OT: Baby toys/Equipment
MGoParents:
What sort of items do you recommend for baby development/play. I reached out to folks on Facebook yesterday with a similar question and was told that Baby Einstein is probably not worth the money, and that Melissa and Doug products were really good. Any thoughts?
A football.
... but I have 3 kids under three and my recommendation would be to just get them a variety of toys vs. only "educational" toys. My kids are as curious about the random Amazon box as they are about their Melissa and Doug stuff. for example, we've created rocket ships, dinosaurs, sailboats, and forts out of Amazon boxes and paper towel rolls. The time together and creativity involved in that I think is way better than specialty toys. Again, not an expert.
Truth. Also, my two year old absolutely loves bubblewrap if that helps.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
goes well with the Bass-O-Matic.
You have real world experience with this, and this makes a whole mess of sense. Thanks
I have 2 under 3 and the randomness of what they want to play with and when, as well as simple thing like boxes or bubblewrap are key (or one afternoon where my oldest played "conductor" where he was collecting train tickets and we had a giant roll of raffle tickets that we gave him).
Give them variety and encourage their imagination to take care of the rest
This is the best advice here. Kids are just like older people -- they're only going to be interested in what they want to be interested in. We have a 4 year old and did the same as 4godking -- had a bunch of "smart kid" toys and bunch of regular toys. And my wife and I always used to joke (and still do) that he's much more interested in the packaging and random household things that the stuff we pay for.
Like Amazon delivery day is always exciting -- not because of the toy or whatever is in the box, but because the box and packaging is just more fun to pretend with.
Just get a variety of things, feed their interests (they seem to change every 3mo.), and you'll be golden.
For a baby, you want things that are enticing for them to attempt to crawl towards.
Like these:
baby bribery done right helps.
my oldest starting crawling because a tower that he always knocked over when I put in front of him, I started putting it further away and made him work for it.
I will say this. My first son did not watch any TV until he was over a year old. None. And at 7 he is a video game addict. He could sit and play games or watch TV all freaking day if I let him (which I don't. Usually). My second son, who is about 18 months younger, watched TV all the time as a baby. And now at almost 6 I can't get him to watch screens or play video games if I paid him. The kid is the most social human being I have ever seen. Talks to everyone, makes friends with everyone everywhere he goes, is always playing outside or wherever. Each kid is a human being who will develop the way he or she is wired.
Obviously I'm not saying I think it's okay to let them do whatever they want, but what I'm trying to say is, don't overthink this stuff. I think the whole baby psychology and influencing your kids to mold their later years is all BS, new-age beta-male hipster crap.
Read to your child every day. Every night too. Picture books, pop-up books, etc. Make them think. "Where is the red fire truck? There it is."
My son was born when I was 18 and my wife was 16. My daughter came 3 years later. Needless to say, we didn't have much in the way of fancy-pants toys and gadgetry as we were pretty broke. Not quite poor but close enough to qualify for WIC for 6 months.
We did have lots and lots of kids books. Both kids are now 4.0 students (son in college and daughter in high school).
As for play, we always did outside stuff, crawling in the grass, exploring dirt and insects (also good for their developing immune system), playing with other kids etc. In the winter we went "sledding" (Dad drags kids around on sled) and made snow forts etc. I am a firm believer that nature and human interaction teach better and are better stimulus for developing brains than electronics and LeapFrog pads or whatever.
I've read to my kids every night - they are 11 and 8 now. The 11 year old still comes to my daughter's room when I read. It's not only great for their minds, but also provides valuable bonding time. Also, I put in a swimming pool and a basketball hoop and we go camping frequently.
Spatial reasoning is important, so the construction toys and modern erector set equivalents are important learning aids. But reading to them beginning in their two's, well, for some of us this generated ability to read beyond college level in elementary school with math following closely behind. Play and arts are important, too, as is off-time - just laying with parents in bed and pillow fights. Sounds like you're on the right path.
Teaching my just turned 11 year old nephew the ways of the Midwest has been fun. He's a poker player in his home, but I've gotten him to come around to Euchre.
We didn't need half the stuff we were told to buy at BabiesRUs or whatever. Here are five quick tips:
1. Buy an excellent gliding rocking chair. Not the shitty ones at BabiesRUs or whatever but a nice one at LaZBoy or some other furniture store. You will sit in that thing forever.
2. Do not buy a diaper caddy. They do not "lock in odors." They smell horrible just like a regular trash can. Just get the fucking diapers out of the house as soon as possible.
3. If the toy looks cheap, it's way cheaper than you thought. The plastic shit they make these days is horrible and will only clutter up your floor before you throw it away.
4. Buy the best teddy bear/dolly/tiger you can afford and buy at least THREE because you will lose them and they will be necessary and you kids will want them forever.
5. Buy a huge bottle of the best scotch you can find. Rocking a baby is way more interesting if you can sip on a nice single malt.
