My post about the learning tower got me thinking about what really has been valuable for us, with a kiddo – I think we approached child rearing from a more economical stance both because of our values and our situation. I was really astounded to learn, when pregnant, that suddenly you are part of a new demographic of consumer who is being aggressively marketed to, day in and day out, and that it doesn’t end until your kid is at least 1 year old. Then it sort of tapers off. I think it’s fairly awful how they hand out Fisher-Price catalogues in the OB-GYN’s office, because, not only do you not know what you might need as a new parent, and not only do you feel that you must provide the best of everything for your child, you are seized with weird hormonal whims that would make no sense to you in more rational moments. Case in point: my pregnancy obsession with handmade, decorated cloth diapers - I did use some cloth diapers but the diaper cuteness insanity wore off after she was a couple months old. It seems like baby products have changed radically in just the almost-three years we have had a kid – they are so much hipper, sleeker, well-designed and minimalist than they were then (strollers are the case in point here – we had to choose between clunky Graco carseaters and our beloved Jeep “All terrain” stroller which is also much huger than most out there now - also diaper bags, and all kinds of travel products).
So, what DO I think is worth the money? And what am I glad we got as hand-me-downs?
The Arms-Reach CoSleeper was a major help for us. I did eventually wish we’d gotten the larger model so she could’ve slept in it longer, but it was great for the time she spent in it.
Our rocking chair was from Wal-Mart and was a piece of crap! We would have been better of saving up for a more expensive model, but we panicked and bought a cheap one right away when we got home from the hospital, since Miri seemed to be so soothed by rocking.
Her bouncy chair was worth a lot, especially in the beginning. I don’t think the model matters all that much as long as it’s safe. It’s good to have a place to strap them roly-poly newborns in. She never seemed to care all that much about the music or the vibration.
We had two high chairs: one that was a hand-me-down, with a vinyl pad and tilting chair part – hard to clean. Grossly hard to clean– the food would get gunked in under the vinyl pad and caked onto the straps — ewwwwwww. The other one my mom got for five dollars at a garage sale. This one was great. No pad to take off and nooks and crannies for food to get stuck in, it folds for transportation, tray comes off. Period. You can’t use this kind of seat with a baby who can’t sit up yet, but for an older kid it was the best thing. She still sits in it occasionally, and we brought it along to a few family gatherings because it could fold up to go in the car.
I had two really great baby carriers, at different stages - a fleece sling (I think mine is from Kangaroo Korner?), and an Ergo carrier which I splurged on - I wish I’d gotten it earlier, actually - she could probably still ride in it but…… I make her walk. Both of these were so nice, really helpful, and high quality.
A dresser she can open and close by herself is invaluable, with a basket on top for the current day’s clothes and jammies. We have just a little plastic dresser-on-wheels from target, and it’s great. It’s in the closet so it doesn’t have to look all that nice, but she can open and shut it, no problem.
Mitten clips! Extremely valuable. And cheap too.
Bib with snap-up pockets; these were quite handy. We got these at a used clothing store but they weren’t used.
A cheap potty chair, and stickers to go on it, were good choices. I wouldn’t have done this if we had a Baby Bjorn potty or something, so I’m glad we had a hand-me-down, because the sticker motivation was crucial in the first week or so of real potty training.
Big, accessible shelves for all her toys and books are something I would pay for, but actually didn’t have to. These shelves have been in my family since I was her age, but my mom has moved them around and they’ve been in my possession at least twice before. This is the perfect use for them, I think, and they may now remain Miri’s shelves.
One carseat that converted from an infant seat to a toddler seat was a good choice in the beginning. We also had a relatively cheap infant seat but we mostly used it in my mom’s car, and when we went on vacation. We didn’t get one of those carseat-to-stroller contraptions, and I can honestly say I never wanted it.
I mostly buy / get her used clothing, because… she’s usually at daycare where she gets messy, she often wears crazy outfits anyway so there’s no point in buyin matching ones, and she grows so darn fast. Plus, it’s recycling. Plus, it’s cheap. Plus, we’re lucky to have good resale shops nearby.
High quality baby dolls have been worth the money. She has an American Girl Bitty Baby from her grandma, and she loves that baby! Sometimes the millions of accessories drive me a little crazy…. but she also loves her soft doll (from one of those semi-Waldorf style companies, I can’t remember what it’s called now) which has clothes, hat, shoes, and a little bag, which seems like just the right number of accessories.
We bought a $35 tubular steel toddler bed instead of a $60 cartoon character bed (because, ugh, it has to go in our bedroom and I have to look at it every day), or a $150 faux-wood fancy bed. It’s perfectly nice, safe and strong, and she is sleeping in it as we speak.
The Doodle Pro is one toy (besides art supply and activity-type toys that need to be used with an adult) that is creative, entertaining, and has kept her interest for a long time. Every couple of days I’ll just be busy around the house, then go find Miri, only to discover that she’s been happily drawing or “writing” on her doodle pro for a long time. Ten bucks.
The darn Dora fold-out foam couch has been a stalwart companion. She’s slept on it, and sat on it, and played on it, and spilled food on it, for more than two years now. And the cover comes off and goes right in the washing machine! Perfect. Not all that aesthetically pleasing, but still.
