Since becoming a grandmother-to-be some traits have developed. I've suddenly taken up a long discarded interest in knitting— so long ago that I gave away all my needles, yarn holders and stitch counters. I also give myself license to bill and coo over little babies. Okay, maybe I make a few comparisons for the future. I'm only human.
But what does a woman who loves the marketplace and loves to shop do when she has someone else to shop for? Go shopping, of course. What I've discovered, in the world of kids' clothes, is eye-opening.
First of all, they are expensive. I mean really, really expensive. Sure, a t-shirt for $10 is not much, but this t-shirt is 6" x 8". In other words, it uses 12 cents worth of fabric. Is shipping from China that expensive? Is it made from organic cotton? Make that $18.
Just for the record, organic cotton is "grown from non genetically modified plants... grown without the use of any synthetic agricultural chemicals such as fertilizers or pesticides." Are you trying to tell me that non-organic cotton means you are wrapping the baby in a bundle of pesticides?
I am reminded of raising my own child what seems like 150 years ago. The only thing we were cautioned about was making sure the pajamas wouldn't catch on fire. Just how that was to happen was always a mystery.
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| Small but deadly... |
Realizing the cost of baby clothes I now head to the sale racks to stock up on out-of-season-greatly-reduced items for the future. However at this point there is no way of knowing how Baby will relate to the newborn, 0-3 months, 6-9 months, 9-12 months sizing. If I remember correctly, my child skipped 6-9 months entirely.
Our mother-to-be has received heaps of lovely clothes, outgrown or otherwise not needed, from her friends. Thank goodness for that. I noticed some things still had their tags, other looked like they might have been worn only once.
And one more thing: Why do manufacturers think they have to add a ducky, a frog, an owl or a puppy applique to everything? If they've resisted the cutesy doodad, there is a good possibility we will get "Mommy's little devil" or "I need a nap" emblazoned across the front.
As a shopper with high standards and a budget, I have my work cut out for me.
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| Like the sentiment though... |
Michelle - As a grandmother of one week (a boy), I can relate to your thoughts in this post. Just one week of seeing how these little outfits work in actual life is an eye opening experience. I have several comments to add: first the marketing of baby clothes - it is hard to buy one cute item by Carter's - they are all hung together on a monstrous multi-hanger arrangement...and don't get me started on the process of cutting out tags to make baby more comfortable! Also I've already had it with onesies with slogans. Mothers to be get more clothes than they can possibly use. Finally today's baby must have his or her mittens on all the time until their fingernails are can be cut. Trying keeping the mittens on! My daughter now puts socks on her son's hands - they stay on better. I do not remember this obsession with mittens when I had a baby. Boy, have things changed! Jeanne
ReplyDeleteCongrats to the new family and to you! Plastic hanger sets— ugh. And you get one plain one with a slogan and a ducky! I'll remember the socks tip... and hopefully come across as a very smart Grammy.
Deletemy 'littles' are going to be in school this year, so those jam packed drawers of their infant days are thankfully behind us. I say, yard sale for some well worn mini-me OshKosh overalls or Levi jeans: always in style and not too easy to come by.
ReplyDeleteThat's what's on my shopping list-- those classics like Oshgosh and Levi's and yes they are hard to find. Your tip about yard sales is a good idea.
DeleteGreetings from Florida! I’m bored at work so I decided to browse your site on my iphone during lunch break. I love the information you provide here and can’t wait to take a look when I get home. I’m surprised at how fast your blog loaded on my cell phone .. I’m not even using WIFI, just 3G. Anyways, awesome blog!
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Lak Straps Korset
Glad you're enjoying the blog. It's just life as I see it, and I love to share. We can probably thank Blogger.com for the fast-loading technology.
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