In my home, there is one thing I really like to see: multifunctionality! In all things. It comes from dwelling in small spaces and living minimally. I lived with less in order to cope with tight quarters. A tactic I’ve developed is choosing flexible furniture that is neutral, easy to move (aka light!), and multipurpose. The latter reduces waste, making our lifestyle eco-conscious as well. So when I originally partnered with Baby Bay to try their bassinet for the first three months of Casey’s life, I intentionally had plans for repurposing the bassinet into something other. Mind you, I’ve shuffled through a few renditions so far, and will continue to go down the list in due time. Here are my top ten creative ways to repurpose a Baby Bay bassinet, should you wish to get bang from your buck, prevent waste, et cetera.
A changing station. We didn’t buy Casey a changing station when he was born. Whilst he was using Baby Bay as a bassinet, I was changing him on a Dock-A-Tot perched on my desk or bed. After we transitioned him to a crib, the Baby Bay acted as the new changing station. The Dock-A-Tot fits perfectly in the Baby Bay bassinet. It creates a cushion for baby. I felt he was safe in there as the wheels locked.
A toy bin. Often we used the Baby Bay as a stuffed animal bin. It works as a great catch-all basket which we wheel into the closet. Sometimes, you just want to clear the floor before guests arrive, you know? And PRONTO.
A bench for a toddler. Because you can lower the bassinet down height-wise, it can double as a mini bench for a child. You just have to remove the railing so they can sit. Add a few decorative pillows for comfort, and voila!
A desk for a little kid. This is the same set-up as number three with a few minor adjustments. Throw a tiny chair or stool underneath the bassinet and remove the cushion for a make-shift table.
A cat bed. Our cat Theo loves to jump into the Baby Bay bassinet. It’s a safe space to sleep, away from a toddler. You can wheel the bassinet by a windowsill, where cats tend to watch birds or bask in the sun. It’ll be their new favorite spot!
A hamper or laundry basket. I can wheel the Baby Bay to the dryer and toss the laundry in. Then I can wheel the clothes back to the nursery. No stray clothes falling out of my arms as I walk down the hallway. And I avoid heavy-lifting after my C-section! More importantly, now I can fold laundry while Casey plays in his room. It’s hard to get anything done with a toddler if you’re confined within a space.
A bar cart. If you remove the cushion, the bassinet base makes a great bar cart! Keep the railing or remove it. When guests visit, you can easily bring the cart to the dining table or the living room.
A bookshelf. If you want to practice early independence, you can use the Baby Bay bassinet as a bookshelf for your toddler. They can walk right up and choose the books they want to read, or practice putting them away.
An planter box. I can see the Baby Bay bassinet as a beautiful herb garden. Remove the cushion and place plants and pots on the base. It would be easy to water plants here, and you can always wheel it to where the sunlight is just right.
An entryway table. Lastly, the Baby Bay bassinet can be an entryway table. Style with a Courant Catch 3 charger for your keys, wallet and phone. Or stack a few books, a candle and plant on the top of the bassinet. Underneath the bassinet, you can line up guests’ shoes.
Since Casey was born, I’ve resisted turning our downstairs living space into something that indicated we had children. I wanted my house to be like a tranquil model home, minimally idyllic and presentable at all times. Alas, toddler things just find their way downstairs. At first we limited it to an esthetichigh-chair and the most gorgeous wooden walker. We kept his toys stored in a basket, picking up after him daily. It was sort of working out. But after an unrelenting summer, we could no longer deny the addition of a massive playpen. This was probably the biggest “I-give-up” moment in my delusional era of motherhood. STILL, if I had to add a playpen, I wanted the most esthetic toddler playpen I could find. I acquiesce to safety and taking up room but perhaps not entirely my esthetic standards. Thankfully, I found a solution using a Harppababy play pen and a House of Noa playmat. I love the end result and I can’t believe I didn’t find this sooner.
Our Esthetic Toddler Playpen
When I found the Harppababy gate on Amazon, I immediately fell in love.
The Harppababy gate is made of FSC-certified sustainably sourced New Zealand pine with barely any glue in it. It emits the Japandi esthetic reflected in our current space. The gate offers versatility as it configures to multiple layouts and sizes with ease, thereby making it a perfect option for both tiny homes and large spaces. When it arrived, Mike only took a half hour to assemble it without any tools required. And can you believe it’s foldable as well? We plan to take it on a weekend get-away to Santa Barbara next month.
