5 Things to NOT Buy for Your Kids
As parents we naturally want the best for our children. The best health, the best education, and the best experiences we can provide for them. The problem is that when we’re trying to provide the best we often go overboard on spending. With good intentions, we make unnecessary purchases and waste our hard earned money in the process.
Over the years I have made some (OK, most) of these purchases and have lived to regret it.
1. A Swingset
From the time I took my oldest on his first outing to the park, our family has gone every week. We all get fresh air, the kids burn of some of that energy I wish I had, the kids play, I catch up with the other moms and we make a day of it. We eat our lunch at a picnic table by the pond(crusts left on for the ducks of course) and it is something we all look forward too each week. So, why on Earth did I go and buy a swingset? I found it used at a great price, yet it was still a complete waste of money. It took some of the magic out of our day at the park and it wasn’t that interesting to my kids. After a few months, I sold it at a loss and nobody seems to have noticed. Live and Learn.
2. A Bassinet/Moses Basket
Yes, they are adorable and yes they seem like a must have item, but they are a true waste of your money. We had a bassinet given to use just before the birth of our oldest. I was thrilled, I thought “How great, he can sleep in our room and I won’t have to go far to nurse him in the night”. The goodness didn’t last. He outgrew it in 2 months. The better, frugal alternative? A playard with bassinet insert. Most playards come with these inserts nowadays and not only do they work just as well as a stand alone bassinet, they are better. They fold up to store, they’re on wheels so you can move it from room to room and when you no longer need the bassinet it is a nice, safe place for baby to play or sleep. At roughly the same price or less than a bassinet-it is the much wiser choice for your money.
3. A Highchair
What? Every baby needs a highchair?! Wrong. Highchairs are expensive, bulky, hard to store and, hard to clean.We tried a highchair only once and it was a total waste. We paid $125 for the cream of the crop highchair. I lasted about 6 weeks before I gave up on it. One thing I can say for sure is all my kids are more likely to actually eat if they are at the dinner table, not 2 feet away behind an enormous high chair tray. The better, frugal alternative? The booster seat. They make them now with safety harnesses and back supports for even the littlest babies and they are usually adjustable to varying heights to accommodate any situation. The best ones are 100% dishwasher safe, they disassemble in seconds and the entire thing goes through the dishwasher. Easy. They travel better, last longer than highchairs and are rarely recalled like high chairs so often are. The best part is the most expensive ones run about $30-a fraction of what you would waste on a highchair.
4. Musical Instruments/Sports Equipment
I think most parents want their kids to find their “thing”,something they are good at, enjoy and can get excited about. The problem? Kids go through “things” like crazy and those lessons, equipment and uniforms can get expensive. Whether it is piano lessons, hockey or ballet you can expect to make a purchase of some kind. So what are we to do? First thing find out what is available through the lessons/instructors. Often times, they will have equipment to use while in the class. Wait it out a few weeks to see if it sticks, them look for good quality used items. Ask the instructors for ideas, they often know where to find the best deals. If equipment isn’t provided, ask friends to borrow. We did this when our oldest decided to take a stab at guitar lessons. We borrowed from a neighbor and that took the sting out of the bill for the lessons. Since, he ended up really enjoying it, we decided to buy him a nice used guitar to practice with at home. I’m not saying to never buy the stuff for your kids, just be smart about it. Just because junior shows an interest in golf doesn’t mean he needs a custom set of Pings, unless of course you have a future Tiger on your hands!
5. TV’s
I cannot understand when I see parents buying $200 Dora the Explorer TV’s for their kids rooms. I just can’t. We have never bought a TV for our kids. They watch their movies or Nickelodeon in the den, that’s it. Now, I must confess that we currently have an old TV drug out of the garage in our baby’s room. Finding Nemo and a sippy cup of milk are the only things that will lull that little boy to sleep these days. So, for special circumstances, a TV can be OK to put in a kid’s room. A slumber party, illness, or if you find you need to actually sleep at some point and that is the only thing working for your baby, by all means, drag the old TV in there. Don’t make it a permanent fixture and don’t go an buy a special TV just for your kids. Doing that is only leading to you wasting money and invitations for questions like ” Where’s the Nintendo to go with my new TV?”
Yes, I wasted my money on a lot of these things; and I learned some valuable lessons in the process. Wanting the best for your kids doesn’t mean you have to buy them everything under the sun. Every parent has their own idea of “enough” and for me this idea hasn’t always been easy to maintain. We want so much for our children, we want them to be happy, and this can make our eyes and our hearts bigger than our wallets.
