But nobody needs to resort to selling kidneys. It is, despite popular
opinion, very possible to raise a child without the gadgets that many
parents believe they need. You may think you need an electric baby
swing or a designer stroller so big that you need an SUV the size of
Mount Everest to carry it. But, really and truly (and despite what you
friends and that one crazy aunt tells you), you don’t need any of it.

Just think back to the childrearing of the past. Back when corn cobs
were used as toilet paper and chalkboards were considered a high-tech
classroom tool, parents performed their most important job of
childrearing with very few baby products and with little to no gear in
tow. Since the dawn of civilization, moms have strapped babies to their
backs. The mothers’ motions throughout the day lulled babies into a
happy state of bliss. Now, devices designed to shake, rattle, and roll
babies into sleep can cost an arm and a leg. Why not let the natural
rhythms of your body do the job?

Similarly, when we think back to how parents have raised their children
for hundreds of years, we see that they sustained their children with
the simplest of things. They used healthy natural food, simple handmade
toys, and basic clothing that wasn’t covered in weird images of Elmo.
Heck, many babies of the world still, to this day, spend the greater
part of their lives crawling around in their birthday suits. It is
doubtful that they miss, even for a single second, that breathable, fire
retardant, 100% cotton, character-patterned, designer-brand layette
set.