Certain products for babies and toddlers are must-haves: crib, changing table, changing pad, diapers, wipes, diaper cream, clothes, baby shampoo, swaddle and/or sleep sack, pacifier. 

But if you walk through the baby and toddler section of a big box store, you’ll see plenty of additional items above and beyond the essentials. Which of these optional items are worth it? Which ones are a waste?

Worth it:

--Garant kids’ snow shovel (Ace Hardware, $9.59):  

This lightweight, yet durable shovel actually works well for moving snow, albeit in tiny little scoops. My kids use them to help me clear the driveway, at least for a few minutes before they inevitably wander off and start building snow forts or clearing paths through the yard. 

As many toys as we’ve bought for indoor and outdoor play, the ones that get used most frequently (aside from the trains and the Legos) are the ones that allow for parallel work situations: the play kitchen while I’m making dinner, the toy lawn mower while I’m cutting the grass, kid-sized rakes while I’m raking leaves, and these snow shovels while I clear the driveway.

It would be nice in some ways to hire a person to plow the driveway and cut the grass for us, but one tradeoff is it would be that much harder to get the kids outside for fresh air and exercise. If I tell them to go out and play, or even if I offer to go out and play with them, they almost always refuse. If I have a job to do and they have tools (toys) they can use to help me, they definitely want to come out. 

Even if the snow takes a little longer to clear off the driveway because of the chaos that ensues with a six and three year-old helping, it’s worth it because they’re getting fresh air and exercise.

--Corolle doll (Target, $41.95)

This is the favorite of all the dolls we’ve owned. The baby’s legs, arms, and head are soft plastic, but the cloth-covered body has a weight and flexibility which makes it feel similar to holding a real baby. (I think the midsection is full of beanbag beans, so it’s not anything strange or high tech.) 

The doll has a pleasant baby-powdery smell, which is another reason to give it a snuggle. Our doll is almost three years old and it still has that smell. 

The eyes open and shut, depending on if the doll is sitting up or lying down. You can’t take the doll into the bathtub, but it could probably be washed, if necessary. There’s nothing too fancy about the Corolle doll, and it is a bit pricey, but it’s been a favorite of our 3 year-old ever since he got it as a gift on his first birthday. Every night when I go to check on him, he is snuggled up in bed with it.

His one year-old sister is taken with the doll, as well, and sometimes makes a special trip upstairs to sneak into his room and grab it. She’ll probably like to have one of her own soon.

--Lasko 20” box fan (Target, $19.99)

These fans are simple, durable, and affordable. They have three speeds, ranging from not very loud to pretty loud. We have one in each of the kids’ rooms to create white noise while they’re sleeping. There are a lot of options out there for white noise machines, but these have worked well for us. They make a comforting, relaxing sound which drowns out any talking or TV noise that’s happening downstairs. And if you also need a fan for cooling off or airing out a room, you’re all set!

Not worth it:

--Dekor diaper bin (Target, $29.99)

The main point of this trash can (and others like it) is to seal in the diaper odors so your house doesn’t stink. The special bags that come with it are essential to making the system work. The Dekor odor-sealing system does work well for 24, maybe 48 hours. But then, the stink starts to seep out. Especially when you open it to put in another soiled diaper. What you have to do then is seal up the bag, take it outside to your trash bin, and start a new bag. 

Using this bin regularly, you’ll end up buying a box of new bag inserts every other week at $12 a box. If you purchase this diaper trash can and use it for a year, you spend roughly $342. Which is a lot!

I shudder to think that my wife and I shelled out that much money, not on diapers, but on diaper trash bags. We probably did spend that much, in all honesty. Of course, this was with our first child. 

I’m grateful that we finally got a clue. The costs were mounting, the benefits were proving to be not all that great, and eventually we stopped using it. When we moved, we got rid of it. 

We found it makes more sense to put wet diapers in the small bathroom trash can, which we empty when it’s full and/or smelly. We take the more lethal, toxic waste diapers directly to the outside trash can so they spend no time in the house. 

Who knew diapers could go in with the rest of the trash and not cost over $300 a year to throw away? Dekor won’t tell you that, so I will.

--Zip-up/button-up sweatshirts and jackets

How cute, right? It’s hard to resist buying adorable little sweatshirts and jackets for babies. You should resist, though. They’re utterly impractical.

Imagine it’s a cold day and you’re going out. You have to bundle up your baby. You could put her in a precious little sweatshirt or jacket. But then, you have to grab some socks and shoes to keep her feet warm. You have to make sure her pants are thick enough to fend off the cold winter wind. And don’t forget a hat and mittens! 

When you finally get outside, you’ll have a fabulous time putting her hat and mittens back on over and over again, and then her shoes and socks, as well. 

You have another option. Get a couple of warm, full-body, hooded, zip-up onesies. Get one that’s lightweight fleece, suitable for weather in the 50’s and 60’s. Get another one that’s well-insulated, windproof, and waterproof. Something that will keep your baby warm in freezing temperatures.

This is the one we have (from Columbia) and it has lasted through all three of our kids. I think we spent $45 on it. It’s easy to use. You lay the snowsuit on the ground, put a warm hat and socks on the baby, tuck her into the snowsuit, and zip it up. It’s like she’s snuggled into a big, comfy sleeping bag and she’s ready to go.

The little sweatshirts and jackets are cute, but if you buy them, chances are they’re going to end up sitting in a drawer somewhere, unused. Get the warm onesies instead.

--Water bottles and sippy cups with straws and soft mouthpieces

The soft mouthpieces get chewed up and bitten off. The straw contraptions often work really well, but they’re a pain to clean out. The fewer parts, the better.

Sippy cups like this (The First Years, $3.95 for a 6-pack on Amazon) are a better option. They’re simple, washable cups and the lids work just fine. They don’t seal up quite as securely as the more expensive cups, so you probably don’t want to take one in your diaper bag or purse. But they consist of two simple parts (a cup and a lid with a built-in mouthpiece), they’re easy to clean, and they work well for everyday use at the table and around the house.

There’s no shortage of baby and toddler products on the market. I hope I’ve helped you figure out what’s worth investing in, and what’s not.