The Harppababy gate is extremely light and easy to move around. It is multi-functional, doubling for a Montessori floor bed or as a play space in the backyard. Or it can also act as a space for time-out for young kids who misbehave. Plus it can keep toddlers away from newborns, kids away from messes that need to be cleaned up, or pets away from children. Designed with the modern family in mind, the Harppababy gate can accommodate children from 6 months to 6 years old.
The Harpppababy gate is also very safe. Suction cups at the base that prevent it from moving. The bars as safely spaced and the pine wood is “chew-friendly” (not that I condone any sort of wood-chewing activities). Lastly, the gate includes a swing door with child locks above and below the door.
A Matching Playmat
Once I chose our playpen, I still had to find a playmat to match. The floors in our downstairs living space are tile. Casey has taken off with a soccer ball in the house and tripped over it. He is a strong and fast toddler, which means his falls also come strong and fast. A chipped tooth and multiple bruises later, and here we are having this conversation about safety and containment – a conversation I never thought I would have. Did I mention I was delusional? But I knew straight-away that the playmat I wanted was going to be from House of Noa.
I already owned a kitchen standing mat from House of Noa in the Emile print and the Latte color. Their playmats, tumbling mats, and kitchen mats have gorgeously simple prints in neutral colors. Our kitchen mat is one of my favorite items so I knew I would love their playmat too. To add the element of cohesiveness between the living room and kitchen, baby stuff and adult stuff, I chose the matching print and color for his playmat. House of Noa’s playmats are spill-proof and wipeable so now his play area is easy to clean. I also wanted something that was easy to disassemble or move and this playmat is light as a feather.
An added bonus is that it’s just as versatile as the Harppababy gate. The square pieces of the mat are like puzzle pieces that fit into each other, making the shape of the mat versatile. I went with the playmat over the tumbling mat simply because the latter was thick and bulky – aka not-pretty-to-look-at. And Casey does front-forward tumbles on the playmat anyway, so the thicker padding isn’t necessary for safety.
After Adding An Esthetic Toddler Playpen to Our Living Room…
I seriously cannot believe it took me this long. What other moms so lovingly call “baby-jail” is probably one of the best investments I could have made for Casey’s development and safety. Even my mom consents to the fact that Casey is an overly active toddler. Since the day he was born, the nurses marveled at his muscle tone. Boy moms, you know. Now that I have this in my living room, I love watching him zoom and do front flips all day. He essentially has the living room to himself. So much for not letting the kids take over…
How My Esthetic Toddler Playpen Improved My Daily Life
I can do chores downstairs unhindered.
I can sit down at the coffee table and actually sip a nice hot cup of coffee.
I can read on the couch while he plays right in front of me.
I’ve regained my ability to work on my writing while he plays.
I don’t have to chase him around the house. He is exactly where I want him to be.
I don’t have to worry about him ruining the nicer things in our home or dirtying the white couch.
Sometimes he wants me to sit in the playpen with him, which is totally fine. But as long as he can see me, he doesn’t usually mind what I do.
He gets less frustrated because I am not keeping him away from all the things he wants to do.
Ultimately, I am more at peace knowing he is in a safe space.
For all the mums out there desperately hoping to keep their beautiful homes, I have to say that I didn’t feel like I sacrificed my esthetic by adding this toddler playpen. It’s all about finding balance. I still enter my living space after a long day of work and feel zen. This neutrally esthetic toddler playpen fits nicely into my beige-home esthetic. And when we host guests without kids, I can easily fold up both the gate and the playmat and store the pieces in the shoe closet. Voila! What child??
The mom never really outgrows the delusion does she? 🙂
Do yourself a favor. When preparing for your baby’s nursery or registry, skip the toys. I know this is coming from a minimalist, and you may think it’s an extreme ask, but hear me out. First off, the toys will come. It’s inevitable. Someone in your family or friend group is going to gift you the toys you asked them not to. That’s okay. Your child WILL have toys. So don’t bother adding it to the registry (or worse, buy them yourself.) Because your child doesn’t need a LOT of toys to be entertained.
