Principles and Resources for Intentional Shopping for Baby Gear

As I started to reflect on in an earlier post, as part of preparing to have our first child my husband and I are learning about all the gear and financial decisions that come along with this new little life. It’s been helpful for me to talk with other parents and justice-minded people, and start to do some research to learn how to intentionally look at finances as they relate to having a new person in our household. Here are my beginning thoughts – and some resources – that I hope to keep adding to. If you have contributions or thoughts to add that relate to this, let me know, since this is somewhat new terrain for us. First, some guiding principles for how we are trying to think about justice and finances with a kiddo. And later, some actual resources that I’ve found and have started to patronage.  

A. Guiding Principles for Financial Justice and Shopping for Baby

1. Stuff is needed, but is not the focal point, of preparing to welcome a baby into our lives. Being around influences (people, advertisements, etc.) that overstress the importance of all that stuff should be limited (this means not visiting big box stores too often, or giving into magazine promises of products that deliver larger then life results, or being in lots of conversations with people who want ‘only the best’ for their kiddo.)

2. As with any purchasing decisions, being intentional about why and where we spend money on preparing for a baby is important. Looking for products that are local or fair trade, organic, and environmentally minded is important to us. Being around influences that encourage thoughtful purchases like these (people, advertisements) is helpful.

3. It is easy to accumulate too much stuff, or to feel like as a new parent you NEED a lot of gear. Talking with already-parents, slowing down purchasing choices, and intentioanlly reflecting on what we’re buying (and not buying) seems to help re-narrate the idea that a baby truly NEEDS certain gimmicks. Then we are more free to decide – based on our values surrounding money – what we DO want to choose to purchase, what we choose to pass over, what we choose to borrow or buy second hand, etc.  

4. It is helpful to remember the difference between NEEDS and WANTS as we accumulate more baby stuff. Yes, we might want a cool funky stroller with lots of bells and whistles, and other parents might want a baby wipes warmer for the nursery. So spending money on a purchase intentionally, and knowing that it is a want, a luxury, helps set that decision in the proper context. Losing sight of that mentality may lead to thinking instead that many/most WANTS are actually NEEDS – when ‘needs’ for a newborn can truly be fairly basic. This also lets us keep track of how many ‘wants’ we’re deciding to invest in, vs needs, so that we do not get too pulled into buying as consumers only. This lets us remain somewhat intentional about things that we choose to spend on and care about, and things that we choose to save on, adapt what we already have and make work or borrow, etc. It is also helpful to not get caught in a guilty mindset that any purchase is bad; instead, we can think through why and how we spend.  

5. In this spirit of needs vs wants, we are mindful of many babies and new moms/dads in the US and around the world who do not have the luxury of support and resources for a newborn that we do. We are praying about and thinking through ways that we can also feel connected to those families and somehow keep in mind how much we already have, along with how basic true ‘needs’ really are. One practical idea we have so far for this category is to “tithe” a certain percent of what we are spending on stuff for our already fully-resourced baby to support an organization that serves key needs of newborns and maternal health in an under-resourced population.

6. There are many things that we can choose to conserve spending on by purchasing things second-hand (Craig’s List and ebay have already proven to be great sources for this), borrowing things from parents who don’t need gear now/ever, or renting/sharing gear. I’ve also started to realize that as cute as little baby clothes are, the chances of a kid wearing many of them before he/she changes sizes is pretty remote. We’ve already been generously gifted the use of clothes, shoes, car seat/stroller, baby carrier, etc. to name a few – and these are gently used items that will be great for our kiddo! These generous already-parents have also reminded me to pass along gear, resources, and knowledge to other (new and old) parents as we enter this world in order to support each other and keep consuming down. It is such a smart way to get things you need/want for little to no money. I’ve also found sites that let you rent larger items, like breast pumps, double strollers, etc. for a period of time at a fraction of the cost for a new product.

7. Choosing where we spend money intentionally is first and foremost about mindful purchasing -trying to connect our faith, our call to justice, our drive to love God and love others (especially our neighbors who are the poorest of the poor), our call to steward the earth and steward our own resources, and to realize that we play a role in the global market/consumer world. Sometimes this means purchasing things that cost a bit more; things that support fair trade workers, use environmentally clean processes, or support our values. Sometimes this means taking more time, using a process that is less convenient, or living in a bit of ambiguity about where and how to shop justly as we learn and practice how to do this. We think that this will be a long journey that we need others to help us with, and one that we will not do perfectly. But it is a reorientation of our mindset, our values, and hopefully even our own wants (and needs) that will let us hold onto stuff and resources (in general) more loosely and more gratefully. 

