Are you a first-time parent, or do you remember what it was like when you became one? When my kids were born, they were the most precious things in the world to me. Like many new parents, I wanted to give them everything they needed—and probably more than they needed. Now that my kids are grown and in their twenties, I can look back with a different perspective. There are more than a few things I regret buying for my kids, even though they seemed like a good idea at the time.
Why We Buy So Much for Our Kids
Part of the reason parents buy so much is that our own childhood experiences can influence how we raise our children. We may want to give them things we didn’t have or protect them from experiences we didn’t enjoy ourselves.
That was especially true for my children’s dad. He grew up with very little, and he didn’t want our children to experience the same kind of childhood. He wanted them to have plenty of opportunities and never feel like they were missing out.
I also think there’s something very natural about wanting to make our children happy. When they get excited about something, it’s hard not to share that excitement with them. A new toy, a special outfit, or something they’ve been asking for can feel like a small way to show them how much we love them.
And when we can afford to give our children what they want, it can be easy to think, “Why not?”
6 Things I Regret Buying for My Kids
Looking back, there are several things I would buy much less of if I were raising my kids today. None of these things are necessarily bad to have, but we often had far more than we needed.
Here are the six purchases I regret buying the most.
1. Too Many Toys, Especially Trendy Toys
My kids had plenty of toys, and while some were played with often, others were exciting for a short time before being forgotten. Trendy toys were especially easy to accumulate because children can quickly move on to the next popular thing.
Some toys became favorites and were worth having. Others simply added to the growing pile without getting much use.
This is one of the things I regret buying for my kids. I don’t regret buying them toys, but I regret buying so many of them. A smaller selection would have given them more opportunity to enjoy the toys they already had.
2. DVDs
When my kids were young, DVDs were a normal way to watch movies at home. Their dad bought them plenty of movies they enjoyed, and over time, the collection grew quite large.
At the time, owning movies made sense. But as my kids got older and their interests changed, many of the DVDs were no longer watched. They weren’t cheap either, and we must have spent thousands of dollars on them. Eventually, we ended up giving so many away.
Of course, times have changed. With streaming services like Netflix, we can watch thousands of movies without having to own them. Looking back, having so many DVDs simply wasn’t necessary, and they became one more thing we had to sort through and get rid of.
3. Too Many Stuffed Animals
Stuffed animals are one of those things that are hard to resist when you have young children. They’re cute, comforting, and kids can become very attached to them. Before you know it, however, a few favorites can turn into a huge collection.
My kids had hundreds of stuffed animals, and this is probably one of the things I regret buying for my kids the most. They loved them, but we eventually had so many that they took up a tremendous amount of space. As the girls grew older, many were no longer played with, and we eventually gave away a large number of them.
Looking back, I wish we had kept just a few special favorites instead of continuing to add more. Kids don’t need hundreds of stuffed animals to have something they love and feel attached to.
4. Too Many Clothes, Especially for Babies and Toddlers
Children grow so quickly, especially during the baby and toddler years, that it’s easy to buy more clothes than they can possibly wear. Cute little outfits can be hard to resist, and before you know it, the closet is full.
This is one of the things I regret buying for my kids because we ended up giving away so many clothes they had barely worn. My kids outgrew some of them before they had a chance to wear them more than once or twice.
I wish I would have bought fewer clothes and focused on having enough practical outfits for everyday life. Kids don’t need a huge wardrobe, especially when they’re growing out of their clothes so quickly.
5. Too Many Shoes
Shoes can be another unnecessary expense, especially when children are growing quickly. It’s tempting to buy different shoes for different outfits or pick up a new pair simply because they look cute.
Children can outgrow their shoes before they get much use, and having several pairs often means some barely get worn. Buying too many shoes for kids can quickly become a waste of money.
A few comfortable, practical pairs are usually enough. There’s no need for children to have a closet full of shoes they’ll outgrow before they get much use.
6. Too Many Books
I have always believed that reading is important, so this one may seem surprising. I don’t regret encouraging my kids to read, but I do regret thinking we needed to buy so many books.
Children can go through books quickly, and their interests change as they grow. Instead of buying every book they wanted, we could have borrowed many of them from the library and returned them when we were finished.
Books are wonderful, but they’re one of those things kids don’t need to own in large quantities. A library card can give children access to thousands of books without filling your home with them.
Buying Less Doesn't Mean Giving Less
I don’t regret giving my children things they enjoyed or wanting to give them the best childhood possible. However, I do regret how much we bought and how much of it eventually became clutter.
Now that my kids are grown, I realize that buying less doesn’t mean giving less. Children don’t need a house full of things to feel loved or to have a happy childhood.
In the end, the things they owned weren’t nearly as important as the time we spent together and the memories we created. Those are the things that have stayed with us.