In fact, if my son Casey had zero toys, he would be plenty entertained in our house! Most of the time, he would rather finagle with a set of keys rather than revisit his close-ended toys. At one years old, he can’t tell the difference between a toy and a random household object. He is equally entertained by both, and learns something new anyway. If you want to stay frugal and raise a child, you absolutely can. I made a list of all the baby stuff we did not buy here in case you want to check it out. Not buying toys will not deprive your child of their childhood. Childhood is within them, no matter what.
After living a life without a lot of toys, I have seen how this decision has helped our son develop at an advanced level. My problem with most toys on the market is that they insinuate a form of guided play. But by tinkering with what’s available around our house, Casey has learned to use imaginative and creative play. He also has learned to be entertained by things other than light-up triggers and sounds. And lastly, I do worry that these colorful, light-up and sounding machines are instilling a sense of immediate gratification and overstimulation that makes kids less able to cope with patience or hinders the development of grit. Plus the fact that it keeps them indoors way too much.
Anyway, here is a list of household items my child plays with instead of toys.
The On-Going List of Household Items Your Child Plays with Instead of Toys
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.
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.
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.
Yes, I opened a High Yield Savings Account with Marcus for my 9 month old baby. I am a big proponent of HYSAs, as they are a great way to save money that you don’t want to risk losing. HYSA’s have a high interest rate (with my referral to Marcus you can get 5.5% APY at this time!), earning you 550X more than what you would get at a traditional bank’s savings account. Our HYSA account makes us decent passive income. Unlike stocks, the HYSA has a guaranteed rate of return every month. And we don’t feel any risk with losing our savings. If you want to learn more about High Yield Savings Accounts, check out this post I wrote.
Why did I open a HYSA for my Infant Baby?
My son is 9 months old. So why did I open a HYSA for my Infant Baby? Recently, my son received two monetary gifts. The first was from his aunt, who wanted to start a tradition of gifting him $50 for Christmas so that he could save money for a Euro Trip when he turned 18 years old. The second gift was from two friends of ours, who gave him small cash for Chinese New Year. Which got me to thinking, how should I best guard his money?
I’ve decided that I wanted to keep his gifts separate from our accounts, because keeping track of that can be a nightmare. I also figured, even though investing his gifts in stocks will give a higher rate of return in the long-run, I did not want to risk losing money in his portfolio. With stock volatility, it would be unfortunate if, at the time he turned 18 years old, the market should choose to plummet. Because my sister-in-law’s wish was to fund a Euro trip before college, I knew that it was time-dependent. Lastly, I knew that a regular savings account at a bank would yield 1/500 of what a Marcus HYSA would. So that is why I chose to store his monetary gifts in a HYSA account.
How to open a HYSA Account for an Infant Baby?
So, you can’t really open an account for an infant baby alone. However, you can open a separate account under your name and make your infant the beneficiary. At 18 years old, you can also switch your account to a joint account so your child can access the funds. It was easy to open an account. I just did it online, and if you want to take advantage of the extra 1% APY for the first three months, you can sign up using my referral link here. Now that it’s all set up, it’s a matter of depositing his monetary gifts into my Chase Personal Checking Account and then sending it to his Marcus account.
(PS: It is imperative that you name your child and husband the beneficiary to ALL your accounts if that is what you wish in the event that you pass. In some states, your assets do not always transfer to your spouse or child automatically. Some states will deem your parents next of kin, so make sure your assets have the correct beneficiaries tied to them.)
To summarize, a HYSA is a great tool for your infant baby’s savings because:
There is no risk of losing the money.
It earns 500X the interest of a traditional bank’s savings account.
The money will automatically go to the beneficiary you named shall something happen to you.
At 18 years old, he can have access to his money.
It is easy to use.
I can keep track of his gifted money without confusing it with our own money.
The responsibility of managing our children’s environment lands on us parents. As minimalist versions of that, we have the extra challenge of defending our value of owning less stuff in a consumerist world. This becomes difficult as the holidays approach, wherein gifts are a core part of the tradition.
A previous version of myself would have ousted the people in my life who didn’t coincide with my beliefs in the name of “boundaries”, but I have thankfully grown since and learned that while I can control myself and my surroundings, I should never control people. Instead, I have learned that overluxuriance has a place in my minimalist world thanks to the magic of acceptance and love.
