What if the newest “must-have” baby item was simplicity?

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I read a lot of mommy blogs. I read a lot of posts by other mothers, new clueless mothers (much like myself) desperate for some sort of advice/guidance/reassurance that they aren’t alone. Then I read articles, posts and comments by old-hat pro mums who have been around the block so many times their hair is grey and they mutter with some sort of baby-induced tourettes that seems to get gradually worse as they venture through toddlerdom and beyond.

One thing I’ve noticed about mums is we like to buy stuff, it’s like stuff will make us forget our anxiety about not doing it right. I get it, this mother gig is bloody hard work – it’s like every day you get up to go to work and realise that you never left work. You don’t get to shower in between gigs and your hot and smell like spew. Your overworked and have no social life to speak of. Your boss is loud, demanding and speaks a foreign language and you’re forever trying to translate the cries. We are programmed to believe that stuff will actually make it better and solve all our problems. If one mum finds a particular item of clothing/sleepwear/noise making device or secret fairy dust  that seems to solve their problems then every mum between here and there will rush out and buy one.

But, what if we didn’t? What if we simplified life and got rid of all this junk and just lived? I don’t know, maybe we would all spontaneously combust, maybe I’ll be shot down by the all important marketing deities for even suggesting it… it is blasphemy against consumerism after all.What if instead of buying stuff to entertain our child so that we can go and do something else/watch tv/chat on facebook… we got down on our knees and played silly buggers with that little ball of dribbling innocence that kept us up all night?

Maybe less (of the plastic, light up, musical crap) truly is more (for them) and more (for us)… but then again, I have a six week old who won’t let me put her down, I still smell like stale spew, I’m completely sleep deprived and the shop was all out of magical fairy dust last time I checked – so I could be completely wrong.

 

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  • March 31, 2012 - 10:46 am

    becomingcliche - The light up musical crap is from the devil. THE DEVIL. I never let my kids have those toys because they were over-stimulating and hampered any kind of experimentation and creativity. I’m with you. Chuck it all!ReplyCancel

  • March 31, 2012 - 12:00 pm

    kathy - We bought a whizz-bang mobile with lights, toys, music and even a remote control (why?) and all we ended up with was a frazzled, overtired Abby. She wanted to be held… and that’s what we did. The sling was her nest and our mode of sanity (until it stopped working ay four months, but that’s another story!)ReplyCancel

  • July 10, 2012 - 10:23 pm

    Desiree - I could not agree with you more! My daughter in now 15 months old and has enough of those over-stimulating, light-up, extremely expensive, toxic toys it blows my mind. Before I went simple with living we bought her one of them, but we had a birthday party for her and it was crazy how many gifts of these types of toys she got. We wished people could have been more creative with gifting. Don’t you think that these types of toys not only takes creativity away from playing, but it also is kind of a cop-out for creative gift giving.
    Anyway, I have started making her some toys to play with. I have hand stitched her felt vegetables to pretend to cook with. I really like your Howie. How did you make him or her? Did you have a pattern? oh sooo creative!!!

    Just found you blog at topbabyblogs, and I love it! Bo is soo beautiful.ReplyCancel

  • July 15, 2013 - 5:00 am

    Inked in Colour: Fostering creativity: Play for play’s sake. - […] Children don’t need toys that do it all for them. They don’t need app’s and dvd’s and toddler classes all designed to teach them new skills. None of these things are going to hurt them, so if it’s your thing and you’re into it then go, do it… do your thing. But if it’s not your thing (and it’s really not mine) then please, don’t feel pressured to spend hundreds (or, thousands) on children’s education toys, lessons, programs etc. for fear that your toddler is going to get left behind in a sea of teeny tiny competition. It’s not a race guys. It’s not a competition. So your kid talks first, my kid walks first, your kid can count in french and that other kid can do a double back-flip and my kid licks the glass… whatever. It just doesn’t matter. It isn’t a competition. We need to stop comparing our children to each other in some sick parenting fight-to-the-top. Our children are NOT pawns. They are people. Little tiny people with their own needs. And the one thing that children need more than anything in the world is play for play’s sake. Not structured learning play. Not being quizzed on flash cards or plonked in front of an educational DVD. What they need most is play. […]ReplyCancel

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