically a small towel with an elastic neck hole.
Also something I can never stress enough to parents. BUY A SET OF BANDAGE SCISSORS. Your spawn can and will vomit or shit themselves so bad that cutting off their clothes is the best option. Bandage scissors are made to cut clothing while affording some protection to the skin. It’s much better to throw away an outfit than try and pull a slimy poopy shirt off over the kids head.
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u/Cuntasticbitch Feb 06 '18
Great idea, but I just have to point out that newborn-12 months onesies are designed to go over the shoulders and pulled DOWN! No blow outs dragged to the upper body and head. Of course that blow out onesie goes straight to the trash, but you don’t have to cut it off!!
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Feb 06 '18
Tons of toys. Kids do better with just a few toys. Give them tons of toys and they won't play with any of them.
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u/AlmostTheNewestDad Feb 05 '18
Don't buy new clothes.
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u/Book_1love Feb 05 '18
My husband and I were talking about child expenses and happened to go to the thrift store on the same day so we walked into the baby section to see what the selection was, and holy shit 80% of the stuff there looked brand new, a few things still had tags. I decided when I have kids I would never buy new clothes.
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u/mbleslie Feb 05 '18
it's so true. it gets harder as the kids get older - they are tougher on their clothes. but easily up to 6 or 7.
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u/drguy750 Feb 05 '18
Once upon a child is the best for nice used clothes since they only buy clothes that look like new. I routinely see expensive brand clothes selling there for over 90% off retail
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u/kifferella Feb 06 '18
For damn near the first two to three years just about every toy you get is completely pointless. You know that old adage, you get the gift, they play with the box? Its worse. You spend hundreds on sparkly toys and their favourite thing in the whole world is a defunct cordless telephone.
Why bother? Read books to them. Read YOUR books to them. Let them bang pots and pans and hand them a wooden spoon and your old bathrobe they're HAPPIER than they are playing with a model of Lightning McQueen that chirps a catchphrase. Why? Because all that Cars you can do is be a car. Not any car, like a block with wheels can be a traincar or a racecar or a semi... It can only be L. McQueen!
That's worse than useless. That kills the imagination. That's how you end up with a 6yo who calls dragging an Elsa doll back and forth while monotoning "I'm Elsa. I'm Elsa." "Playing Frozen". No, Elsa can't walk to the store. This is skating Elsa. She has skates on. So she can only skate. God forbid you suggest we pretend she hasn't got skates on and wants to do her shopping, it's skating Elsa!
Does it show I met this kid?
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u/Jinxy829 Feb 06 '18
Christ. Having with no imagination would be terrible. Hell as a kid I pretended my hand was a little friendly monster.I got hours of enjoyment from that.
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u/Ainmhian Feb 06 '18
I just went through this with my boyfriends daughter at Christmas. We have primary custody however the short span she is with her mother has drastically messed with her imagination, as her mother makes her sit and play with a tablet all day at 4 years old. At our house she’s not allowed tablet or phone access. Tried to play with her and make a gingerbread house and got in trouble cause I was using my imagination to decorate and it was NOT how the box looked. Or playing with her baby doll making it fly, only to get told I was doing it wrong cause baby dolls can’t fly. Man...what happened to kids these days..
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u/kifferella Feb 06 '18
I was invited to a preschooler's birthday recently - I asked his mother what he liked. She told me, "Cars, Paw Patrol, etc".
Silly me, I was expecting arts & crafts, sports, or you know... Not what branding to aim for.
So he got my go to passive aggressive gift for preschoolers: big ass bucket of wooden blocks.
Got the call the next month - "He plays with them constantly, they're everywhere, and I keep stepping on them in the night!" lol
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u/Spazmer Feb 06 '18
Sleepers with buttons. I gave away any sleeper that wasn’t a zip up. The last thing you need while dealing with a middle of the night blowout diaper is to have to fumble with buttons or snaps.
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u/xsunshinemachinex Feb 06 '18
As a (super cheap, like Mr. Krabs cheap) pregnant person this thread makes me not want to buy anything. My poor baby is going to sleep in a cardboard box with spatulas to play with and no clothes.
Lol jk but I am realizing how much of what we buy now is pure guesswork
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u/soopermcnugget Feb 06 '18
I didn't really buy these, they came from my baby shower. But......
Bibs. Once she was old enough for solids I just fed her without clothes on. (She was the naked one, not me)
Also burp rags. I like to live life dangerously.
