Parenting essentials-what you need to know, before you buy

As a parent, there are a few things I know now, that i wish i had known before. And I don’t mean things like how babies can soil 14-16 diapers a day in the beginning, or how sleep will seem like a long lost cousin, that’s how little you will see it for a while. A really long while....

I’m talking the basics. Very basic. Like, a newborn baby doesn’t always fit into newborn clothes. Not one of mine ever fit into those tiny outfits. 0-3 month was a better size.

I wish we had have known about outlets, and how you can pick up a $199 high chair for $49.99 if you don’t have to have the newest pattern. Yes my poor child had to do with last year’s colours *gasp*.

I also wish I knew how awesome a sling can be, and that test driving a few in the store is helpful, and i was able to pick one that I subsequently got a lot of use out of.

Back to the highchair; Great big, puffy monstrosity that they are, padded, seat belted, bells and whistles galore....after you have tripped on that thing and banged your toe, spilled the baby food etc... You may end up wishing you had something more compact, and actually space friendly.

Really think about how much space you have in your chosen feeding area. Then, check out the high chair you are dreaming of. Get a box or even just lay out a blanket covering the same square footage, as the footprint of the highchair, and see if it’s in your way after a while. If you have a larger than average home, or a dining area with great design, it might not bother you. If you are like the other 95 percent of people, you’ll be wishing you hadn’t spent so much, and now will be looking for an inexpensive or used booster high chair, or small framed high chair. I like the Ikea one BUT...yes it is a big but, it doesn’t adjust in close to baby, which means that the baby spills food on to their clothes all the time. Erase away that dream of cute little bibs too, most babies rip them off.

Anyway , really consider things before buying the highchair.

Crib too for that matter. None of our kids ever really slept in it, but wow it was great for storage! Playpen, not really a necessity either, and to be honest, who wants to spend time trapped in a little box with limited toys? We used it mainly as a bed for our 3 year old when travelling.

I’m sure I will think of many things I wish i hadn’t bother buying, as time goes on, and I will update when they come to me.