did you know

[mrscatinthehat]

that every childs toy has to make music now. I am going to a first birthday party here in a bit. So When I got done working this morning I went to the store to pick up some presents. I found an adorable little outfit and then I went to the toys. Not so very long ago I used to be able to buy little kid toys that didn't ALL make music. Drop a ball in it sings. Put a toy together it makes music. They talk. They move. What ever happened to helping your kids make thier own music? What ever happened to teaching a child to move the toy? I know what I read on all those packages that all this stuff promotes learning. Ok, but where did creativity go? I stood in two different stores staring at toys for over an hour. Picking up one and reading it and putting it back to pick up another.

I did end up settling for one that makes music but the reason for that is because it is one of those xylaphones. You are meant to make music with those. I also got a cloth doll (you wouldn't believe how hard it was to find one of those that didn't make sound or light up too).

I don't know what is happening with all these gadgets for little ones. Ah well guess I am glad I don't have little ones right now. By the time I get grand kids who knows how I will feel.

beth

 

[Andy]

That's why babies and toddlers are happier with the wrapping paper and boxes. Even 17 years ago when I was looking for a doll for easy child I had a hard time finding just a plain one.

Kids need to be free to be creative - they don't need to be told that the baby says "mama!" They already know that. They don't need a song to tell them they were correct with putting the square in the square hole or the yellow ball in the yellow hole. That is what their family members are for. They get more from a parent/grandparent acknowledgments than any song a company can program into a "toy".

I agree, the "toy" world is getting out of line. The so called professional toy makers don't have a clue! It really is hard to get a toy for a kid any age these days.

 

[Hound dog]

Soundless toys are out there, you just have to look really hard to find them.

I'm not a big fan of electronic or battery operated toys. My kids had plenty of fun without them. I'm sure my grands could manage just as well. And I've noticed they tend to enjoy the soundless ones more.

easy child brought over Darrin's Mickey's Clubhouse toy for Aubrey. OMG If I'd known that every single thing about the toy is thought out and battery operated, I'd never have bought it for him! They even have it doing the talking! It's sooooooo obnoxious!

 

[Abbey]

I had to fill in for 'Tot spot' yesterday for an hour. It's actually a really nice thing for parents to drop off their kids while they shop.

Shoot...I spent most of my time playing with the toys than watching the kids. They all talk and move.

The lady who came to relieve me found me on the floor with about 7 kids playing with toys around me. Do I have to go back to work now? Yep. Awww...

Abbey

 

[donna723]

I have always hated all the electronic toys where all the child does is push a button and then watch while the toy does it's thing! What ever happened to the good old toys that were merely 'props' that were run by the kids' imagination?

When mine were little, one of their all time favorite toys was also one of the cheapest! I think they came from the Sears Christmas catalog. It was 30 dark red cardboard 'bricks' about the size of a shoe box and about half the height. They were really just heavy cardboard boxes - they came flat and you had to fold them on the lines and make boxes out of them - like giant blocks. A pain the the butt to put together and they took up half a closet to store, but they LOVED those things! I got them for my daughter when she was little and they were still around when my son came along five years later - he played with them till they crumbled into dust! They could build walls with them or little houses or castles or roads or whatever their imagination led them to. They cost maybe $10 and did nothing but sit where they put them, but they absolutely loved them! But, of course, there was no place to put batteries so they probably don't make them anymore!

 

[nvts]

You want to know what's REALLY obnoxious? When the dam* thing is "movement" activated and there's no "off" switch.

One of the sparkling moments in MY life?!! Put a finally sleeping infant down that's been crying for 3 hours, walk past the toys and have Big Bird yell "Let's Sing!!!" - I responded - "Let's teach you to fly" and pitched it out the back door.

Enough said.


Beth

 

[susiequte]

I wonder how these noisy toys affect kids? Do you think they affect difficult children? Do you think that they encourage difficult children to be difficult children? I wonder about all the lights and sounds and movements and "busy-ness" of these and what it does to the brain of kids. Does it teach them to be busy all the time, not to think for themself, etc? Does it teach them that "quiet time" is not good? I would love to hear opinions on this.

 

[Andy]

I think noisy toys are overwhelming to kids. They need to try to figure out what is going on and then that is that - nothing more.

With the quiet non-active toys, the toy can sit there while the child quietly figures out what it is and what it can be. The child gets to try to make it move or make a noise and if it doesn't, the child pretends that it does. Non-active toys are not threatening and can be used to do anything the child needs it to do at that moment.

Take a block of wood. It can be anything - a hammer, a building block, a car, a plate, etc. A baby doll can be awake, asleep, happy, hungry, whatever. The child gets to decide.

Really difficult to get a noisy toy to turn to something else. Limits imagination big time!

I just don't know that those noisy toys are as appealing to the kids as they seem to be to the adults who make or purchase them.

I know my kids just didn't play with the electronic games as much as other toys.

It sounds like fun to have a song when the right button is touched. But what if the right button is not touched? Is is right to send a message that something wrong was done when this is suppose to be about playing and exploring? "I am sorry, try again" "But why, I wanted to do that!"

 

[DammitJanet]

LOL NVTS....We have Elmo that is programmed to know Keyana's name plus various other things. One thing it does is sing this night time song every night at a certain time. She left it in the car once and I didnt know it. I was driving along and all of a sudden I hear..."Elmo is getting sleepy, are you Keyana? Elmo thinks its time for bed." I started freaking out...some weird voice was talking to me from the backseat and I was all alone!

 

[hearts and roses]

I wonder how these noisy toys affect kids? Do you think they affect difficult children? Do you think that they encourage difficult children to be difficult children? I wonder about all the lights and sounds and movements and "busy-ness" of these and what it does to the brain of kids. Does it teach them to be busy all the time, not to think for themself, etc? Does it teach them that "quiet time" is not good? I would love to hear opinions on this.

Actually Susie, once when sitting at difficult child's DR's office, back about 6/7 years ago, I came upon an article in a magazine for parents of kids with autism. Don't remember the magazine name or name of the article or anything but I do recall reading something about there being a link between toys and too much tv overstimulating children, especially at young ages before 6/7 (or school age) and hyper behavior and other bio-neurological disorders.

My friend whose 9 y/o daughter has asberger and she doesn't and has never EVER had a toy that didn't have bells, whistles, make noise, move, or one that hasn't been electronic. On top of that, her mom always has the tv going - all day, all morning, afternoon, and night, even when she was trying to get the daughter to take a nap, eat, etc. It was/is like background noise for the mom, and often a distraction for the daughter. When the phone rings the child screams at the top of her lungs. Not so ironically, her mom is always on the phone - always.

I think these over stimulating toys rob our kids the opportunity to learn how to be quiet with themselves and their imaginations...I think it deprives them the opportunity to tap into their natural creativity and stimulate themselves on a level that is appropriate for them. These children who are all hopped up on a constant stream of stimulation via computers, tvs, toys, do not know how to just enjoy sitting quietly and enjoying themselves. They always need something or someone to provide entertainment. It's sad.

Regarding the link the article talked about? I have no idea, but I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't have an effect. I know that difficult child's tantrums were often brought on by an excess of outside stimulation. We often had to remove certain toys from her room without her knowing to avoid meltdowns. And we almost never had the tv going. We became very mindful of keeping our home calm and free from excess stimulation.