8. Ultimately, we believe that all stuff and finances is not ours, but on loan for us to steward from a generous and good God. We also see the life of our little newborn as a gift from God to steward, so it makes sense to practice how to live into that generosity as new parents as well as in other areas of life. This also means being grateful for what we do have, for generous friends and family, for the choices and resources that we do have as new parents, and for the luxuries and many comforts that we as new parents will have at our disposal. It also means holding those lightly, remaining grateful and aware of all that we have, sharing and giving to others in return, and reminding ourselves that the lowest price, the fastest process, and the shiniest new advertisement is not what should shape our consumer wants/needs. Living a holistic life of faith, reflecting on our particular situation, slowing down our purchases and being intentional, and being flexible with ourselves and others as we learn, is.       

9. What stuff we do have, what is gifted to us or loaned, and what we end up using with our new little kiddo should be enjoyed wholly and graciously. Having stuff is not the problem, nor is accepting generous and thoughtful items from others. Receiving what is given to us (by others or by God), and the many resources that we do have at our disposal is a reminder to be stewards and to also teach our kiddo to receive and be gracious.

10. We strive to not compare what we’re learning in this area with how other parents/people look at money, trusting that each of us is working out of our own call surrounding how to see finances. We also know that we are learning from and with other parents/people who do this well and need that community in order to navigate the world of baby gear, parenting, and finances in general.             

B. Places/Products to Buy That Are More Just (directly benefit the artists, help the planet, are fair trade, etc.)  

A Greater Gift:  part of SERVV international, they sell products that are made by local artisans and support communities and fair trade initiatives around the world. USES: their gifts for children include books, toys and accessories like mobiles, carvings, bibs and bags.   

American Apparel: US company that is fair trade, laregly sustainable and organic, and thrives on a vertically integrated organizational model. USES: clothes and fabric accessories for newborns, toddlers, kids and adults; fairly good prices for baby clothes

Avalon Organics: organization praised for natural, earth friendly and petroleum-free skincare products for a baby; organization supports research into environmental causes of breast cancer and other charities. USES: products for baby, mom and family

BabiPur: one of my favorite sites, they offer a wide and super cute selection of fair-trade and organic clothing, accessories, blankets, toys, puzzles, skincare, etc. for babies. USES: they are in the UK, but ship to the US for not a ton of money; check their clearance and sale items for unique solids and stripes, and toys for fun alternatives to the regular selection found here. A plus – they use fun British terms like ‘nickle-free poppers on onesies’ – they’re referring to the snaps. 🙂   

Bridges of Hope: South African AIDS and orphan ministry sponsored by partners of the ECC; their Market of Hope order form has easy suggestions (starting at $2.00) for sponsoring an orphan, giving a child a scholarship, or buying a bed for a child. USE: Could be used as a match or tithe when spending on our own kiddo. 

Bright Hope: a solid non-profit that serves the poorest of the poor around the world through holistic in-country partnerships. As part of their mission, they sell hand carved/painted toys, instruments, and soft fabric toys. USE: some products are baby friendly, many others are for toddler age/older or for parents/mom/the home 

EthicBaby: ethical Canadian retailer using organic, fair trade products and donating to Tsunami Relief. USES: sells baby clothing, bath/bedding fabrics, and toys; the sale prices are great!

G Diapers: flushable, sustainable, organic diapers that are somewhere between disposable and cloth diapers alternatives. USES: uh – they’re diapers… nuff said. 

Global Mamas: fair trade products made by moms in Africa who are working toward the goal of using microenterprise to be financially self-sufficient. USES: they sell baby onesies, rompers and cute print dresses, and clothes for mom and stuff for the house.

Healthy Child Healthy World: a resource website with 5 easy steps to make a household environmentally safe and work toward sustainability with a child in the house. USES: tackle any one of the five steps or visit the list of partners for more ideas.   

Product (RED): intiative involving Bono and others to market mainstream products whose sale results in a donation by the company to the Global Fund (money is used to fight AIDS and other diseases around the world). USES: Gap sells onesies and other cute baby and toddler clothing, Hallmark sells cards, and lots of other products (ipods, phones, etc.) not directly related to a baby are also part of the RED line.

Taraluna: fair trade, organic and green baby products, from an organization with high standards related to their purchasing, wages, and sustainability. USES: kid’s furniture and toys, clothing, gifts for new moms and grief resources for losing children; hand-carved wooden puzzles, soft toys, and some newborn clothes are at great prices for the quality.   

TradeasOne: friend of author Brian McLaren, connects US consumers to local artists making products around the world. USES: have a rotating selection of items to purchase, many of which could be used in a nursery/home or for mom/family