Casey is about to turn one year older this month. We are gearing up for his Formula One themed birthday party. Puns galore! One of the things I did was create a birthday registry which sounds crazy, unless you are unapologetically trying to curate your baby’s life. Time and again, I have been reminded by studies, books and podcasts that the less stuff you surround your baby with, the less problems. Less clean-up, less clutter, less over-stimulation, less instant-gratification, less materialism, less consumption, less spending, less work days …. more bonding, more imagination, more calm environments, more grit, more boredom (which is good for kids!), more experiences, more savings, more family time. So here we are. A One Year Old’s Birthday Registry, written by a neurotically minimalist mum.
This One Year Old’s Birthday Registry
Funds
First things first. I created funds for Casey’s future experiences. I got the idea from my sister-in-law who started a “Euro Trip Fund” over Christmas, for when Casey graduates high school. This is a great way to value people’s hard-earned dollars. They know their money is going somewhere valuable. In my mind, all of these options enrich Casey’s life.
- 529 College Savings Plan
- Disneyland
- Sweet Pea Gymnastics – which Casey has been going to for FREE for his entire year. My full list of FREE baby activities right this way.
- Swim Lessons
- Long Beach Aquarium Membership
- Local Farm Membership
- Zoo Membership
- Framed Photographs for the Home. Surrounding kids with pictures of themselves and their family has shown to increase confidence.
Stuff
And the material stuff. This section contains mostly household things. But it also includes things that support outdoor adventures, and confidence boosting activities.
- Piccalio Mini Chef Tower – We want Casey to start helping us in the kitchen, where Mike and I enjoy spending time. He is already interested in sticking around when we cook together. He helps pull the espresso machine lever, or push the grind button for the coffee grinder. He helps flip omelets and peeks in the oven to check for doneness of our baked goods.
- Matching Cutter and Cutting Board.
- Thule Yepp Mini Child Bike Seat and Riding Helmet. We love to bike outdoors at the local trails and biking paths. I want Casey to join us on bikes to the ocean this summer.
- Retrospec Cricket 2 Baby Walker Balance Bike. I am hoping this balance bike helps him get on his own bike at a younger age! We also have the Doona Trike which has been working out well!
- Deuter Kid Comfort Backpack. We want to go hiking with Casey but realize he will get tired well before a trail ends. This pack is mostly for mom and dad.
- Fox Mini Backpack with Safety Harness. Now that he is walking, I want him to carry his own stuff on trips and outings. This is to teach him independence as well as responsibility. The backpack comes with a leash, so we can keep him close in crowded airports and theme parks. I also want to train him to pack minimally so that everything fits in a small pack.
- Feelings Wheel Emotions Poster. Boys are not taught to express their emotions. Most of them can’t name more than a handful of adjectives to describe feelings. I want to hang this in his room so that he can improve his emotional IQ at an early age.
- BabyBjorn Toilet Trainer. We want to start potty training at one year old. This minimalist trainer goes directly on the toilet seat, saving real estate space and reducing the need to clean yet another thing.
- Swim Diapers, Swim Suits. He is a water baby. We plan to be at the pool or beach every single week this summer. That’s actually one of my goals!
- Clothes. Up to this point, we have gotten by without purchasing clothes or shoes for Casey, thanks to moms donating their hand-me-downs to us. (See also: FREE stuff we did not buy for our baby.) But now that he is older, he can use a few more clothes for the next stage.
- Oxo Tot Booster Seat. I hate to say it, but Casey is already outgrowing his high chair. If I had a do-0ver, I would opt for a stackable, wooden restaurant-style high chair for $50-75. I still might pull the trigger and trade his current high-chair for one of those. I don’t know if he is quite ready to sit at the big table, but we probably won’t have a choice at some point.
- Dining Sets, Utensils, Sippy Cups.
In case you wish to peruse the parenting books I’ve consumed in the last year, take a gander at My GoodReads List.
Photo by Julian Hochgesang on Unsplash
