[ pete gilbert...stay-at-home dad ]
commentary and parenting
These toys are better off left on the shelf True confessions of stay-at-home dad Pete Gilbert I want to talk to all of you toy shoppers that are buying toys for someone else’s kids. Sometimes a gift is more of a punishment than a blessing. Let me give you some examples. Hopefully this list will make you think twice while decking the halls this year. Glitter — Glitter glue. Glitter pens. Glitter on anything. Glitter is awful. As soon as the package is opened it’s on my kids, then MY hands, face, clothes, furniture, floor, walls, etc. No thanks. Stamping sets — Kids will stamp anything. First they use it correctly, then after the novelty wears off they stamp their skin, their sibling’s skin, the table, the walls and so on. Paint — See above. Drums — There’s enough noise in our house already, we don’t need something designed to make even more noise! Battery operated toys — Toys that sing. Hand-held video games. Remote control cars. These toys are great until it’s time to buy six AAA batteries for the controller and six D
batteries for the car - every three weeks. Multiple piece sets — That doll set may look cool inside the packaging, but once opened, there will be tiny pointy pieces everywhere. And when it comes time to pick them up, I will miss one and find it with the bottom of my foot later that night. Large plastic items — We have a small house. Adding a 1/3 scale play kitchen to our existing kitchen does not help matters. Neither does adding yet another wheeled object to our garage. So what’s left? Instead of toys, think about purchasing an experience - like a gymnastics class, a movie or a live show. You can even take the kids and give parents the gift of time. But when all is said and done, I’m a sucker for the goofy grin of a child opening a gift and seeing just what they wanted. Even if it is a battery operated, glittery, full-size, plastic drum set. Happy Parenting!
DECEMBER 2012 [ indy’s child ] 53