Still, my body is tingling with anxiety as I see the number of presents under the tree after ONE family gathering. (Three more to go). As I stare at our tree thinking, “How did it come to this?”, I take a deep breath. I smile, remembering the number of hands that held Casey at out recent get together. He is loved. That’s really what matters. Letting go of control, I move on.
So how does a minimalist manage holiday gifts for infants and kids?
Manage expectations. It is best to have a conversation around gift-giving early. In the past, I wrote a no gifting letter. It was one of the best letters I ever sent because it set up the precedent for our family. You may be surprised at the number of people who welcome non-gifting as a new tradition! However, don’t be offended by those who resist. Remember that for some, gifts are a love language. And to take that away from them wouldn’t be fair either.
Limit the gifts opened. At this age, you can control the number of gifts that your infant child opens. Grandma and Grandpa may be excited to see your baby grasp at wrapping paper. But they don’t have to open all their gifts in front of everyone. I mean, imagine how long that takes? A great way to reframe for others is to say that you value spending quality time with the family over gifts.
Do not hype up the act of gift-opening. Instead of expressing extreme excitement over gifts, talk about them in a calm manner. Instead of counting down the days until we open presents, celebrate the season with an advent calendar. Lastly, rather than keeping the presents under the tree since Thanksgiving, maybe set them out a week or two before the holiday.
Put away some toys for a rainy day. We got this advice from Mike’s mom. She used to hold back some of the kid’s toys, and then whip them out throughout the year as they get bored of their current ones. “It was a way of prolonging the season, and adding joy to throughout the entire year.”
Be the guardian. Select which to keep. At the end of the day, they are still infants. The reality is that they won’t remember or understand what gift-opening is. Your decision making skills come in handy since, ultimately, you decide.
It bears repeating that we are the guardians of our homes. We control the influx of stuff that goes in them. Not that the goal of minimalism is to have the least amount possible. But, the art of knowing what is just right is an applaudable pursuit. In a world of excess, it is up to us to teach Baby Bear when things are just right.
I thought I would be the type of mum who would never hire a nanny. And here I am, sharing interview questions for one. Obviously, I have changed my mind. Why, you ask? Simply because hiring help will give me the time to do high-level management that gets ignored when 100% of my time is spent working on simple tasks. I have come to realize that a nanny will not only improve Casey’s upbringing, it will also facilitate the planning and organization needed to allow our family to thrive in the long-run. It is a no-brainer investment in our future. Before I share my interview questions, let me first share with you how it has been, and where I am at. If you wish, you can skip the jargon and go straight to the questions as the bottom of this post.
How It Has Been
Up until now, Mike and I have been raising Casey with the help of his grandparents and making do. I stay home Mondays and Thursdays and Mike works from home Tuesdays and Fridays. We’ve offset our Wednesdays so that he goes in at 7am and I go in at 11am, thereby leaving Casey alone with the grandparents for only half a day. I also go in for a half-day on Saturdays when Mikey is at home. Sunday is the only day all three of us are home together. In my head, this made the perfect workweek. I work a total of 3.5 days thereby leaving me with 3.5 days to be a mother. Although it has been working out so far, it’s not ideal.
You see, I am essentially working 100% of the time. Even though I am at home, I am still working. The only difference is that I wasn’t getting paid to do it. Parenthood isn’t a break from work, and this schedule left us longing for a bit of us-time and me-time. Without that space to be by ourselves, we were not recharging. I lost my flow, and thereby my way. I stopped doing the important work, which for me included writing, reading, and exercising.
At the same time, my standard of basic necessities were not being met. That’s what happens when you are taking care of a little human. Simple things such as brushing my teeth in the morning, cleaning the house, and even (gasp!) budgeting and bills were neglected. Yes. Brushing my teeth!!! WHO EVEN AM I??
I was spending too much of my time “working”, and I wasn’t doing high-level stuff like planning and organizing. We were spending more money on groceries because I didn’t have a list. We were paying for stuff out of convenience and to save time (mostly because I just forgot). I had to hire a cleaner not because I disliked cleaning, but where was the time? Essentially, the extra money I was making, I was burning through because there was no space or mental energy left to make better decisions. The truth was, I was more tired when I stayed at home than when I went into work. In fact, I cherished the days I worked. I got to “take a break”.
