There are some really wacky toys and baby items available right now. Here are a few my children will NOT be getting for Christmas this year:
The iPotty: I’m a mean mommy that doesn’t reward doing the right thing, that includes when potty training (not even a single M&M!) nor do I allow my children to play with my iPad (they have their own LeapPad which they use sparingly) nor have I ever owned a “potty chair” (I have much more important things to do than dump and sanitize, I’d rather flush it away!) Just give the kid a book if you want them to stay put on the potty!
The Aptivity Seat: Ok, I’ll admit to giving Doodle my iPad and letting him poke around at certain apps when I need a minute. And I’ve visitied Fisher Price’s website and let the girls do the games on occasion but this is just too much!
Any type of car: I hate the motorized toddler cars (maybe it’s because they don’t have the option of properly installing a car seat?) and now there is an inflatable sports car/iPad holder.
Goldieblox: Ah, where to start on this one, perhaps it’s better left for a post of it’s own and just say we have plenty of Legos.
Blaze the Interactive Riding Horse: Ok, so this WAS a cool toy. I totally had one of these spring, bouncing horses when I was little and I LOVED it! So why screw with it? Why does it need to “respond to your child’s motion with lifelike sounds”? What happened to making your own galloping noises? This all leaves me to wonder how it “also encourages imaginative play.”
Modern Fashion Dolls: I’m talking Monster High, Bratz, La Dee Da and the like. I never thought Barbie would seem appropriate, but I think we’ll stick with her!
“Learning” toys: You know, the ones that talk and sing and light up and make tons of noise…yeah. They’re not all bad but we got our share 2 years ago and I don’t need anything else in my house making noise and driving me crazy (3 kids do that well enough without noisy toys!)
Baby Walker: While Doodle is a prime candidate for LOVING a baby walker since all he wants to do is stand up and walk around but isn’t loving the stiaonary Exersaucer, he will not be getting a walker. Despite popular believe, they are not only dangerous due to the risk of falls and the ability to get near unsafe things, they also don’t actually help a baby learn to walk. Walkers put baby’s hips in an unnatural position and develop the muscles wrong for independent walking. I’ll stick to breaking my back walking around holding his hands. (We do have a ride-on/push toy that I’m trying to get him to use but he’s just too wobbly in the hips!)
Rainbow Loom: The rubber, make yourself bracelets are oh so popular right now as I’ve become aware of by the older girls next door and now I have little rubber bands all over my house from the bracelets that fell apart.
Marker Maker: Sounds like a good idea and maybe it is for older kids but all I see is a really expensive mess maker and, again, my 3 kids do that well enough on their own.
So what WILL my children be getting? I’ve asked for things that fit one of two categories: Add-ons to things we already have and anything that requires creativity and/or problem solving and NOTHING that makes noise!
My two toy complaints right now are the overflowing toy room (hence add-ins that can fit neatly in the bins we already have) and Honeybun’s inability to problem solve and trouble shoot. She does well at arts and crafts but just yesterday she told me she cried in Media Class because she didn’t know the answer to the question on the iPad game she was playing. She gives up much too easy and I want to help her develop a stronger problem solving skills as this is obviously not natural for her.
And poor little Doodle is getting hand-me down toys wrapped up “like new”. We have a bin of baby/toddler toys that have been in the girls’ closet since we returned from Dublin which he will put to good use and I can’t see spending money on more stuff we don’t have room for when we have perfectly functional stuff stashed away.
