I am a super thrifty momma but even I know there are some things you shouldn't buy used for your kids. No matter how much money you save on an item some things just aren't worth it. So without further ado, these are the things you shouldn't buy used for your children.
That's right, car seats! I see them on Craigslist all the time and it makes me crazy. Car seats are a huge gamble when you buy them used. There isn't any way to tell if the person you're buying it from is being honest, it could be expired (that's right, they expire) and it could have been in an accident which could seriously compromise your child's safety. That is why this is the number one thing on the list of things you shouldn't buy used for your kids.
There are a few exceptions to this rule but mostly, buying cribs and toddler beds used can be pretty dangerous. In the past few years so many cribs and toddler beds have been recalled due to safety issues. Unless you have the model number and purchase date of a crib or toddler bed and can be 100% sure it hasn't been recalled (or the company can send you a kit to make the bed safe) you should steer clear of any and all used cribs and toddler beds.
I think this one is a little obvious and doesn't require much explanation but, people have potty trained their children in the underwear that you're buying, that has to make you pause a little at the very least.
Unless your kids don't walk yet and their shoes are basically just for protecting their little feet, you shouldn't buy your kids used shoes. You don't know if the person that you're buying them from made their kids wear shoes or if they stepped in dog poo before slapping their shoes on. You also don't know if that kid had toe fungus or athlete's foot. It's really just an issue of not being sanitary.
This is another iffy thing to buy used. First off, you don't want your little one getting thrush or a mouth infection from an improperly sanitized bottle. You also don't know what has been in the bottle that you're getting. For instance, I know a mother who sees no problem with giving her 1 year old soda in a bottle (to my horror) so those bottles have been compromised on the inside. The soda eats away at the plastic and leaves little grooves that a lot of germs can get into. When you're buying a bottle used you have no guarantee that it's clean.
Just like bottles, you just don't know if these little suckers (hehe, get it, suckers) are clean like they should be. Pacifiers also get brittle and crack over time. It's best to just buy these new for your little one. That way you don't have to worry about when they're going to crack and splinter in your child's mouth (a choking hazard) and you won't have to buy a new round of binkies all over again.
I don't trust anyone when it comes to medicine for my child except for a pharmacist and his doctor. You don't know what people are going to add into the medicine that you're buying if the safety seal is already broken. Every time I see medicine that's already opened for sale online I think about hearing about the tylenol tampering in the 90's that killed all those poor people and that's obviously not something that I want for my little one.
Well ladies, these are the things you shouldn't buy used for your little one (although I did purchase a toddler bed used, I knew the seller and did a lot of research), what are some things that you won't buy used for your kids? Let me know down below!