Where I Am At
For a long time, I thought that paying for a nanny was a waste of money. “We could do it,” I thought. This was mostly fueled by culture bias. I was taught by my parents that it is our job to raise our own children. My mom was a stay-at-home mom after all. And while I did not want to part with my work (keeping identity is a core value of mine), I still felt pressure to be 100% caregiver when I wasn’t at work. This was before I realized being at home was ridiculously more work than work itself. There came a point where I felt rock-bottom, exhausted, tired, over-stretched and under-performing in all areas of life. I needed space to regroup.
Now I realize that hiring part-time help allows for high-level activity such as recharging myself, optimizing cash flow, investing time and resources, and providing a healthy and happy home. I could budget again, plan for expenses, and even create fun activities for my focused and dedicated time to Casey. I am a firm believer in taking care of yourself so you can care for others.
Still, I wanted Casey to grow up with us around at all times. This is why we chose a part-time nanny over daycare. So we maintain our presence by having one parent home every day except Wednesday. We can always join in on the activities during the day if we want to. At the same time, we can focus on other tasks while she is here. The point is, we have options. And we are still around. But we have more time. Or at least, the time is more focused. Because we don’t have to deal with the little things like washing bottles, tidying the room, organizing his dresser, and folding laundry – I can plan for awake time activities, learn about starting solids, and research interactive baby products while he is asleep. Then when he is awake, I can still be with him.
In addition, we realized that grandparents should be grandparents, not caretakers. They should enjoy their grandchildren, having already put in the work when they were young. They shouldn’t carry the responsibility of child-rearing. This and for other reasons, we’ve decided to hire a part-time nanny. And we found one who is just like family! For those who are also looking, I am sharing the interview questions I gathered, in true fashion.
Interview Questions for a Nanny
Development
What do you think a baby this age needs most?
Do you believe baby and toddlers should be disciplined if at all? How?
What developmental play do you recommend for kids this age?
Do you use a lot of toys to play with your kids? If not, what are alternate activities?
How would you teach a baby to crawl?
Have you had experience with special needs kids? What are ways in which you’ve helped them grow?
Structure
How do you see yourself spending the day with a baby this age?
Are you good at sticking to schedules?
What will you do during baby’s nap time?
Tell me about how you would spend your ideal day with a baby this age. Be specific on activities you like to do with baby. We like to make a routine that works for you and baby.
When the baby starts getting more active/getting into everything, how will you handle it?
Are you a punctual person?
Skills
Are you open to doing household chores and light cleaning while the baby is asleep?
Are you certified in Baby CPR and First Aid Training?
What is your experience with starting solids?
How would you approach sleep training?
Can you speak another language? Are you willing to speak to our child in only that language?
How many kids did you watch at your last job?
Do you know sign language?
Personal
Do you have children of your own? Will they interfere with work?
How will you give feedback to me? How are you with receiving honest feedback yourself? Open communication is key.
Would you describe yourself as neat/organized or a bit messy?
Are you physically fit to chase a toddler around? Are you in good health? When was your last medical exam and appropriate vaccinations?
Is your schedule flexible?
How much vacation do you generally take per year? Are there any coming up?
Are you willing to travel with us for vacation and how do you wish to be compensated during travel?
Are you generally comfortable with asking for help?
How will you set boundaries around family and grandparents who may want to dictate what happens with baby?
Do you feel comfortable taking charge of stressful situations?
Is your caring for baby more grandmotherly or more about raising an independent child?
What questions do you have for me?
I know some of these appear blunt, but in general I am usually upfront at the get-go. Watch out for red flags. Uncertainty or hesitation could indicate they are holding back. At the same time, have grace. Some of these nannies shine in performance, but may not interview well. Their expertise lies in dealing with children and babies, not necessarily adults. I always recommend a trial run prior to signing a contract. At the end of the day, go with your gut feeling. Interviews are merely an opportunity for you to get a feel for this person, who will essentially be an extension of your child’s family. Make sure it feels right. For our nanny interview, we knew right away!
A fellow mom-traveler once told me that six months was the best time to travel with an infant. This was after I had voiced to her my fear of giving up our favorite hobby (traveling to international countries) when I found out I was pregnant with Casey. When Japan reopened to the rest of the world Fall 2022, I knew that we had to go. Japan has been a bucket list destination for Mike and I for YEARS. We literally had plane tickets March of 2020. For three years, my biggest regret was not getting on that plane. So we decided to book a trip and I am so glad we did! These are my thoughts, tips, and gripes with traveling with a 6-month-old infant. The trip, by the way, was nothing short of amazing.
