Has parenting become an industry into itself? Author Pamela Paul says yes. For the most part, I agree, but then I’ve been saying this stuff for a while. I will say that while I find most of the luxe baby products nothing short of silly, I don’t think there’s nothing wrong with investing in a high-end stroller if you can afford it and it makes getting around town easier and more pleasant (in fact, if it encouraged people to walk instead of drive to the store, to school, etc, I’d even recommend it). But bottom line? Our kids really, really don’t need most of the stuff we associate with good parenting. As I said in this Family.com story, “Babies are easygoing little people, and don’t pay much attention to the commercials and magazine ads that tell you, the parents, that they need a bunch of gadgets to be happy. A baby’s basic needs are to be warm, dry, and fed.”

Now I have to go dig out my $30 stroller. The sun is out, and I want to go for a walk–and think about what I’ll do with the $770 I saved.