Parental Thread

[dachinesedude]

Raising kids is expensive but you dont HAVE to buy an expensive stroller, there are cheap strollers available and you can always buy used

RS dont represent the majority

[DA9ve]

I think some baby products are bogus though but some of the higher end non expiring goods (strollers) actually retain pretty good value on secondary whereas a brands like Graco people wont even take them if they're free.

[EvoFire]

Originally Posted by AzNightmare

Feeling kind of stressed hearing you guys talk about how cramped your SUV's are.

The biggest car I have is a Mazda3 hatch, and honestly, not looking to upgrade any time soon, nor do I have the money to.

First baby is coming at the end of the year...

Mazda 3 is fine. If you have a Mini Cooper then it might be a little harder. I couldn't fit the car seat in the Mini and still click the front seat back into place.
We can make do with the M3, the Vista fits in it. Anything with a hatch is going to be better.

Originally Posted by 320icar

Okay let’s get one thing straight. These people are talking about huge first world problems. Everyone around the world raises children in all kinds of conditions, and soooooooo many do it without the luxury of any car.

I have either my focus hatch or the Subaru hatch. Either one swallows a dog, baby seat, stroller, diaper bags etc with easy. The only thing you give up is front passenger leg room, especially when you go forward facing and your kid starts kicking the seats.

My wife has the Ford Flex. It’s super roomy and fantastic, you can haul sooo much. Sure makes beach trips or weekend getaways easier, but in no way shape or form is having a van, SUV, wagon etc a necessity. I would say hatch > sedan though

You have a 1st world problem with 3 cars

Originally Posted by supafamous

Wait till you see our strollers.

We used the Chicco Keyfit30 which finishes near or at the top of nearly every comparison. Worked fine. I think there are lots and lots of great infant seats so buy whatever works well with your stroller.

We have the Keyfit30 as well, we found an adapter to go with our V1 Vista which is great. But we are finding that less strollers are making adapters.

The other thing with the Keyfit30 we found was that it was on the larger side of things.

Originally Posted by DA9ve

I think some baby products are bogus though but some of the higher end non expiring goods (strollers) actually retain pretty good value on secondary whereas a brands like Graco people wont even take them if they're free.

There's some truth in this. You spend 1200 on an Uppababy, sell it for 650 3 years later. You've basically spent $700 to use it for 3 years. Vs spending 500 for a Graco that you can't give away after. The Uppababy will be a vastly more enjoyable experience for ultimately a little more money at the end.

[320icar]

Yeah I try to tell everyone who is expecting to HEAVILY lean on ikea and Facebook marketplace and family for used stuff.

Maybe buy your baby seat new, but everything else can be had second hand for Pennie’s on the dollar. Crib/bed conversion from ikea, ikea dresser with change pad (no need for a separate change table). Diaper bags, clothes, shoes, toys, wagons, slides, hats, god damn near EVERYTHING can be found on Facebook marketplace for 10% of what it cost new.

If you have the money to waste, then by all means keep our economy running. But when I see people dropping stacks on baby stuff I just can’t believe it

[AzNightmare]

Originally Posted by 320icar

Okay let’s get one thing straight. These people are talking about huge first world problems. Everyone around the world raises children in all kinds of conditions, and soooooooo many do it without the luxury of any car.

I have either my focus hatch or the Subaru hatch. Either one swallows a dog, baby seat, stroller, diaper bags etc with easy. The only thing you give up is front passenger leg room, especially when you go forward facing and your kid starts kicking the seats.

My wife has the Ford Flex. It’s super roomy and fantastic, you can haul sooo much. Sure makes beach trips or weekend getaways easier, but in no way shape or form is having a van, SUV, wagon etc a necessity. I would say hatch > sedan though

My friends told me their wives basically never sit in the front passenger seat anymore once they had a baby. I was joking that I might as well remove the front seat so we get a bit of extra storage space then... lol

Originally Posted by underscore

Personally I think it's nuts to drop a grand on a stroller that they'll only use for a year but that's just me. If you have the means and desire then obviously go for it but don't feel like you have to spend that much if it's not in your budget.

