Expensive gifts for young children sometimes become psychologically unsafe toys to play with. Often the more a gift costs and the more movable parts it has, the more breakable it is. Plus, by the time children are three or four years of age, they have a pretty good idea about how their parents (and grandparents) will react when they break a toy- especially an expensive one. So to avoid the possibility of parental wrath or disappointment, a child often feels that the safest thing to do is to put the expensive gift on the shelf, even though she had wanted it above all else. Instead of having a good time with the expensive toy, the child chooses to play with toys that won’t break or get ruined easily.
So the next time you are tempted to buy that overpriced toy that is guaranteed to do everything, stop and ask yourself these questions:
1. Will my child really use this toy? (If not, it will just clutter the house and be forgotten in day or two.
2. Will the toy likely break down in the normal everyday wear and tear that it could receive from my child and playmates? (If it’s likely to break soon, why waste your money on it? It will make your child feel guilty for having been accidentally destructive, and it will make you angry.)
3. Will I be overly upset if the toy should break within the first week or two? (If so, you will probably put so many restrictions on the use of the toy that it no longer is a toy.
If you have to answer yes to any of these questions, then the toy you are considering is probably a psychologically unsafe toy for your child at this time, and you should continue to choose the toy that will better suit to your child’s needs.
Toys that cause harm to the human body
Any toy that promotes unhealthful practices should be banned from toy stores, but they aren’t so you are going to have to make sure they don’t find a way into your home. You should avoid any toy that promotes the use of drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes, or anything that is commonly associated with any of these things. And stay away from toys that promote the mutilation of the human body.
Checklist for unsafe toys
1. Avoid toys that break easily.
2. Avoid toys that could cause electrical shock or burns
3. Avoid toys with sharp pieces that could cut or puncture.
4. Avoid toys with moving pieces that could pinch.
5. Avoid toys that could choke a child if swallowed, or that have parts that can come off and be swallowed, or that have cords that could get wrapped around a child’ neck.
6. Avoid toys that could cause eye and ear injuries, such as headgear toys made of breakable plastic or toys that make an exploding sound.
7. Avoid riding toys that have narrow wheelbases, small tires, and inadequate brakes.
8. Avoid toys that may be made of toxic materials or that can’t be kept clean.
9. Avoid psychologically harmful toys, such as those promoting unhealthful practices, violence, mutilation of the human body, and occult practices.
10. Avoid toys that aren’t necessary. Too many toys lead to disrespect and carelessness.