This is the best summary I have ever read. I'm the father of 3 girls that are now 12, 10 and 10, and this is spot-on!
Godspeed to you in 2-3 years, my friend. Godspeed.
Yep, as a father to four, good advice here. I found that the little scented individual plactic bags they sell in the baby stores work far better than any diaper caddy. Just tie them tight and throw them in the regular kitchen trash you take out every day. If it's an extra special diaper, wrap it in a grocery bag too and take it straight to the outside trash.
A good baby swing for a fussy baby... not all babies like them though.
We throw them in the regular kitchen trash without a scented bag. Ee have the arm and hammer thing up stairs. The kitchen trash only really gets nasty when melon peels have been sitting for days. I think the coffee grounds help neutralize.
The arm and hammer thing though. They don't make them anymore, so the bags are really expensive. We only use it for upstairs poops, so it has weeks to marinate before we take it out. Maybe I'll break it when we get low on bags next.
Don't get a wipe warmer. For Pete's sake a room temp wipe is fine.
On item 4 - two pieces of advice... 1) wait until your kid discovers a favorite before buying multiple. You'll never know which one they'll latch to. Out of dozens of stuffed animals, my daughter chose a sheep. 2) when the kid finds "their" stuffed animal or blankie or whatever, start working the new ones into the rotation so they "age". Good luck trying to replace a loved worn to hell animal with a brand new fluffy one. No amount of "its the same animal" will change their mind.
If you are looking for good stuffed animals, I highly recommend the brand Jellycats. Of the dozens and dozens of stuffed animals my kids have collected over the years, there is a clear higherachy amongst then with the Jellycats rising to the top, and the aforementioned sheep being a Jellycat sheep (or lamb but who is keeping track)
Mainway industries!!
My experience is that most "educational" toys/technologies seem to be designed to make the parent feel good about their child playing with them. The thing that will most help your child's development is interaction with you. That said, our family enjoys Melissa and Doug stuff.
The Montessori that we enrolled our son in was too clinical. I like the concept but it's not for everyone I don't think. Was your Montessori super hands off with the kids? With ours the teachers didn't really even interact with their charges.
I'm sure Putingrad's "Montessori" is very hands on. Lots of shoveling and rock breaking.
But in all seriousness, yes definitely go the Montessori route. It is really amazing how and what they teach the little ones.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
Little plastic animals they can chew on. You can teach them the noises each animal makes.
Ball
Cars
We're expecting. I'm just trying to get as much information as possible before we get a lot of stuff we don't need.
One last thought: your goal is to raise well-adjusted kids who can deal with stuff on their own throughout their lives. In other words, you can have a tendency to overparent with the first one so that you're solving all their problems and trying to entertain them 24/7, which to my mind is actually harmful over the long term.
NOTHING in the crib
NO bumpers, pillows, blankets, comforters, toys.
First credentials: 3 kids (8 yr old girl, 4 yr old boy, 16 mo old girl)
Now the items:
* Melissa and Doug toys are usually really well made and stand up to a lot of abuse. They are more expensive but if this is your first kid, it will last through 1 or 2 others.
* As babies, you want to encourarge movement and inspection. If they're still in the "lay them on their back" mode, a play mat with the hanging toys is good. No real difference in brands or quality there
* Anything you get, be aware it will get in the baby's mouth, so be OK with it being covered in drool / scraped to the core by teething actions
* As the baby starts to move, you need a toy that you can set on the ground and let them play with / crawl around / crawl over, and also a play place you can set them down in (one of the exersaucer play seats or a bouncer that hangs from a doorway) to get stuff done. We have one of the evenflo exersaucers and have used it since our first kid. It has held up remarkably well.
books - board books are great. if you speak another language besides english, read to them in that language too.
outside stuff - shovels (kids sized, of course), sand box, stuff like that.
balls, hockey sticks, cars, wagons, plastic tools and a toddler tool bench, kitchen set for daughter(s), hoop and b-ball.
no TV/video. put on classical music if you want them to have some electronic stimuli.
livestock.
kitchen toy for my kids has been the salad spinner so far
Some good ideas here already, but I think you might need an expert.
My kids are 11 and 10 now, but as others have mentioned, the Melissa and Doug stuff was great and the quality of it was pretty high, I thought. Of course, as young as yours are, many things in your house are basically going to be "toys" in some form or another (within reason, so long as you have no immediate safety concerns) at some point in their development. We tried to keep on hand stuff for everything like blocks for spatial reasoning and toys that require some manipulation for fine motor movement, etc....and then let them explore.
Not toys, but my coworker is pregnant and told us that she bought a Baby Bjorn, to the horror of everyone. Do not buy a Baby Bjorn. Get an Ergo or Tula or something that actually has some goddamn support for both the baby and the person wearing the baby.