4 Items I Don’t Buy for my Toddler
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First, let’s begin with a quick discussion on minimalism and children. Minimalism is great for children. Children need less choices. They need less decisions and they need simplicity. Freedom for children is not in a million choices, but rather two. Choices like do you want to play with blocks or Legos? Large varieties of choices actually can be debilitating for children to navigate. In the teaching world we call this “scaffolding” or making it easier for students to be successful. If we want to allow toddlers their own independent choice, giving them less choices is a sure win.
Also, providing less choices for your children is a frugal habit. When you have less choices you don’t have to buy as much stuff. Stuff that you have to pick up, organize, and eventually get rid of. I made several other lists of things I don’t buy anymore from clothes, household products, and even foods.
With the money you have saved not buying excess clothes, toys, books, and convenience foods you can invest into higher priorities, like your child’s 529 college savings account, a family vacation, or paying down debt.
4 Items I Don’t Buy for my Toddler
Here is my short list of items I do not buy for my toddler, with frugal explanations on how we avoid these purchases.
From this list below it sounds like my child is running around naked with no food, form of entertainment, or learning tools! Please allow me to explain.
1. Toys: I Don’t Buy for My Toddler
My daughter receives many hand me down or gifted toys from friends and family. She also receives toys from grandparents every Christmas or on her birthday. She has plenty and so we don’t buy her anymore. With my minimalism tendencies I only keep toys that are engaging for her, age appropriate, and not annoying. For example, some toys just end up “losing their batteries” if the songs are making me crazy! If there is something she has really been wanting or needs we will suggest this to grandparents for Christmas, birthdays, or holidays.
Dr. Kim John Payne, author of Simplicity Parenting, suggests that less toys actually cultivates deeper play (62). He writes “No special toys, or quantity of toys is necessary to develop a child’s imagination…As you decrease the quantity of your child’s toys and clutter, you increase their attention and their capacity for deep play” (62). He also suggests that the simpler the toy the better it engages the imagination (66). We’re talking the simple baby doll versus the fully clothed Barbie with accessories.
Furthermore, research shows that the mother is more negatively affected by clutter in the house than the father (UCTV). Toys create a lot of clutter and if you calculate how many times you pick up a toy and what you could be doing instead of picking up that toy, you may find that less is more for your own mental health.
One exception: We bought our daughter a bike! Great choice!
2. Every Day Clothes: I Don’t Buy for My Toddler
We also have received many hand me downs or were gifted clothing from friends and family. This has saved us a lot of money and as a result I don’t buy her clothes. She plays outside so often that I really don’t see the importance of buying her new clothes when they will get ripped, torn, stained, or grown out of in the next couple months.
Seeking hand me downs has been relatively easy. Most friends and family have wanted to get rid of the clothes their children have grown out of and are delighted to know I’d take them! Honestly, this tactic alone has saved us hundreds of dollars each year. My daughter doesn’t have any allergies or sensitive skin, so this makes clothing swaps easier. Instead of spending money on clothing we invest this money into her 529 account for college.
3. Books: I Don’t Buy for My Toddler
What? You’re an English teacher and you don’t buy your daughter books? Again, we have received many hand me down or gifted books in her 3 years of life. Instead of buying books, we visit the library weekly where there is much more variety. She has favorites that she checks out routinely, but eventually she will grow out of these books. Literacy skills increase rapidly this early in life, and book interests will change quickly as a result. I find that the library is the perfect resource for her rapidly changing development.
4. Food Products: I Don’t Buy for my Toddler
I use the term “toddler food” to categorize any food my husband and I wouldn’t eat or that has been marketed to the toddler age group. Usually it’s a lot of convenient snacks, or foods in pouches. We don’t buy these because she eats what we eat. If we go somewhere, I make her a sandwich and pack something to drink in a sippy cup.
However, I only have one child right now, so perhaps with two the convenience of small pouches, or individually wrapped foods will be worth it. As of right now, she eats what we eat.
Final Thoughts
I’m trying to bring back frugality in a positive light. Oftentimes it’s coupled with words like “stingy” or “cheap.” Sadly, it can be the exact opposite. If you save your money, you can be generous in other unexpected ways. Plus, frugality allows you to work less, because every dollar you earn goes further. Try to think positively about ways you can incorporate frugality in your life. You may be surprised at how easy it can be to save money when you think outside the box. If interested in more ways to be frugal check out this blog post on how you can save $1,000 per month!
Join the Discussion
What items do you avoid buying for your toddler? What frugal habits have you incorporated for your family?