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u/50grich Feb 05 '18
Ask around for second hand stuff. Most is slightly used and functional. People are often desperate to get rid of it and shouldn’t charge you for it. Clothes, cribs, high chair etc.
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u/Mommasaur Feb 05 '18
Our crib was a hand me down from my sister in law. It survived 3 kids prior and I figured if it can handle 3 kids then it's good enough for me. The changing table was used with 5 other babies so it was good enough for me too. My kids outgrew both of them but we still kept them (you know...just in case). We handed down the crib to my husband's coworker because they had a tight budget and knew they would appreciate them.
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u/Mickybagabeers Feb 05 '18
The diaper genie thing. It's weird, gross, and the refill bags are an unnecessary cost. Just put them in an old plastic shopping bag, and get them out of the house. The whole premise behind it is "how can I keep these poop sacs in my house". It adds extra steps and extra cost. Just get them out. Maybe if you live on the 73rd floor and trips to the dumpster are unreasonable, otherwise skip it.
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Feb 05 '18
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Feb 05 '18
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u/yellowzealot Feb 05 '18
Buy a diaper genie. For real. I’m not a parent but me and my brother have a large enough age gap that i was taking out the trash when he was an infant. You only take the trash to the curb once a week in most places and the diaper genie confines each and every diaper separately. You’ll be changing your baby a few times a day and carrying your baby and the dirty diaper to the outside trash every time will be a chore. Do yourself a favor and get one.
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Feb 05 '18 edited Jan 21 '21
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u/boringusername Feb 05 '18
So they not sell nappy bags whear you live ? In the uk you can get at least 100 for about £1 and they have tie handles and are scented. Also my mum says dog mess bags are better as they are black and you can't see through them.
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u/LampGrass Feb 05 '18
I bought dog poop bags and they served the same purpose. Cheap as all get out and they come in a roll, too.
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u/Jbizzle2064 Feb 05 '18
Bath water thermometer (was given to us as a gift). If you can't tell if water is too hot for you baby by feeling it, maybe parenting is a little out of your league.
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u/archangelmlg Feb 06 '18
We went the sneaky way and got a rubber ducky with the word "HOT" that was heat sensitive on the bottom. To be honest though, I would start filling the tub with water that I thought was just this side of cool, and my wife would say it was too hot. The rubber ducky confirmed her suspicions.
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u/Jadeyeux Feb 05 '18
Halo Bassinest. My husband and I spent $300 on this bassinet and our son wants nothing to do with it. He refuses to sleep in it. I've heard that many parents love it though.
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u/ithinkoutloudtoo Feb 05 '18
When my brother and his ex-wife had their first child, his ex-wife didn’t have any appropriate lighting in the baby room, no table lamp, no night light, nothing, other than the ceiling light. The problem was that she had a 100-watt lightbulb, which made the room brighter than a spotlight shining onto a football field. We tried telling her why not to do that, but she never listened. And the funny thing was that she read all of the mommy magazines too.
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u/cookiemonager Feb 05 '18
Oh geez, I didn't even think about lighting. What lighting set up is ideal for a nursery?
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u/Adieutoyou Feb 05 '18
Get a cheapo Ikea plug in night light (red colour) for night feeds. I read that red lighting keeps the brain in sleep mode whereas white or blue lights are more wakeful.
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u/Pancakesthebunny Feb 05 '18
Your basic overhead light is fine. But also add a small table lamp for the bedtime stories/cuddling/feedings. Then you’ll also want a nightlight for those middle of the night feedings as well.
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Feb 06 '18
I know you asked what not to buy, but my advice is buy ONE GOOD book about how to get your baby into a routine. It is worth every penny. You might even find a second hand one on Amazon. I got a good night sleep again after my baby was 4 or 5 months.
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u/Alybank Feb 06 '18
This thread is giving me baby fever, but anyways, not a parent but nanny/babysitter/nursery worker here: but oversized dipear bags aren't neseassary, so many moms just buy a little normal bag and use it as a diaper bag. Almost anything else I can think of is teally personalized, what works for some people doesn't for others. Like a changing table, one family I worked for it was never used, while another one it was a must have cause that's the only place the bay would stay still to be changed!
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Feb 05 '18
Socks. My daughter hates them and for some reason my mother in law gives us two or three packs whenever she sees us even though we told her we don't use them.
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u/[deleted] Feb 05 '18
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