My brain is hurting from all the research I've been trying to do.
I also read getting a pram is good for the first 6 months so the baby can lie down flat. But then after, you need to get a stroller where the baby can sit upright... damn, that's a lot of money. Is a pram really necessary?

Originally Posted by EvoFire

We have the Keyfit30 as well, we found an adapter to go with our V1 Vista which is great. But we are finding that less strollers are making adapters.

The other thing with the Keyfit30 we found was that it was on the larger side of things.

How's the Keyfit30 if I put it in the middle seat? Would it fit ok in a Mazda3 hatch? I happen to know a relative that's willing to give their keyfit30 to me since their kid outgrew it now. I was looking at the clek liing, but if I can get a car seat for free instead, hard to pass up that offer. I still need to look up a list of strollers that are compatible with it though.

[Tapioca]

Originally Posted by 320icar

If you have the money to waste, then by all means keep our economy running. But when I see people dropping stacks on baby stuff I just can’t believe it

I think baby seats are unfortunately an item that has to be bought new if you want a guarantee that it has never been in an accident. With that said, yes, far too many new parents drop money unnecessarily on things that can be bought used or not needed at all.

Originally Posted by AzNightmare

My friends told me their wives basically never sit in the front passenger seat anymore once they had a baby. I was joking that I might as well remove the front seat so we get a bit of extra storage space then... lol

My wife never sat with our kids in the back, but different strokes for different folks.

Originally Posted by AzNightmare

My brain is hurting from all the research I've been trying to do.
I also read getting a pram is good for the first 6 months so the baby can lie down flat. But then after, you need to get a stroller where the baby can sit upright... damn, that's a lot of money. Is a pram really necessary?

Prams are not necessary. Our kids, who are 5 and 7 now, are not feeling the effects of having slept in infant seats when they were babies. But, slick marketing is a thing for new parents.

For strollers, I would recommend the Baby Jogger series. 7 years ago, I found UppaBaby overpriced and unwieldy (earlier models were not as easy to fold as they are today), so our first stroller was a new Baby Jogger City Mini GT that I picked up for less than $300. I sold it a couple of years later for a couple hundred bucks and picked up a used City Select for two kids. We then moved onto umbrella strollers and we had Maclaren that I picked up used for a couple of years.

Now, I take my girls for rides in my old BMW convertible, which would probably scare the crap out of a lot of moms. Reading this thread makes me feel that my kids are the modern-day latchkey kids with parents who don't care.

[hud 91gt]

We have a newborn and my wife went all out on spending all our money. We have the Clek car seat with the “load leg.” Proven to actually be more safe. Ok I can handle that.

Uppababy Vista V2 stroller. Crazy how stupid expensive these are… but you move from the baby stores and you can buy a Grace for 1/4 the price…. But the vista is nice.
Super easy to fold up. The bassinet has been super handy thus far, and haven’t needed a
one for our room.

My wife spent more time researching baby shit, then scientists researching HIV. We have everything and use about 10% thus far. But this kid was expensive before he was even born, so… meh… been staying at our in-laws which means our expenses have gone way down the last month. Lol.

[underscore]

Originally Posted by AzNightmare

My brain is hurting from all the research I've been trying to do.
I also read getting a pram is good for the first 6 months so the baby can lie down flat. But then after, you need to get a stroller where the baby can sit upright... damn, that's a lot of money. Is a pram really necessary?

I don't know anybody who has ever had a pram so I'm gonna say you don't need one lol.

[Bonka]

Expensive strollers are worth it if you get daily use out of them to fully appreciate the differences over cheaper units as there is a difference, especially if you don't own a car. Most supplement with their SUVs with only occasional use so I'm not sure if a $1,000 stroller makes sense.

Strong re-sale value on these premium strollers always comes up but honestly selling used baby items is a pain in the ass.

Originally Posted by AzNightmare

How's the Keyfit30 if I put it in the middle seat? Would it fit ok in a Mazda3 hatch? I happen to know a relative that's willing to give their keyfit30 to me since their kid outgrew it now. I was looking at the clek liing, but if I can get a car seat for free instead, hard to pass up that offer. I still need to look up a list of strollers that are compatible with it though.

