Shopping For Children's Toys

If after looking at all the toys available for either birthday's or holidays is becoming mind numbing then here are some tips to get you through.

• Think about the child's personality and interests before you shop. Write down your ideas so that you won't walk into stores cold and become overwhelmed by the myriad of choices or intimidated by the promotions.

• Don't allow peer pressure (yours or your child's friends) or ads to sway your decisions. Focus on what YOU can afford and what YOU think the child should have or not have.

• Don't give your kids anything and everything they want. Teach them about delayed gratification. In real life we do not get all good things immediately just because we want them. Children need to learn this.

• If money is tight, be honest and explain this to your kids; find alternatives and make some the gifts. "Protecting" them by keeping them ignorant of budgeting realities is not in their best long term interest. Learning to cope with financial restrictions is a life skill.

• Try to buy "open ended" toys and activities that are failure proof an that grow with the child. Art and construction materials increase motor, thinking and creative skills. Gifts such as blocks (many kinds), Legos, Tinker Toys, Lincoln Logs, paints, crayons, paper, clays, board games, and books are tried, true and timeless.

• Think about gifts that will allow your child to make gifts for others for next year's birthdays and holidays. Hobby and craft stores offer wonderful ideas for every age group. Children need to personally experience the special joy of making and giving to others, whether it is a made up story or poem, a scribble drawing, baked goods, or something hand-crafted.

• Buy toys that fit your child's age, skills, and interests: e.g. gifts that are developmentally appropriate. Ages listed on the toys and gifts may be very general.

  Happy shopping!

  | TNPC Home | ParenTalk | Articles about Toddlers | Comments for TNPC |

  ---

  Programmed and Hosted by ParentsPlace.com,
  The Parenting Resource Center on the Web.
  http://www.parentsplace.com/
  Last modified: Oct 24, 1995