Tot Squad Services May Be the Best Thing You Can Add to Your Walmart Baby Registry

They say it takes a village to raise a child, but what about all of the preparation it takes to welcome them before they're even born? First-time parents struggle to properly install car seats (95 percent of them, in fact!), build cribs, and are left with more questions than answers when asking themselves, 'Am I doing this right?'

Have no fear, Walmart and Tot Squad are here. The two are joining forces so that "expert help" can be added to the cart when buying items from your baby registry.

What is Tot Squad?

Tot Squad, is a new addition to Walmart baby registries to help put first-time parents at ease. Tot Squad offers one-on-one consultations on a variety of topics, including installing a car seat, how-to's on chestfeeding, introducing solids into your baby's diet, and ensuring a good night's sleep for all, as well as many others.

Founder and CEO, Jennifer Beall Saxton, was missing out on hours of sleep herself when the idea of Tot Squad was born.

"After I had my first daughter, I realized that I had all the baby products but what I really needed was help," Beall Saxton says. With friends and family living in multiple spots across the country, the privilege of phoning a friend or family member when in need of help wasn't an option to Beall Saxton and her growing family. "I wanted to find a way to help parents find access to the support they needed."

Beall Saxton admits it's especially hard when one is sleep deprived, to research and compare all providers that have services similar to Tot Squad. But with Walmart's help, consultations are "progressive, affordable, and accessible."

In order to achieve goals of progressiveness, Tot Squad is helping every family receive the support they need. To do so, they have a diverse group of suppliers, and are always looking to improve their "supplier base."

"We absolutely are committed to supplier diversity, making sure we have a diverse supplier base, and that any family can find a provider that is familiar with their lived experience," Beall Saxton adds.

How Will a Walmart Baby Registry With Tot Squad Work?

Tot Squad's services are available via Walmart's website, or can be scheduled in-store. Once scheduled, the user will have the option for an in-person or video chat consultation. If making a purchase of, say, a car seat, on Walmart's website, you will be sent an email with instructions on how to schedule an appointment with one of Tot Squad's many licensed consultants.

The application process asks those interested in consulting questions like: "Are you comfortable working with members of the LGBTQ+ community?" "Do you identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community?" and "Are you an ally of the LGBTQ+ community?" along with others related to race, identities, and cultures.

The real-life example Beall Saxton and the Tot Squad team have seen in terms of the importance of diversity is this: BIPOC parents are more likely to choose a consultant who reflects their identity. This emphasizes the need for diversity because the one-on-one connection and shared, lived experiences is what helps individuals feel less alone during parenthood.

"We are working hard to make sure we have a diverse set of providers to help customers with a [similar] background," says Beall Saxton.

Tot Squad is committed to offering affordable services, with most appointments and consultations costing $50 or less. A car seat installation is $44. A feeding support and lactation consult is $50. And baby sleep consultants are $50. These fixed prices appear next to corresponding products on Walmart's website, but when the recipient or purchaser of these consultants goes to redeem the consult on Tot Squad's website, they have the option to upgrade to a more expensive provider, should they choose.

"This is revolutionary in the baby industry because companies like Honeyfund and Zola have been offering experiences [like this] in the wedding industry for years," says Beall Saxton. "And nobody, until now, has ever offered experiences and services in the baby industry. Walmart is the first bringing millennial parents holistic solutions. I think that's really amazing."