Middle seat is fine, on top of that I think the Chicco is still one of the smaller car seats on the market.

The Baby Jogger City Mini GT might be a good choice to pair with because it folds down pretty compact and quite smooth to use. My wife is short and she had no issues folding/unfolding it.

[Mikoyan]

Yeah, you don't need a pram. We got one 2nd hand passed down to us that worked with our city select stroller. Used it a handful of times if that, with 2 kids. I sold it with the double stroller.

[RiceIntegraRS]

Prams(i assume its those baby seats that lay flat on the stroller) are useful if ur wife is the type to be always out and about on foot where she cant get to a place where the baby needs to sleep. My wife used it a few times with our first child, never used it with our 2nd cause she just found life alot easier at home where the baby can just sleep in her crib.

My wife basically has never sat in the back seat with our kids.

As for strollers, at 1 point we had 5 strollers in my garage. Now we have 3 cause apparently my wife says we need it....... A Double Stroller, a Jogging Stroller and a small compact stroller.

[supafamous]

Originally Posted by AzNightmare

Feeling kind of stressed hearing you guys talk about how cramped your SUV's are.

The biggest car I have is a Mazda3 hatch, and honestly, not looking to upgrade any time soon, nor do I have the money to.

First baby is coming at the end of the year...

My BIL handled their first kid in an Audi A4 (B5) - I can't imagine it was easy but he made it work and never complained about it so a Mazda 3 hatch will do the trick. I started with a TSX and it was fine too. If you don't plan on doing a lot of travelling in the first year or two then most any car will work.

It's that first trip out of town where you need to pack the play yard, bouncer, stroller, you name it that causes pain.

Over time it gets better - when I was 5 my parents packed me and my brother into our 1982 3 door Mazda GLC and drove all the way to Tijuana where I got diarrhea from the Denny's fried chicken. We stopped at Disneyland and Sea World so it was all good. If they can do that in a GLC you'll be fine with whatever you've got.

[!Aznboi128]

Don't bother with a pram, you won't need it.

When looking at strollers look for things you actually need. Do you like to walk a lot? If so is it malls vs outdoors. Outdoor strollers generally have bigger wheels for smoother ride but also makes it harder to fold. If all you do is go around malls, a compact stroller like my Yoyo is perfect. You can adapt a infant seat on top and when it's time to ditch it it just converts to a standard forward facing stroller.

Points made above: Never buy used car seats, you just never know if they've been in a crash or what's done with it. This is huge it could affect the integrity of the seat.

Buying used strollers is certainly the way to go, we got ours off Facebook marketplace at half the cost of retail.

Uppababy Cruz vs Vista. Vista gives you the option of having the 2nd child there easier than cruz and it comes with a bassinet. Bassinet would be good if you're doubling as the infant's sleeper but you'll need to buy a base for it. A standalone bassinet would be cheaper than finding a Vista.

[supafamous]

re: Strollers, once you're past the first year with the jumbo strollers I would recommend a look at the Uppababy Minu which is a nice mix of small and large stroller. Fits in overhead compartments but has more capacity than most small strollers but is way smaller than the typical jumbo strollers.

We're not outdoorsy so the small wheels don't affect us at all.

[Eff-1]

Do what your wife wants. Especially if she is going to be doing most of the childcare during the first year while on parental leave.

If she needs a bigger car because she's the one loading the kid in and out and going to the grocery store, do it.

If she wants a higher end stroller because she's using it mostly, do it.

Just do what she wants. This is the way.

(For the record it was me who wanted the high end stroller. I'll never buy a high end new car so I was happy to buy a high end new stroller. It was fun researching and testing the Bugaboo vs Uppababy vs Nuna, etc. I enjoy pushing it around. No regrets.)

[!Aznboi128]

It's really easy to get influenced by the people around you, I know the Olympic village area most families there run off higher-end strollers and it's almost like you have to fit in.

[inv4zn]

Originally Posted by Eff-1

Do what your wife wants.

I see you've mastered the whole new dad thing

How's the little one? I think you're the latest dad here?

[Eff-1]

Originally Posted by !Aznboi128

It's really easy to get influenced by the people around you, I know the Olympic village area most families there run off higher-end strollers and it's almost like you have to fit in.