What about you? What have you bought for your kids and later regretted? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. I would love to hear your stories!
Topics: Finance & Money, Life & Family |
March 13th, 2008
These are great ideas to keep in mind!
Do you use a playard instead of a crib until baby is old enough for a regular bed?
March 13th, 2008
Kacie-Good question! Yes, you really can. A crib isn’t a must have, but we did use one. We like it because it gives the kids a personal “bed” or space that nobody else uses. But, we did make sure to buy a convertible crib-they start as a crib, transition to a toddler bed, then a twin and then a full size headboard! Literally a crib can stay with your kids until college! So, spending 250-300 dollars doesn’t seem so bad when you can get so much use out of it!
March 13th, 2008
We had a couple friends stay with us and I was surprised by the use they got out of a diaper mat and a pack-and-play. Almost-toddler (he took his first unsupported steps here!!!) slept in the pack-and-play and we stuck him in it with a toy a couple times for a few minutes so that nobody would have to make sure he wasn’t getting into trouble. Our place is only semi-childproof.
Then the diaper mat was just perfect for changing him.
Makes one seriously think of the need for an early crib or a changing table. But I like the idea of the changeable crib too….that’s amazing.
March 13th, 2008
Mrs. Micah-
He took his first steps there?! Awesome! Isn’t that an amazing thing to watch?!
Yes, it does make you think about all the so called “must haves for baby”
We never used a changing table, I should have added that to the list! We had a playard with a changing station attachment thing that worked well for us. Once the baby is close to toddler age, they aren’t going to lay down for more than 2 seconds anyway, so a changing station isn’t necessary at all. You just chase them with a wipe and diaper in hand! LOL
March 13th, 2008
Great list! One thing we DID buy our kids is a desk for their bedroom - big mistake if you buy it before seven or eight years old. The desk is now covered in glue, markers and the stain has been permanently destroyed thanks to spilled nail polish remover. I guess I’ll be sanding and staining in my future. I wish we had just held off until they were older.
March 13th, 2008
Frugal Dad-
Good to know…Wait on the desks!
One place where you can get really cheap art desks for the little guys is at IKEA-they come unfinished so you can paint/stain/decorate how you want and they are so cheap you really don’t mind what the kids do to them. Bring on the glue!
March 13th, 2008
I have to disagree about the bassinette. My son is almost four months old and is still sleeping in his, right next to our bed. It’s been invaluable to us, and I’ll be sad when he gets too long for it and I have to move him to his crib in his bedroom. I’m considering purchasing a pack and play for that reason. It’s all about personal preferences!
March 13th, 2008
DT- I guess I could have mentioned that our son was a big baby lol. 9 lbs at birth YIKES! But, even so, I find that the playard worked better and was at a more comfortable height than the bassinet, the other problem I had with the bassinet was that it was not as portable as the playard. I just think the playard is a better deal. Much more use out of it for your money. I had all my kids sleep in our room for the first 3-4 months ( I was nursing) and moved them to a crib in the nursery after that.
I agree that having the baby right next to you is fantastic. When that little munchkin wakes you up four times a night to eat, it is such a good feeling to not have to literally get out of bed-reach over, snatch ‘em up, feed ‘em done. I loved that! The bassinet may work wonders for some folks, but for us, it was a total waste.
Take Care
LJ
March 14th, 2008
[…] 5 things not to buy for your kids from Mommy Gets Paid. It’s really a great list and I am proud to not have bought one item on that list. We spent a long time last year considering a swingset but I am glad we decided trips to the playground were sufficient and to save the money for the future instead. […]
March 14th, 2008
[…] 5 Things to NOT Buy for Your Kids from Mommy Gets Paid - This would be a good read for most people with kids. It amazes me the stuff people buy for their kids. The article also shares a few things that you may think you need with a new baby, but really don’t.
March 14th, 2008
1 swingset, never bought and was never really tempted to buy because of cost and safety reasons. I doubted our ability to put it up safely.
2 Bassinett,Never bought nor was tempted to for the reasons you state. For some people even a crib may be not all that necessary. My oldest child never got those self soothing techniques so I wound up doing the family bed so I could get some sleep.
3 highchair Somewhat disagree. We bought one new for about $60. and it was used for both my children. I found it convenient to have.
