Sunday 10 November 2019

Forty-four sleeps before Christmas - Are you ready?

Over the years, I have agonized about the way in which big toy companies and social media influencers guilt parents into purchasing toys that are not only developmentally inappropriate for children but which continue to perpetuate the cycle of material consumerism that is threatening our planet.  In Canada, media of all kinds influences children in determining what they 'want'.  In turn, children pressure parents into purchasing name brand products and licensed entertainment goods.  Parents purchase expensive stuff to make children 'happy' resulting in financial stress and abject disappointment as time after time the desired toy is cast aside to make way for the box and its corresponding packaging.

So what is a 'good' parent (aunt/uncle, grandma/grandpa, friend) to do?
Start by taking a few minutes to consider your answers to the following questions:

Is the product open-ended encouraging multi-uses over time?  Open-ended play materials such as wooden blocks, fabric scarves, items found in nature (e.g. rocks, sticks, nuts), beads and good quality art materials encourage independent play in a safe and healthy manner. 

Are you buying the product because you believe that it is best suited to your child's age and interests or because your child demands it? Play materials that withstand the test of time and that enhance relationships between adults and children are worth their weight in gold.  Look at any good quality children's museum and you will discover that the play materials that garner the greatest use are those that have been well-loved over generations.  Loose parts for dramatic play (dishes, dolls), musical instruments, sensory materials coupled with a variety of spoons, scoops, cups, and other interesting found objects abound.  

Will this toy build on my family's insatiable desire for 'stuff'?  Study after study confirms that children need fewer not more toys.  Having fewer toys can lead a young child to focus and engage in more creative, imaginative play, according to the study, "The influence of the number of toys in the environment on toddlers’ play”  published in the journal Infant Behavior and Development.  Fewer toys, it turns out, result in healthier play, and, ultimately, deeper cognitive development.

How will this purchase enhance my child's development?  Have you noticed that many of the top selling products recommended for children actually perpetuate the instant gratification so insidious in our culture?  Once the initial 'surprise' reaction is over, few of these toys offer children with any other benefits nor emotional well-being.  Even toys once revered for their open-ended playfulness now jeopardize the simple joy that comes from exploring, testing, discovering, and inventing by suggesting that the pieces in the box represent the making of one specific thing (e.g. Lego).  On the other hand, building blocks shaped like boulders, generic figurines and construction toys grow with children encompassing changing skills and knowledge along the way.

Other questions you might consider are:
Does the toy appeal to many senses? (the more senses, the firmer the brain networks)
Can the toy be used in more than one place? (in the house, outside, in the car, waiting at a restaurant)
Can the toy be used in more than one position? (sitting, standing, lying down)
Does the toy encourage activity and movement?  Problem solving? Interaction and communication?
Are the materials used in the toy's construction natural and eco-friendly?  Safe and non-toxic?
Was the toy made in Canada?

At the end of the day, memories are created in environments that are safe and loving and in which children and adults find joy in each other's company.  Discovering the mutual benefit of open-ended play materials and good quality children's literature (a topic for another blog) is just one of the ways that you can experience joy both on Christmas morning and throughout the year without breaking the bank in the process.  Knowing what you value (e.g. creativity, problem solving, empathy, health, caregiving) and passing on those values through the thoughtful ways that you select gifts for children is one of the best gifts that you can give yourself this holiday season.

Yours in playful curiosity,

Sandy


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