Financial Justice and Shopping for Baby

My husband and I have been diligently learning about the world of newborn care as we wait for Baby V to make her appearance. Along with learning about the important topics like baby health and caretaking, there is a lot of “gear” associated with having a baby (in our country anyway) to learn about that we’ve now been exposed to. Beyond what I would call the basics of clothing, blankets, a car seat and a few bottles, there are a variety of products at baby stores that all claim to help a newborn sleep or eat better, be safe in a car or secure in the park, make mom more comfortable or help dad with feedings, help families be portable and babies feel attached to their parents, etc. etc. Plastics of every shape and (pastel) color claim to be able to deliver these goods – for a small price. I’ve already felt overwhelmed by the not-so-subtle messages that a loved and healthy baby “needs” a lot of this gear. As an almost new parent, I can see how we newbies entering this realm might not be able to discern what is needed, what is helpful, what is a luxury, or what is worth a little more money. It’s literally a new consumer world for me to ponder – and one that, like it or not, our family will now be impacted by.

This isn’t all bad of course – I love the selection of cute fabrics that our big box stores provide, the choices in products to help keep a room from smelling like a dirty diaper, and creative inventions that keep a pacifier near a baby or a shirt from being covered in drool. Products, afterall, aren’t really the problem; as with any financial issue, its the internal priorities and attitudes that have the power to shape or weaken us. But there is an unease within me as we finish up our baby registering in anticipation of baby showers coming up. When we went through the registry process before our wedding almost nine years ago I felt the same tension - this sense that I was getting pulled between needs and wants, between gratitude for having enough and greed for having the next or the nicer product. I freely affirm that learning about finances is a journey – one I suspect I will be growing through my whole life – but something about this current phase of shopping and planning and buying and acquiring stuff reminds me of it sharply and profoundly. So – how do we amass more stuff without getting attached to it? How does our little family receive gifts and products that ARE in fact helpful with gratitude, and with the right perspective? How do we celebrate the excitement that we want to share with family and friends through baby showers, appreciate the handmade fabrics/decorations for a new nursery space, and enjoy the “gear” that we do need/want/get? How do we intentionally build in some financial justice into this exercise of spending that new parents often experience? How do I graciously accept the ‘more than enough’ of everything that my child will have, while at the same time remain aware that many children around the world don’t even have clean water after they are born?

I don’t know the answer to this yet, but I have been thinking a lot about it, and have learned some wisdom from already-parents who have graciously shared their lives and ideas with us so far. I also know that I have just started learning about this world. Do you have thoughts on how to intentionally use money well, and also not over-obsess about it? How to keep a healthy internal attitude in relation to products and stuff in general? Places to spend money specifically on baby gear that benefits others (or a least does not harm others)? I’ll post again on this soon – I’m currently working on a list of principles and a list of practical places to shop/buy, as a place for me to start and at least be aware of. So any ideas?