When you finally have kids running around the house, your household suddenly transforms into a treasury for toys. There’s the teddy bears strewn around, toy piano that makes nice sounds, and the ever-present, almost essential kids’ wooden toys that come in all shapes and sizes.
It’s great to see our children falling in love with their toys. However, there’s a disconnect between the toys they learn to love and the toys they want to have. There’s a big link between your kid and his toys and how it shapes his or her future personality.
Why let children choose their own play toys
Children are individuals, not stereotypes. Yes, they might conform to stereotypes in some ways, and sometimes not at all. The thing is allowing children to discover for themselves the things they want, rather than having their choices and interests proscribed by big businesses. While some may make stereotypical choices, others won’t, and most will probably follow a mix of the two because no child is the same.
Many shops are reproached for dividing their toys into boys’ things (cars) and girls’ things (dolls) on the ground that typecasting little girls as lovers of pink naturally discriminate against them. Walk into any home with toddlers, and you will undoubtedly be able to tell whether the child is a boy or girl by just peeking into the playroom. Trains, cars, planes, and balls will mean boy; while a room full of frilly and pink dolls and stuffed animals have a little girl all over it.
What your toddler simply knows is that he or she enjoys doing some activities. These type of activity, whether role-playing, sorting, or building, can be done equally well with toys that are blue or pink, and few children, unless prompted by adults or siblings, see toys as gender specific.
Letting children choose their own toy/s boost imaginative play
Imaginative play is a vital part of childhood development. According to the medical thesis headed by Dr. Carter Bruce, Cognitive Aspects of Sex-Role Development, clinical research showed that gender-specific toys play a big role in socialization that led to recognized principles of sex role development later in children’s lives.
In short, the parent/s of the child who finds it uncomfortable upon seeing their male child playing with dolls and cooking toys can serve to stymie him from being an artist or musician and likewise, thwart a female from becoming a professional athlete
Assisting in choosing your kid’s toys
Let’s get real, toddlers are just toddlers, and they’ll play with any toy they want with other children, spending lengthy amounts of time playing toys using their imagination as a guide. When assisting your kid with choosing toys, keep in mind to choose premium materials like kids’ wooden toys from Kidstuff or non-toxic plastic material to keep them safe while playing.
End Note
While parents should expose their children to a wide range of toys and play type, it’s important to realize that they have their own preferences, and it’s worth exploring those as it will shape their future and turn them into a unique, creative and fun-loving individual.