What Age Is Best for Traveling with Infants?
My mom-friend recommended six months but we booked our flight at 5.5 months. Why? Because we wanted to fly to Japan before starting solids at six months. It made meal-times with our little one easier, as he was 100% fed on baby formula, and we didn’t have to worry about exotic foods and microbacteria from another country causing sickness during our trip.
However, if I could have a re-do, I would choose to travel to Japan at 4 or 4.5 months because we set ourselves back with sleep-training. I felt like Casey was getting the hang of sleeping through the night around 4.5 months. Unfortunately with this trip, it took two weeks to set back his clock. At which point, Daylight Savings time occurred, so we are still adjusting.
Also, at 4.5 months, Casey was less energetic, mobile, talkative and demanding. At around 5.5 months, he could already voice his discontent, hunger, and tiredness with banshee shrieks and temper tantrums. We had to cater more to his desires. I think at 4.5 months, we would have to cater to his needs, but not so much his wants.
On the flip-side, I am SO happy we went to Japan at this age. Mike and I agreed that at 1 years old, we would have to worry about a toddler starting to walk (or run?) away from us. This would be a nightmare to manage with Japan’s heavy foot-traffic and metro crowds. And if he were a bit older still, we would have to deal with whining, complaining, and general resistance. Odds are a toddler would not be keen on hours of site seeing, miles of walking, and the general shopping and food scene. I could see Casey begging to go back to the hotel where there’s at least a pool! So next time we go to Japan, we already decided that Casey will be staying home with the grandparents.
What Items Did We Bring?
Let me start by saying that we brought way too much stuff. I heard that it was a bit difficult to secure baby items such as diapers and formula in Japan, so we decided to bring those with us. I was glad we did because we didn’t have to waste time trying to find these items on our trip. Since we travel much slower with a child in general, wasting time was not something we wanted to do. But for a ten day trip, I brought 100 diapers and 2 containers of Similac. We could have probably gotten away with 75 diapers (with enough to spare!) and 1.25 containers of formula.
We also brought an umbrella stroller. This was a great decision on our part. The umbrella stroller we had was this one and costs $40. It is lightweight at less than 5 pounds, which was useful for me. When we experienced rough terrain (aka cobblestone streets or temple hikes), we carried Casey and folded up the stroller. Mike carried Casey in a dual-facing carrier (another MUST!), while I lugged the stroller. It folds up into a slim profile and is similar to carrying an umbrella around! Plus it doubled as a staff when we were hiking up Fushimi Inari Shrine.
Mikey preferred to use the ErgoBaby Omni Carrier and I prefered to push the stroller. This worked out well, since we needed to do a lot of adjustments if we shared the same carrier. He is 6’3″ and I am 5’1″. There is one thing the carrier did better than the stroller! Casey loved to sleep in the carrier. The stroller was upright and uncomfortable for him to sleep in. The bumpy roads didn’t help either. So whenever it was nap-time, or when we wanted to stroll through a busy market, we popped Casey into the carrier and called it a day.
Other than that, we brought ten days worth of day-time and night-time outfits for Casey. In my opinion, we could have probably cut the night-time outfits in half and reused some of them, as he only really slept in them. We brought bibs, and socks. At this age, he could care less about shoes and accessories. And we brought three jackets, which was two too many in October. Japan was fairly warm during our entire stay, raining for only 2 of the 10 days.
How Was Transportation with an Infant in Japan?
In many ways, Japan was the perfect place to travel with an infant. Japan is one of the few countries where we do not have to bring a carseat or rent one out. Their public transportation system was simple, easy, and clean! We bought a Japan Rail Pass ahead of time, but to be honest, you can get by fine without one. One app that we downloaded that really helped was the SUICA app. It lets you direct transfer from your bank account funds to use for trains and metros.
There was a train every few minutes so you didn’t have to stress if you missed one. And they were reliably on time too! If you hop on a bus, no worries. They let you as long as your small infant is in a carrier. And if you are worried about crowded trains, I never once experienced the horrible videos that you see online. Part of that could be that October is not one of their peak seasons for visitors. Either way, I wouldn’t worry too much. Just avoid the peak hours if you do go during cherry blossom season!
