I recently attended a baby shower for a new mother and I was astounded by the amount of equipment and just general “stuff” that was given as gifts. I couldn’t help but think back over nearly two decades to my own beginning parenting and all the equipment and paraphernalia that seem to come along with expanding my family. But, I definitely tried plenty of impractical equipment and items and, over time, found what worked and didn’t work. If I had it to do over again, I would most certainly travel lighter and there are things I would not even bother with…
I would start with the big, bulky stroller/carriage. After I had my second child and had two little ones in diapers, I got a double umbrella stroller and I just loved that thing. I could collapse it and put it together with one hand. It was totally lightweight and portable and it was wide enough that the diaper bag fit across the back without toppling the thing. I became a complete umbrella stroller convert! I could take that thing anywhere (hiking, the zoo, camping, you name it!) If I could go back, I would have never bothered with the big, fancy, Cadillac stroller in the first place.
I also would have not bothered to buy any shoes for my babies until they were at least 6 months old or until they were good little walkers. First of all, I had two who hated shoes and would curl up their little toes and feet so I thought I was going to break the tender bones just trying to get the adorable little sneakers on them. Then, they were constantly falling off and getting lost out and about and I wouldn’t notice until I was pulling them out of the car seat at home and they had one shoe on and one shoe gone. So, I would abandon the shoe attempt and go with dozens of pairs of socks (I remember those got lost easily too) and wait until they were walking and actually needed shoes to even bother.
I could probably list a dozen more things I wouldn’t even bother with if I had it to do all over again, but I’d love to hear from you–what “words of purchasing wisdom” would you offer to first-time parents? What are absolute necessities and what are items and equipment a parent can definitely