LIKE most new moms, I started buying toys even before K was born. And not just regular toys. I even scoured Google and lapped up articles on educational toys and diligently searched for them in local toys stores. Add doting grandparents in the picture and you could just imagine the quantity of toys waiting for her.
However, my dad advised me to cut back on the toys. He said that kids with so many toys will grow up to be “sumhanon.” Oh, I definitely don’t want that!
So, I kept some of K’s toys and rotated them, bringing out only a few each time. This was a relief to us adults since we have less toy clutter to arrange or put back in boxes. At first, I was a bit apprehensive and guilty. K is the only child in a house full of adults. Her toys make up for the lack of a playmate her age. Taking them away was almost similar to taking away her happiness.
But then I realized that she didn’t even miss most of her toys. She knew where I kept them and had access to the hiding place. Sometimes she would open the closet or one of the boxes and would peer at the contents within. Very rarely, she would fish one or two toys out. But most of the time, she happily played with the fewer toys that she had.
When I got over the guilt of depriving K of some of her toys, I began to see the wisdom behind my dad’s advice. K learned to kill boredom with what she had and there’s something else! Because she had fewer toys, she learned to be creative with them!
Pretty soon she was on a roll combining odd pieces to make new toys. And there were even times when she would make do without toys at all. She began to demand to be let out of her play area. She began to be more physically active, finding fun in running, hopping and singing.
Happy with the outcome, I took this to the next level. Reading somewhere that intelligence and creativity are better developed when kids are given toys that are not of a specific shape or purpose, I began to give my little one materials instead of toys.
I began giving her popsicle sticks, glue, scotch tape and all sorts of paper --- from newspaper to card stock. I bought buttons, pearls and even those wiggly eyes. We played with blocks, clay and even salt dough. The surprising thing was that we had so much fun playing and creating!
Fast forward to the present. A few weeks ago, K told us she wants to become a toy maker-singer when she grows up. And a few days ago, she proudly showed me a toy she created out of a cover of a chalk box and some puzzle pieces.
So dearies, you might want to consider taking the fewer toys route. It could be one of your greatest parenting decisions that could lead to a happier and more creative child.
By the way, for those of you that are interested in preserving your kid’s hand or foot in 3D, Lifecasting Philippines has moved their CdeO visit to September 20 and 21, 2015. You can contact them at 0922 7133579. For those who joined the like and share contest, do check the Plonky Talk FB page for the winner.
Cheers to raising kids!
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