I was a bit stumped on a topic for this week’s article, so I sought input from two people in my life whose opinions I highly value. My preschoolers. At ages three and five they can be counted on for creative and clever ideas. After discussing it between themselves, they came to the conclusion that I should opine on the matter of toys.
Toys have been discussed a lot around our house because most of ours have been in storage during this lengthy remodel process. I figured opening the boxes after all these months would be the equivalent of Christmas morning on steroids. Surprisingly, after all the talk and anticipation, there was little fanfare and only mild interest.
Three-year-old son soon went back to the trains that were never packed away in the first place. He spends hours arranging and reconfiguring the wooden track pieces. It was a relief when he was finally able to do it himself because he has this inexplicable desire to leave no ends open. He hated it when I would put his track together because I left open ends all over the place. I told him to call out, “End of the line!” But he thinks trains should continue looping and circling forever.
Five-year-old daughter showed some interest in her baby dolls and dress-up clothes, but after a short time she said, “Mom, I think we should give all this stuff to Goodwill. I’m really just ready for an iPod.”
Having teenaged siblings has definitely affected this child. Two weeks ago, when she was balking at the idea of still riding in a car seat, she angrily blurted out, “I have my own life you know!”
I quickly informed her that she does not have a life apart from mommy and daddy and she needn’t say that again. She said, “Well, I have an airplane life!”
I responded, “You can’t ride on an airplane without mommy, so that’s not your own life.”
She sat back in the car seat, crossed her arms angrily, and then lifted her chin and said, “I have a princess life! Do YOU have a princess life?!”
If being a princess means driving around with furrowed brow, and a smart-mouthed five year old strapped into a car seat, then yes, I have a very full princess life.
So, anyway, daughter and son gathered up several toys and took them to the front yard. They developed a catchy marketing phrase to yell at passing cars- “Stop and buy some toys!”
Their plan was quickly thwarted by the reminder that they aren’t allowed to talk to strangers. So, we made a “FREE” sign and stacked the toys alongside the old desk chair, three lamps, and pile of curtains I had dragged to the front yard. In a matter of minutes, everything disappeared, except the toys. Daughter dryly observed, “I guess everybody just wants an iPod.”
Everybody except for our son. He wants a bulldozer. A real one. I can’t count the number of times he has asked, “Mommy, we get rid of all my toys, then I have room for a bulldozer?”
His concept of size and space is as limited as my ability to continuously loop train tracks.
We recently stood at a construction site and watched the massive equipment maneuver across the dirt. Son added “crane” to his Christmas list. And forklift. Instead, I found a construction zone app for the iPad, and he seems pretty content. The back-up beep is so realistic I find myself looking out the window in hopes of a delivery.
It is sad to think that we are already coming to the end of the toy era in our household. I personally played with Barbie Dolls until I was at least twelve. But that was before iPods and iPads. Heck, that was before computers, video tapes, and the first round of leg warmers. It was my discovery of lipstick and pantyhose that propelled me to pack away the Barbie Dream House. So, I guess I have something for which to be thankful. As of yet, neither of my preschoolers have added those items to their Christmas list.
Leave a Reply