Jordan

Parents/grandparents: this post could save your family hundreds of dollars. Did you know it’s actually possible for young children to have TOO MANY toys? 🧸 🎁 As we enter the holiday season, grown ups often feel pressured to make the big event “extra special” - which can lead not only to over spending, but to more gifts than your little one is ready to meaningfully engage. In a 2018 study, researchers observed two different toddler play settings - one with 16 toys and the other with only 4. What they found was that the children presented with fewer options actually engaged more deeply in play. They stayed focused longer and used the toys available to them in more imaginative ways. Which is just what we want, developmentally. Parents participating in the study were asked, meanwhile, to estimate the number of toys available in their homes. Some self reported 90 or more. 90 different choices! 🤯 This holiday season I want to help both your baby and your credit rating… and assure you that this is a case where LESS can actually be more. When purchasing toys, focus on quality, not quantity. Here’s how: As you consider an item, take a moment to brainstorm a list of its potential uses. Is it something that your child might, with a little imagination, use in multiple types of play? Does it lend itself to sustained engagement? Will it help them to think, build, imagine, create, or problem solve? If the answer is yes, you have a winner. If the answer is no, leave it on the shelf. Your little one doesn’t require dozens of gift wrapped boxes. And buyer beware: they’re likely to be just as thrilled with the box as the item inside. Buy less. Toddler parents, I’d love for you to weigh in here. What toy sustains your little one’s attention the LONGEST? What toy do you see them using in the most ways? Finally a favor to ask… if this post is pertinent to you and you have the means to do so, please take a little of the money this approach saves you and buy a duplicate toy (or two) for donation to a child who may not be as fortunate as your own this holiday season. ____ This little guy and his favorite plaything were shared by mariavmcauley on TT.