When I was around 6 or 7 months pregnant with my firstborn, I began doing what most first-time moms would do: create a checklist. Jennifer Garner's character in the movie Juno called the phase "nesting". New moms are expectedly excited about this part because, 1 - it involves shopping, and 2 - the activity kickstarts the mother mode in your brain, which will stay on forever.
But what most new moms are not aware of is that baby care shops know exactly how to capitalize on that excitement. Before entering Babies 'R' Us for the first time, I was armed with a checklist and a budget, plus I went with my parents, who are sensible shoppers, so I was confident that I would find what I need and not go overboard. But, once the automatic doors opened, all common sense seemed to fade away. We were immediately sidetracked by the colorful onesies and nifty thingamajigs on display -- and we were only a mere 5 meters deep into the store! It was a trap. A most cute one at that. But nonetheless a trap. It was a good thing that I had a limited budget, so a couple of hours later, we came out of there bearing only the real necessities.
Two kids later and dozens of friends advised, I've now come up with the simplest "new parents" checklist ever. Think of it as a "starter kit" with only the essentials. Useful also for when you're invited to a baby shower or you have friends who are new parents. I personally refer to this checklist when buying baby shower gifts (always a big hit: diapers, onesies, burp cloths, and wet tissue).
But what most new moms are not aware of is that baby care shops know exactly how to capitalize on that excitement. Before entering Babies 'R' Us for the first time, I was armed with a checklist and a budget, plus I went with my parents, who are sensible shoppers, so I was confident that I would find what I need and not go overboard. But, once the automatic doors opened, all common sense seemed to fade away. We were immediately sidetracked by the colorful onesies and nifty thingamajigs on display -- and we were only a mere 5 meters deep into the store! It was a trap. A most cute one at that. But nonetheless a trap. It was a good thing that I had a limited budget, so a couple of hours later, we came out of there bearing only the real necessities.
Two kids later and dozens of friends advised, I've now come up with the simplest "new parents" checklist ever. Think of it as a "starter kit" with only the essentials. Useful also for when you're invited to a baby shower or you have friends who are new parents. I personally refer to this checklist when buying baby shower gifts (always a big hit: diapers, onesies, burp cloths, and wet tissue).