4 music/sports equipment Overall I agree. I bought my son the drum pads and the bells when he continued to like drum lessons for band in school. Three years later I bought him a snare drum that had a muffler. But I’ve seen parents pay for year round soccer, expensive sport camps during the summer and for what? Most high school student don’t do sports in college.
5 TVs agreed, but why stop at TV. Do kids under 10 need their own phone? or the latest game system?
March 14th, 2008
I kind of disagree on some of these points. Here are my reasons.
1. Not everybody living in the city has a park nearby or access to a car. I didn’t while I was small so the swing my father made under the apple tree brought me hours of pleasure.
2. Agree.
3. Again, this depends on the individual situation. Not all parents live in places that’ll accommodate a dining/kitchen table. If that’s the case, a high chair can be invaluable.
4. Sort of agree but kids have to be given the opportunity to explore their talents. I’d draw the line at expensive equipment, though.
5. Agree. Far better the kids are in the family room socialising that sitting alone in their rooms watching TV.
March 15th, 2008
Thanks for this great post. I have a three-year-old and a one-year old and I’m glad to hear your advice on the swingset, since I was thinking that someday it might be something to get (once I have a yard to put one in).
Also, I completely agree with you on the high chair and bassinet. We have only ever used a little booster chair for children. The chair we have just straps onto a regular chair and can recline for babies who can’t hold their head upright yet. It saves space too when you live in a small apartment. We had a bassinet and I thought it was unnecessary. Our one-year old has actually slept in a pack and play more than her own crib and it has worked just fine.
March 16th, 2008
[…] you are out doing your “Easter Bunny” shopping this week keep in mind these 5 things not to buy your kids. I completely agree with the […]
March 16th, 2008
My neighbors bought a swingset for their children a few months ago; I can count the times those kids have played on it on one hand. Another purchase I would caution against: a brand new playhouse. You know, the big plastic kind that sits outside. They start at $200 new, and are destroyed within days. You can always find them used for much, much cheaper, and even if they’re already beat up it doesn’t matter. Also, don’t bother with a separate toddler bed, unless you have a convertible crib. My daughter slept in hers less than six months before we moved her to a regular twin bed.
March 17th, 2008
I totally agree that buying a special TV like Dora,Spongebob,etc., is a waste of money.
Sooner or later that tv will no longer appeal to the child as they get older.
Having a tv in their bedroom all the time just encourages laziness, and the inability for parents to monitor what they are watching if it’s in their bedroom.
March 19th, 2008
I’m with most of the ideas here except the high chair, which has worked super well for us - having said that we DO eat at a raised island in the kitchen and not at a kitchen table so that might be why its worked out so well.
Ditto on the bassinet - it was a hand me down, both kids outgrew it in a month and a half and we have since passed it on to someone else to use.
March 19th, 2008
C.K.- thanks for the comment…I think a highchair would be a wise choice for a raised island…might be a little too high to put a booster to good use!
March 19th, 2008
Joyce-
I agree completely…I think it could be even more of an issue with older children because you cannot monitor what they are watching if they are just in their room by themselves.
March 31st, 2008
[…] of buying things, here’s a great list of “5 Things to NOT Buy for Your Kids” from Mommy Gets […]
April 2nd, 2008
I’m a little late with commenting to this blog, but I just want to agree with you about the sports uniforms and musical instruments. My parents bought me a french horn and believe me I was very passionate about one day playing in an ochestra, but marching band ruined it for me. I hated marching! SO I got out of band and went into P.E. class. I sort of regret it (although, I try to live my life w/out any regrets so I don’t get depressed or stressed about the past), and I was also FIRST CHAIR! I feel bad that my parents ‘wasted’ $2,500 USD.
I wasn’t really in any sports -well, I was in basketball, but we didn’t have to pay for the uniforms just as long as we gave them back-, but I was a cheerleader when I was in fifth grade. I was the offbeat cheerleader and my parents couldn’t afford for me to go to the ‘required’ cheerleading summer camp so I didn’t go. I didn’t know anything whereas all the other cheerleaders were in gymnastics for years. Since I didn’t go to summer camp I bought my uniform and practice/casual uniform LATE! How embarrasing! I got sick and tired of cheerleading and mostly because the cheerleading coach was a real crazy lady. I’m sure my folks spent at the very least $500 USD.
Oh well!
April 2nd, 2008
Jennifer-
Exactly-live and learn. Parents can waste so much money on these things that really aren’t TRULY worth it.