Looking at the child's room, there are already so many toys, and how to handle the child's demands - accompanied by advertising and peer pressure - is quite tricky at this time. But the most beautiful toy may not necessarily be the best - it will stimulate children's imagination more. So how to choose good toys for children? Let's take a look below.
Toys and games
Toys can help children start games and help them grow. But your child may not need as many toys as you think. The best toys should be 'open ended'. These toys should encourage your child to use their imagination, creativity, and problem-solving abilities.
Open toys include:
1. Building blocks - One day your child may use them to build a tower, and the next day they may hold the blocks to their ears and pretend to be earphones.
2. Balls - They can bounce, watch, roll, lift, and throw.
3. Cartons - They can replace many things, including store counters, ovens, cars, boats, and doll houses.
4. Doll's Clothes - With some old clothes and fabrics, your child can become anything or anyone they like.
5. Draft Paper and Fragments - Colored paper, stickers, crayons, and washable markers can help your child start creating his masterpiece.
Choose toys
Many toys have age limits on their packaging. This is useful, but when it comes to playing, it's just a guide. Your child's interests and developmental stages may have more guiding significance in choosing toys for you. Of course, age information is important for safe use of toys - for example, when a toy has small protrusions that may be accidentally swallowed. In such situations, it is wise to refer to information on safe age.
For your baby, the best 'toys' and companions are you, the nanny, or other close family members. Your baby will like to look at your face, listen to your voice, and stay with you. He also likes to watch a brightly colored phone, listen to a winded music toy, or learn to play a rattle. When your child can sit up, they will also like things that can be knocked on - they will feel that using a wooden spoon to make a pot is like a specially made toy, which is very fun.
Children enjoy playing with boxes and often find wrapping gifts more interesting than the gifts themselves. Other good choices include construction toys and clothing for playing facelift games. Older children often enjoy solving problems and using their imagination. Puzzle puzzles or games that your child can play with others are also good choices.
Toys that you feel uncomfortable with
Some toys may not align well with the values in your family. For example, some parents may not be very comfortable with toys like guns, while others may not like dolls with similar bodies or their clothes.
Toy weapon
Toy weapons often involve aggression and violence. When children play with an aggressive attitude, it may have a negative impact on their confidence and physical and mental health. But toy weapons can also be played in a positive way. This mainly depends on how your child plays and whether they know what they are doing. For example, your child may use toys as props in a game of pretending to be police and robbers. This may be okay. However, if your child treats other children in an aggressive manner, they may need your guidance. This gun is not the key issue.
Children often consider guns as everyday items, such as sticks, celery, toast, or LEGO. This may not be what you want to see, but the energy of a baking gun may not be like that of a toy gun. The toaster gun is a symbolic symbol that is unlikely to scare others.
Sexy Doll
Playing with dolls is fun, but some dolls have an adult like, sexy appearance - for example, some female dolls may have mini skirts, fishing net socks, and high heels. This may seem interesting and naive, but it can create a female image that you don't like, play with your baby - or imitate it. In fact, a 2009 study by a British human rights organization found that the sexual characteristics of toys directly affect children's cognition, attitude, and behavior towards sex. Once again, it is important to observe how your child plays with dolls. If you are concerned about this issue, you can provide more dolls with child characteristics, so that your child can come into contact with dolls of various styles and body shapes.
Discuss toys
You are the person at home who decides what kind of toys your child wants to play with. If you have a strong affection for certain toys, you can discuss it with your child, especially when she grows up. You can discuss family values with him. For example, 'Guns can intimidate and harm many people, and none of us in our family has a gun.'
Reprimanding your child or prohibiting them from playing with toys is not an effective method. This will make your child want to play with more toys that you don't like. On the contrary, you can use this opportunity to teach children your own values about weapons, war, and violence.
Children sometimes confuse information about toys. For example, if children are allowed to watch violent TV programs or play violent video games, they may question whether their parents prohibit them from playing violent games. If you don't want other adults to give your child a toy as a gift, you need a brief and calm explanation to explain. Finally, remember that this is your decision.
The Power of Advertising
Many toys have advertisements, and the direct target is your child. It's difficult to make your child resist a toy when 'everyone has it'. You may prefer to learn how to prevent your child from being easily fooled. Advertisements often promote a specific way of playing toys, as they usually appear in a TV program or movie. This does not make them bad toys, it just limits the way they are played. This situation, like your child imitating or copying performances from TV shows, will limit their imagination.