It turns out that the educational baby-toy market has it all wrong: the only toy babies really need is you! A new study
looked at 12,500 children at ages six months, 18, 30, and 42 months,
and determined that one-to-one interaction and outings to the store or
to parks have a
greater and long-term impact on development of a child than did
educational toys such as pre-school computers and electronic activity
boards.
Leapfrog?
You can throw it away. Especially if it has anything to do with Dora.
Baby Einstein? Forget it. Apparently from the research conducted, it
resulted that what children crave is personal attention.
Who
knew! Personally, I always thought that babies were kind of like
decoration: stick 'em in a corner (nobody puts Baby in a corner!)
strapped in an Exersaucer or something and give them some interactive
plastic noise-making battery-sucking toy to keep them quiet. Right?
Kidding. I so am kidding. But while I certainly don't begrudge
anyone those much-needed respites in order to preserve sanity, I also
agree with these guys that babies and young children won't develop
without interaction, and lots of it. Most children, mine included, have
way too many toys, far more than they need, and most would be happier
simply with some time spent with Mom and Dad.
Guilt-inducing? Perhaps. As always, like with anything: balance.