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Author
-Maria
Halcumb
B.A.
in Secondary Education, English, and Physical Education
M.A.
Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction and Reading Specialist
Sources
Payne, Kim John., and Lisa M. Ross. Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids. Ballantine Books Trade Paperbacks, 2009.
UCTV, and University of California Television. UCTV – University of California Television, 1 Nov. 2013, www.uctv.tv/shows/A-Cluttered-Life-Middle-Class-Abundance-25712.
24 Responses
What about the weird uncle? Doesn’t he buy his niece gifts?
Oh sorry…. Yes, I’ll make sure to edit this blog post and include “gifts from her uncle” as well. 🙂 Thank you so much for bringing it to my attention.
That works pretty good until they start getting older. Enjoy the savings now
Agreed – I know I only have a short amount of time before she starts caring about what types of clothes she wears. 🙂
I agree with you Candy! I would like not to buy any clothes for my baby but he’s growing so fast that I always need to get him new clothes! We don’t have hand me downs.
Toys and clothing are the worst thing to buy for kids.. they go through them so quick.
Totally agree! I like to save as much as I can before my daughter actually cares about clothes or toys. 🙂
These are great ideas for a younger child. There are some nice consignment stores that have decent clothes too. It’s important to put money into the 529 accounts regularly, starting when the kids are little! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Julie,
Yes, actually one of my next posts this month is on consignment shops, especially for children. 🙂
I agree with the toddler food, good old fashioned real food is my motto.
Right!? Might change when I have two children…:)
I really enjoyed this post. I am trying to get into this idea of more minimalism less anxiety process as well. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I am also a fellow English teacher!
Whoo hoo! English teachers unite! I think teachers seek minimalism because if left to our own devices we would give our time and energy away to every student or person we could. Minimalism starts with things, but then infiltrates every other aspect of your life. Good luck on your journey! 🙂
We didn’t get many hand me downs but always take advantage to doorbuster sales when it came to my son.
I know, I feel so fortunate to receive all the clothes we did. 🙂
I agree that this works well for smaller children, or older kids who are not as opinionated. My son (13) couldn’t care less about his brand of clothes, as long as he is comfortable. But he is very particular about his “toys”. My daughter cares about everything 🙂 I say save as long as you can!
Yes we will!
I love buying clothes for my kids so that’s always tricky for me. But it’s fun for me and our spending in other areas is pretty strict so it works out. I don’t buy them expensive things though, they outgtow them way too fast.
Good point! My love language is not through gifts, but I love an respect moms who can get their children special items so thoughtfully. 🙂
Toddler food is like, the biggest scam! There’s NO reason for it!
This is a really good list, however I still buy all 4 of these things. I have 3 kids (ages 12, 6, and 3). I don’t buy nearly as much “stuff” as I used too. It is really nice when we can get hand me downs, but it is very rare for us to get them for my oldest and once they get older they get a little bit more picky about their fashion. I do buy second hand sometimes, but again, for my oldest there isn’t much options. We aren’t really minimalist but I am on a journey to simplify things and live more intentional.
Totally, I realize no everyone is in my position. I happen to live close to family with nieces and nephews who are a few years older than my daughter. I agree that this won’t last much longer! 🙂
I completely agree with this! I have received many hand me downs and what ever else I need I buy from second hand shop or garage sale. It’s cheaper, and often some of the older clothes hold up better than the new stuff these days. I disagree with those posting about how it changes when they get older, that sounds like entitlement to me. If they want to save up for personal items they want (entertainment item or certain jeans) they can get it by mowing lawns for neighbors or pulling weeds if they’re bit younger etc.. t, but I don’t remember just a few decades back children ever thinking they had a right to tell their parents what to buy them. Keep it simple, and when they get older they can learn the life skill of having to earn it, and then having more respect for that item.
Since our little one has been 6 months he has whatever we are having. At 1 he easily ate sardine sandwiches no problem. I seriously feel those toddler foods just set parents up for picky eaters, I so understand it’s nice to have the convenience in the short term…but the long term effects and having to break eating habits is soooo much harder.
Great post!
When I wrote this post, I initially didn’t want to post it because it goes against everything that is marketed to new mothers. However, when you focus on what truly matters these items don’t, and I’d rather invest the money for education, or use it for fun family trips etc. You’re right, that perhaps getting the cool clothes will come from working an odd job or earning it,when kids are older. As of right now, toddlers are pretty excited with clothes that they can just get dirty in. Thanks for stopping by!