Warning 10 Child Safety Products you Don't Need

So you have a baby. Congratulations. Now you have to buy all the stuff that goes with them. The diapers. The clothes. The plug covers and drawer latches and corner covers. And about a thousand other things. But do you really need all those things? Here are ten things you DON’T need to buy for your child. In fact, both your child and your wallet will thank you for avoiding them.

1. Shopping cart cover – Yes, I know: those icky germ-infested shopping carts that absolutely EVRERYONE touches! Your baby can’t possibly sit in that! Yes, yes they can. Most supermarkets these days have sanitizing wipes for the carts, just wipe and go. It’s not like you need to be carrying one more thing around with you! Maybe if it is winter and you go to one of the (rare) markets that keep their baskets outside… Or maybe you could use a towel?
2. Baby bathtub – Ever hear about that wonderful invention –the sink? It’s just the right size, it’s at the right height, and, best of all, it has a drain! If you don’t want to wash your baby in the same place you wash your dishes, try a plastic container. It’s a lot cheaper, and when they grow up, you can store all their bath toys in it.
3. Baby detergent – Costs a lot and has just as much fragrances, etc to make your baby break out. Try All/Tide/Purex Clean and Clear. Any detergent that is free of dyes and fragrance will work, and they’re a whole lot cheaper.
4. Wipe warmer – One would think that the relief of having a clean rear would negate any discomfort from chilly wipes.
5. High chairs – Do you really need a new piece of furniture? A clip-on chair allows the child to actually sit with the rest of the family, and, when they get old enough, a booster seat works equally as well. Besides, have you tried to clean those things? I’d much rather run a rag across the table, thanks.
6. A crib – When they’re too little to sit up, they’re probably with you all the time anyway. When they get big enough to crawl around, they’re either screaming to get loose or trying to climb out. What’s the point? Use a bassinet when they’re tiny and get a twin bed with a roll guard when they’re older. Don’t waste your money.
7. Changing table – Another waste of space. If you have a dresser the right height, put a pad down and use it. If not, a towel on the bed, the floor, or the counter works just as good, and doesn’t take up anymore room in your doubtless cluttered place.
8. Baby monitor – If the kid’s not crying loud enough to wake the dead, then you don’t want to know anyway. Unless you spend a lot of time far away from your baby, (they’ll let you?!) you really don’t need anything more than normal hearing. Besides, jumping at every strange noise will make you and your baby a stressed-out wreck.
9. Toddler helmet – Learning to walk may be dangerous, but surely you don’t need to buy a helmet for your toddler. Yes, they look unstable, but they’re so close to the ground when they fall that it’s hardly life-threatening. Besides, don’t you already have all the sharp corners covered? Then chill, they’ll get the hang of it soon enough.
10. Kid leash – When they get old enough to walk, please don’t put them on a leash. Holding their hand works better, plus they get actual contact with you. If you have to go far enough that they complain about their arm hurting (children are shockingly sturdy, by the way) then you can grip the back of their shirt or carry them. Face it, if you’re walking that far, you’ll end up carrying them sometime.

There you go. Ten things you can scratch of your to-buy list. Remember, children have been around as long as people have (ironic, isn’t it?). You survived without a lot of ‘necessary’ things, and so did your parents. Every family is different and needs different things, but the most important thing any child needs is love. Everything else is just a bonus.

Taken From Baby Sitting Jobs