Almighty Dad | A stay at home dad blog

Unnecessary Baby Products

21 Written by Keith on June 4, 2009 – 2:22 pm

Also remember to read the continuation, Unnecessary Baby Products – Part 2

New parents almost always make the mistake of buying a bunch of gadgets for baby that are totally unnecessary and a waste of money.  Having kids is pretty expensive.  That is not a lie.  But it’s only because adding another person to the family would be expensive whether they were 1 month old or 40 years old.  In general living is downright costly.  We have been conditioned to believe, through some pretty intense marketing efforts, that newborns need to have a wide array of safety, fun, entertainment, and dietary products, and that if we don’t provide for them these products that we are neglectful.  Marketing is so effective in fact that even our own friends and family tell us we need these products.  Parents spend, on average, $6,000 on baby gear in the first year alone.  That figure does not include  perfectly legitimate expenses like medical checkups.  So, if anybody reading this is a new parent, pay attention because those of us who have been through it would like to not see the same mistakes repeated.  My list of products we could all do without is…

Changing table

My wife and I bought one and found out right away how stupid it was.  Parents find themselves changing diapers on the couch, bed, kitchen counter, dining room table, floor, coffee table, bla bla bla. Wherever the kid does his business is where he gets changed.  It’s a matter of convenience.

Strollers

Strollers are actually quite necessary, but not big fancy fluffy ones.  The cheaper ones are actually much better because they fold down smaller and steer better.  Don’t get an umbrella stroller; they have no support.  But also don’t spend more than 50 bucks.

Baby monitor

It might be just me on this one, but my kids were never out of my sight the first year of their lives, and that’s not an exaggeration.  I slept with them and carried them everywhere with me.  Some parents want their kids sleeping in a separate room right away.  Even if that is the case, a baby monitor will not help because the noises emitted from babies are monotonous and easily ignored.  It lulls a parent into a false sense of security.  Yeah, it’s a useless gadget.  Baby monitors give parents the sense that they can prevent an accident when in fact it encourages neglectfulness.

Bottle warmers and special cleaners

Does this really need any explanation?  They never get used and take up space in the kitchen.  Kids don’t wait for the whole cleaning and disinfecting process, and parents are in such a rush that these sorts of products become simply laughable.

Baby Proofing Devices

This is a novel concept and all, but I’m an advocate of educating children on what is safe to touch and what is not.  The only baby proofing we did in our house was for sharp table corners.  But, sealing doors and making jars impossible to open is silly.  By the time children are old enough to be moving around and getting into things they can be taught what they are allowed to play with and what is off limits.  Not only are these things a waste of money, but they make houses stupidly frustrating to navigate.

Diaper Genie

This thing is supposed to seal away a dirty diaper to make for easy disposal later on.  They don’t work.  Even if they did work parents get so accustomed to the smell of dirty diapers that it wouldn’t matter anyway.  Heck, dirty diapers become makeshift playthings for parents.  “Hey, throw the bomb!  I’ll slam dunk it in the trash out here!”  That’s how it goes.

Diaper Bags

I just used a backpack.  It worked fine for me, no complaints.  Maybe it’s just because I’m a guy and I don’t care about style.  Some parents say a diaper bag is necessary because of all the handy little pockets designed for bottles and other tools.  It wasn’t a problem for me to reach into a backpack to get what I needed.  I guess it’s just a style preference.  Still, if it’s a matter of saving money then it’s not necessary. 

Cribs

Cribs are really expensive and unnecessary for one reason.  There exist these little folding travel cribs that work just as well and cost a fraction.  When kids are old enough to outgrow it then they are able to sleep in a normal bed anyway.  Cribs are aesthetic pieces of furniture more than anything.  Besides, I would argue the best place for a baby is sleeping with parents anyway.  But that’s a different article.

Marketers want us to believe that the products I’ve listed above are necessary and vital to the proper development of our babies.  But the reality is that, if money is an issue, these things can be done without.  There are enough unavoidable expenses in life, such as education and medical costs, that we should not be worried about trivial baby products designed for the simple purpose of fleecing us.  Babies need love and attention, they do not generally need fancy and expensive products.  There are indeed some products that are quite useful, but I’ll save that for another time.  I am not advocating living a Spartan existence when it comes to baby products.  I am saying that when money is tight that we need to recognize that there are some things that are barely cost effective even if we did have the money.

Related posts:

1. Unnecessary Baby Products – Part 2
2. Baby Products that Don’t Suck
3. Hooked on Phonics Products (video)
4. Kid’s Sports: Lighten Up, Jeez