My Best Piece of Advice for New Parents
What is the third thing everyone does immediately after you announce your first (or second, or third) pregnancy?
1. Scream “OMG! Congrats!”
2. Touch your barely-there belly, without asking
3. Offer you every piece of advice that pops into their head – whether they’re a parent or not
Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely fall victim to number one, sometimes with the addition of weepy eyes (depending on where I am in my cycle or the recency of my last Hallmark movie viewing). However, I really do try to stay away from numbers two and three. That said, if I know you IRL, and you’ve told me that you’re pregnant, there is a very high chance that I have offered you one specific piece of advice before that baby’s third month earthside.
Here it is: do NOT allow your baby/kid/tween to grow out of their clothes without a wardrobe full of clothes in the next size up, patiently waiting to be rotated in. Nothing stresses me out more than the idea of having a naked child running around because I didn’t plan ahead for his next growth spurt. Not only does this mindset allow for a little extra peace, but it’s also a great excuse to stalk your favorite retailer’s sale section. Nearly all of my son’s clothes have been purchased at least 6 months before he wears them and at a steal of anywhere from 60-90% off.
I do this in two ways. The first includes the aforementioned retailer stalking. My go-to is Old Navy. I generally find their full price children’s clothing to be more than I’d prefer to spend, but occasionally they will have storewide sales that include a certain percentage off the already knocked-down price – usually a 30-50% discount. This is how I score new clothes for my kid without breaking the bank. One of my last hauls consisted of 18 pieces (10 T-shirts, 1 button up, 7 pairs of shorts) and cost me $65, including tax. That’s a breakdown of $3.61 per item. My son currently wears a size 2T/3T (some 18m bottoms still) and I bought him sizes 3T-5T in that last order (size/item breakdown: 3T-6 items, 4T- 8 items, 5T-2 items, M-1 item… on accident).
The other way I build up my son’s closet, is by buying secondhand. I met another mom whose son is just under a year older than mine, and she’s been slowly passing me her son’s too-small clothes at a ridiculous steal. We’re talking Gap, Quicksilver, Oshkosh, Hurley, Carters, ect. at $.50-3 per piece. I’ve literally walked away with 50 items for $25. Plenty of moms clean out shop once their child outgrows their clothes – look for them on Facebook Marketplace or ask you friends. This not only saves you money and puts a little extra cash into someone else’s pocket, but it’s also such a green and responsible way to shop!
I’ve nearly completed my son’s 3T and 4T wardrobes at this point, and I can now bask in the serene glow of not having to worry about sending a naked toddler out into the world.
Where do you score the best deals for your kids? I’d love to know!