What Are the Best Things To Do With An Infant?
There were definitely some things that were great activities for parents with infants, and others that were not. My favorites could be different from other moms, but I wanted to share them here. In general, the best activities involved being outdoors.
I loved walking through markets in Japan with Casey. There were many things to look at and he was enthralled by the lights and colors at the stands. We carried him in the carrier for the markets, so if he ever got tired, he would just fall asleep. When he got fussy, we would just point at an object in the stand and curiosity would get the better of him. He would stop fussing right away.
The same goes for temples. Because it was a lot of strolling through gardens and mini hikes outdoors, temples and shrine sight-seeing was wonderful. We avoided going inside the temples and shrines because it was fairly crowded and because indoor spaces got Casey riled up in general. We did not want to disturb the peace in the sacred spaces. But I greatly enjoyed seeing shrines and temples in Kyoto with Casey and Mike. Just like the markets, we carried him in the carrier for most of the time and he would fall asleep as he got tired.
As far as indoor activities go, one of my favorites was shopping. Japan has so many different stores to see. I had a blast just learning about their culture, seeing handcrafted items, and shopping at some of the most futuristic stores I have ever seen. We did not even BUY a ton of items or souvenirs, but walking around was enjoyable. For these adventures, Casey was mostly in a stroller. The best part about Japanese stores and temples was that they had many clean public restrooms specifically for infants, mothers, and handicapped persons. I never had an issue finding a place to change Casey’s diaper in these spaces.
What Were the Difficulties of Traveling Japan with an Infant?
In general, being in a restaurant in Japan was tough. The restaurants were typically small spaces, with counter seating or tiny booths. Some could only seat 8 people. Most of the time, the cooking is done directly behind the counter or at your table. Because of these facts, restaurants tended to be crowded, loud, and smoky. We hardly had a place to put the stroller, and the carrier was no good when we sat down and ate. So most of the time, we had to take turns holding and occupying Casey, who wanted to nab whatever was on the table.
This meant that sit-down meals were usually not that enjoyable. Our coffee dates also required us to be mindful of where Casey’s flailing arms and legs were. I much preferred to pick up food from a convenience store, at one of the train stations, or from a market. Eating standing up, outdoors, and on-the-go was a much more enjoyable experience for me than going to a restaurant. There WAS one evening where Mike and I were able to enjoy an omikase sushi meal for two. We hired a baby sitter and if I had known that that would’ve made dinners more pleasurable, I would have hired a sitter every night we were in Tokyo!
How Was It Hiring a Baby Sitter?
When I posted about hiring a baby sitter on Instagram, everyone and their mom wanted to know what that experience was like. Mostly, everyone was concerned about the safety of leaving Casey with a stranger at a hotel in a foreign country. But let me tell you, it was the best thing we did and I would 100% do it again next time.
Our hotel managed the booking of the nanny. We went to the concierge one morning and inquired. They reached out to a babysitting agency and found that none were available for that evening but one was available for the following night so we booked it. The minimum time was 2 hours of baby sitting. The price came out to $30 per hour. And if we went past 10pm, we had to pay a little extra for the sitter’s fare home (because it was pricier late at night to get a cab). Everything was paid for and managed through the hotel.
When the sitter arrived at the hotel, they called our room and asked to escort her upstairs. She came dressed up in a black dress, and promptly took off her shoes when she entered the room. She put on a white apron and slippers. And then she told us to have a great night, bowing until we were out the door.
Casey was easy to watch. His bed time was around 7pm. We had the sitter arrive at 8pm and went to dinner from 8-10pm. We stayed out a bit later, which the nanny did not mind. Casey did not wake up during the entire time she watched him. Which meant it was fairly easy for her, too! We felt comfortable and relaxed with her. Because it was through an official agency, and because the hotel concierge was aware of her presence, we just felt safe. Japan, in general, made us feel safe. I would 10/10 recommend doing this for young parents who want time to themselves.
In Conclusion
I hope this post was helpful for those who wish to travel to Japan with an infant but have reservations about doing so. I am so happy we did it as Japan was on our bucket list for a long time. It was a great trip. Of course, you have to be prepared for baby melt-downs and slowing down in general. But otherwise, go have fun!
