Does A Baby Really NEED All Of That?

My wonderful sisters-in-law escorted me to B*bies’R’Us yesterday and compelled me to open and add items for a baby registry. One of my dear sisters-in-law, who is two weeks further along in her (first ever) pregnancy than I, did her gift registry at least two months ago. It never occurred to me to register for baby gifts because I don’t need much. I have a child who is barely out of infancy and most of her things (crib, car seat, etc.) are still in excellent condition. However, after giving it a little thought I remembered that I could use a new diaper bag, some t-shirts, pacifiers, and other incidentals that I don’t have left over from the Little Princess. And of course, if this baby is, as we hope, a boy, there will the issue of a more masculine wardrobe fit for a Little Prince.

As I walked the aisles of this massive baby store I was struck by the number of items displayed that, in my opinion, serve no real purpose other than to increase the retailers’ bottom line. A $220 gliding swing that mimics the motion a mother makes when she rocks her baby? $300 cribs with matching $300 rocking chairs that had matching $120 ottomans came in various styles, fabrics, and colors. And of course, you can’t bring baby home without first spending at least $1000 on decorations ranging from crib and bumper sets, matching diaper stacking bags, and wall decorations, each sold separately of course. And my personal favorite: wipe warmers. I bought one of these with Little Princess because for some reason she hated having her diaper changed. I thought warmer wipes might make it more pleasant for her. But in the time it took me to get the wipe from the warmer to her bottom, it was cold again! I took it back to the store about two days after we bought it. Don’t even get me started on the numerous brands and varieties of VERY expensive baby formulas. That seems the most unnecessary when you consider that Mom makes an endless supply for free!

Now I’ll admit, when we had our first child, I, like most new moms I’m sure, invested too much of my dh’s hard earned pay in “must have” baby gear that it turned out I didn’t have to have, after all. And thankfully my sister, sisters-in-laws, and friends gave me baby showers that netted more baby gear than I could use anyway. However, with each new addition, my list of must-haves got shorter and shorter until this time my registry list was only one page long, and that was only one side of the page!

As we left the store I thought, “No wonder people think that children are too expensive”, and postpone having them until they feel they can afford them. If I was a new mom, I would have been overwhelmed with vast number of items in various styles, colors, and brands staring at me. As the store manger gave me the new parents checklist, supposedly a list of everything we would most certainly need upon baby’s arrival, I can honestly say that we would do fine without at least half of the items listed. I did however, get some great coupons and free baby shower invitations that I didn’t think I’d need until my sister-in-law insisted that there was no way our family would see a new baby added who hadn’t been “showered”, even it was our fifth baby. Sometimes I take for granted how blessed I am.

All of this got me to thinking about how vital the Titus 2 relationship is. If more young women had someone to mentor them and teach them the difference between what’s necessary and what’s not, they could see that having a new baby doesn’t have to mean breaking the bank. The transition to motherhood would be so much smoother and young moms wouldn’t feel so overwhelmed when they suddenly find themselves at home, alone, and responsible for this new little life that God has blessed them with.

There are so many things that women can learn from one another when we take the time to nurture relationships the way God’s word tells us to. I realize that taking care of our homes and families is a full time job and I’m not suggesting that we spend all or even more than a small amount, of our time gadding about and talking about the things that we should be busy doing. But as I and one of my sisters-in-law (who is a mother of 6), walked, talked and shared our experience with our sis-in-law who is about to be a first time mom, I couldn’t help but the notice the considerable number of expectant moms walking around with the registry scanner, looking fairly overwhelmed and confused. In most cases they were alone. Occasionally one would ask our opinion on a particular item and we offered as much guidance as we could. But how much better it would have been for them if they, like my young sis-in-law, were being accompanied by an older, more experienced mom to show them the ropes.