Everyone in downtown and the north shore seems to rock the Uppababy stroller and that was actually one of the reasons why I didn't want it, so we could have a bit of style. We went with Bugaboo instead and it was a bit more money but we are very happy with it.

The Bugaboo came with a bassinet and a lot of people here said it's not needed but we use ours all the time. Yes it's a bit of pain to load the stroller and bassinet into the trunk, but the bassinet collapses completely flat if space is limited.

We stick to the "2 hour rule" of keeping him in the car seat, so if we know we'll be out longer than that, we bring the bassinet with us.

[Eff-1]

Originally Posted by inv4zn

I see you've mastered the whole new dad thing

How's the little one? I think you're the latest dad here?

Thanks for asking, so far he's doing pretty good!

He is 3.5 months old now and sleeps 8 hours straight every night. So that's been a massive boost to our morale. He's growing like a weed and seems fairly chill as far as babies go (with the exception of a meltdown here and there).

We've done a couple road trips within the province, including a ferry, and I'd say those were the most stressful for us as a couple, but we made it work and made up afterwards lol. But it made things very clear to me that there is no way we are ever getting on a plane anytime soon. I also learned that vacations aren't really vacations anymore, oh well.

[Tapioca]

Originally Posted by Eff-1

Everyone in downtown and the north shore seems to rock the Uppababy stroller and that was actually one of the reasons why I didn't want it, so we could have a bit of style. We went with Bugaboo instead and it was a bit more money but we are very happy with it.

It seems that things haven't changed in the 7 years I've been a parent. The UppaBaby Vista was the de-rigeur status symbol of new parents in the mid-2010s, even in the suburbs.

Are the really uppity parents still using Stokke strollers? I haven't seen those in a while.

[EvoFire]

So I think it's safe to announce it to my fellow dads.

We are expecting a 2nd one in Jan.

We are fucked.

[EvoFire]

Originally Posted by Tapioca

It seems that things haven't changed in the 7 years I've been a parent. The UppaBaby Vista was the de-rigeur status symbol of new parents in the mid-2010s, even in the suburbs.

Are the really uppity parents still using Stokke strollers? I haven't seen those in a while.

I found the Stokke strollers to be expensive for what they were. Just looked cool.

We were looking at getting a Minu V2 that's coming out, but I think that's not happening anymore. The interest rates are going up much faster than we anticipated and we have to strap down and cut spending as we look forward to the little one coming and losing 1/3 of our income.

[320icar]

Originally Posted by Eff-1

it made things very clear to me that there is no way we are ever getting on a plane anytime soon. I also learned that vacations aren't really vacations anymore, oh well.

Nail on the head right here. Around the same time as you I brought the wife and baby to VIMC. It went really smooth so we were lucky, and some interior trips were just fine. Plan extra stops for breast feeding but otherwise he’s been great in the car.

Took him camping when he was a year and a half. Hooooooly fuck that was brutal. Did not enjoy… he was running around, didn’t want to nap, didn’t want to be held, didn’t want to be in his high chair etc.. we’ll go again this year at 2.5yo, hopefully better

[Traum]

Originally Posted by EvoFire

So I think it's safe to announce it to my fellow dads.

We are expecting a 2nd one in Jan.

We are fucked.

Originally Posted by EvoFire

We were looking at getting a Minu V2 that's coming out, but I think that's not happening anymore. The interest rates are going up much faster than we anticipated and we have to strap down and cut spending as we look forward to the little one coming and losing 1/3 of our income.

Congrats and hang in there.

Personally, I'd say the getting-no-sleep part would be more difficult to handle than the losing-1/3-of-your-income part.

But honestly, congrats and hang in there.

[EvoFire]

Originally Posted by Traum

Congrats and hang in there.

Personally, I'd say the getting-no-sleep part would be more difficult to handle than the losing-1/3-of-your-income part.

But honestly, congrats and hang in there.

I get 100% top up from work so I'll exercise the full 9 weeks off at the beginning.

I just called my mortgage broker. He said don't worry about the trigger rate as long as you are somewhat up to date with payments. Implied that they have bigger fish to fry.