Baby Outings and Minimalism « Back to Group Discussions

[cynthiamoon]

As a first time mom I've given into the idea that most people don't know what they really need until they get to know their particular babies and lifestyles. While this GREATLY reduced the stress of getting ONLY THE BEST stroller (ha!) it's made it hard to be a minimalist. Looking at our shopping list made me panic a little about getting out of the house.

I used to just keep my backpack ready to go, hop on a bike/bus and get about my business that way. Well, I already gave into getting a car since it's not like we're in NYC or anything, but I still can't wrap my head around going to the park or wherever with tons of gear. 

What do you actually take with you when running an errand, going for a walk, etc?  

I keep thinking of our 4th floor apt with no elevator and having to take 3 trips to get stroller and bags and whatever else up and down the stairs. Ugh. Makes me want to be a recluse. 

[Kamiro]

I am not a minimalist yet, but am headed in that direction on certain things. :)

For outings I take a baby carrier (use to be ring sling until I got the boba 3g which gives me completely hands free) and a backpack that has a few diapers, a pacifier (we use them), a flannel receiving blanket (use for shelter, nursing cover up, or worse case scenerio a huge washcloth on one corner)

Now that babe is about 9 mon. old I do take a couple toys - rattle and this under the nile green bean cloth toy she loves to chew on.

All of this can last me nearly all day if I change diapers every 2-3 hours.**

The more children I have had the smaller my 'diaper bag' has gotten.

**Not advocating timed diaper changes. Just so happens that babe doesn't need diaper changes every hour on the hour any more.

[cynthiamoon]

Does anyone else have any advice?

[erigeron]

We used to have a "short haul" and a "long haul" diaper bag. Eventually it basically ended up at: a couple of cloths, extra breast pads, enough diapers for how long we thought we'd be gone plus an extra, pack of wipes (I could never get into having just a few wipes in a plastic container, poop always seems to take a zillion wipes and I never know when one will strike, but some babies are really predictable poopers so I suppose some parents chance it), bag to put used diapers in (we use cloth), pacifier, and maybe a couple of toys. We rarely used a stroller in her first year but were never without the Mei Tai or Boba. I'd bring a blanket if we were going somewhere I thought I'd put her down on the floor, up until she got old enough to crawl off the blanket at which point I stopped bothering. We fit everything in a backpack easy with enough room for me to take my purse, book, or whatever. I think huge diaper bags encourage parents to pack their whole life in the bag. And parents who use bottles will legitimately need to bring more stuff. 

Now she is 20 months old and if we will be gone less than 3 hours I just take 1-2 diapers, pack of wipes, bag for used diapers, a water bottle for her, and a couple of toys if we are going some place that doesn't have toys and where we will be stuck for a while. We are well past the extra cloths and extra breast pads stage, but those things saved me so many times early on. Also we used to travel with a changing pad early on, but now I figure the odds of her peeing/pooping when the diaper is off are very low since she hasn't done so since she was a newborn. Unless we are going some place involving a lot of walking, like the zoo or the mall, I don't bring the Boba or stroller because she walks nicely for short distances now. At the grocery store she sits in the cart. 

If we're going for a walk at HER pace I don't pack anything at all because we never make it more than about a block away. If we were in the stroller and I was planning to walk at MY pace I'd probably bring the aforementioned items just in case. 

You will figure it out, I promise! We had our fiascos early on, but we got the hang of it.