Packing Kids Toys

Ah! I love Value Village, don't you? Last summer, when I got my sewing machine, I went there and found a huge bag of different colored zippers mostly about a hand's length. So you ask, what are you going to do with these zippers, make mini parkas for the kids' stuffed animals? Cute idea, but no.  I've made a ton of pouches for all the multi-piece toys we plan to bring to Brazil with us.  They pack way better than boxes and the kid already knows which game is inside by the color of the zipper. I've also made some for myself to contain my art supplies, jewelry, intimates, etc...Definitely my newest favorite thing.

Simplicity Parenting-Environment

For fear of this post turning into a book report, I would like to share some of the key information in Simplicity Parenting that stood out for me without going on about it at length, right? Keeping it simple. Why? In case some of you are still operating on a few hours of sleep a night or already captivated by good bedside reading.

In the introduction, the author, Kim John Payne, praises simplicity and simplifying life for kids. No one can deny that our world often feels packed with too much stuff, too many choices and not enough time; I've certainly raced in my car to get coffee, disappointed that they didn't have my usual brand and overwhelmed by the choice of beans: organic or not, 12oz for $13.99 or 14oz for $14.99, fairtrade, ethical or not, locally or faraway brewed, super yummy, yummy or drinkable.....argh! So what about kids? What's the kid version of my coffee dilemma? How can we, as parents, offer a safe place to just be kids, away from the hyperspeed of daily life, a way for kids to be free and to discover their individuality?

Environment is the first section of the book which offers tips on reducing toys, clutter and books, as well as sounds, smells and light. Here are some points collected from this section which I thought were interesting:

1.  The average child has 150 toys.
2.  Pester-power usually wins. That's why marketers have increased advertising dollars from $100 million in 1983 to $16 billion in 2009.
3.  A smaller quantity of toys invites deeper play and engagement. An avalanche of toys creates emotional disconnect and a sense of overwhelm.

So, TOYS, to chuck or not to chuck? (Or give to goodwill) Start with this list and chuck:

1. Broken toys.
2. Developmentally inappropriate toys.
3. Conceptually "fixed" toys; toys based on characters from movies, comic books or tv which leads to wanting "more of that series".
4. Toys that "do too much" and break too easily; "do too much" meaning that don't lead to imagination. (Usually toys with lots of buttons)
5. Very high simulation toys: toys with flashing lights, mechanical voices, speed, sound effects intended to "excite" and "stimulate" kids.
6. Annoying or offensive toys: I admit we have a few of these I still haven't been able to tune out.
7. Toys that claim to give a developmental edge. Play is not a race. It is not an advancement opportunity.
8. Pester-Power toys you succumbed to.
9. Toys that inspire and glorify violence.
10. Toy multiples. (oh, boy, this one is tough. The kid loves his cars and trucks.)

What's left? You'd be surprised that a manageable amount of well-made, attractive, "quieter" toys invites imaginary play and encourages kids to create new worlds and new ways to play without having to replenish the pile so frequently.

And BOOKS, how many is too many? Books can follow the same rules as toys. The suggested amount is to offer 1-2 accessible books for children under 8-9 years old. REALLY? This one was hard to accept given my love of the library, but considering that the kid usually only wants to read 1-2 books over and over, I think the author might onto something....

CLOTHES too must be simplified. This is something I think I've finally managed to tame and I can't tell you how easy it is now to get the kid dressed; I've whittled it down to 4 pairs of pants, 3 pairs of shorts, 2 long sleeve tops, 5 t-shirts, 1 swimsuit, 3 pyjamas, a coat, 2 sweaters, 1 pair of shoes, 1 pair of rubber boots and a handful of socks. Goodbye to pulling out a pair of pants and triggering an avalanche of other pants. As the author states, clothes only need to say one thing: "I'm comfortable and ready to play!"

Reducing artificial SMELLS (a.k.a chemicals), in the home such as air fresheners, scented candles, perfumes, and cleaning products allow mom and dad's natural smell to linger and to create a sense of safety. This part was easy for me since I'm not big on " Ocean Breeze" and "Hawaiian Dew".

LIGHT also plays a big part of a child's environment. Reducing bright or fluorescent light as well as the glow of tv and computer screens quiets the mind and slows the body. My kid loves sunshine. Sunshine! he yells enthusiastically as he looks out the window. (Some months of the year, I yell the same thing in disbelief) He also loves darkness, he calls it "NOIR", not to mention his obsession with "fooas", his word for flames. We light a candle to entice him to take a bath on most nights.

I've been on this "simplicity" kick for a few months now, and I had started to purge our home of unnecessary clutter, and already cleared most of the kid's toys and clothes, so I was happy to read that my plan had a significant impact on the well being of my kid. I probably could get my hands on a few more toy cars..

The next sections in the book talk about rhythm and schedules which I will review in a later post. For now, I am completely thrilled to watch my kid prepare "shakes" with a coffee container, toy cups and block kiwis.

Rhino Sleeps in a Jar

Last night, after a very sweaty hour at Zumba where my brain was confused because it was telling my arms to move and they stubbornly stayed at my sides as if holding heavy shopping bags, I came home and curled up with 'Simplicity Parenting' by Kim John Payne. In just the first two chapters, there were so many wise bits of information to ponder over. I won't attempt to quote all of the things that stood out for me, but I might mention them as I incorporate them in my family life in no systematic way, but fluidly as days unfold.

I suppose I still had simplicity on my mind as I woke up this morning, and so I set out to find moments in my day that could benefit from a little paring down. More paring down? Yup. If you've been reading posts in the last few months, I've been really trying to minimize the amount of stuff that lives in my house and making a conscious effort to not let things come in. (okay, except for the sewing machine) So yes, more paring down. Author and family counselor, Kim John Payne, invites families to do some serious overhaul of toys and books; to get rid of old, broken, and loud toys. Toys that have too many buttons, that do everything for you or have only one function and don't allow for imagination. So without going all gung-ho on the toys and taking out the garbage bags, I decided to sit with the information in my mind. My mind was primed for simple play....

So today, the kid and I played with a jar and a plastic rhinoceros. We put him to sleep, closed the lid and sang lullabies- all the kid's idea. We put that rhino to sleep a lot, over and over again. It was fun. Later on, I had a urge to pack up dinner and go to the beach.... umm... tempting, but I when I really thought about it, I wasn't in the mood for bringing leftover fish stew to the beach and I also didn't want to come up with another "beachier' meal. So, simple wins again. Fish stew, and blueberries for desert at the diner table, and enough time to take the kid and his push bike up the block. For some reason, I had it in my head that we should go at least a certain distance, you know, to tire him out, but no, I quickly relinquished that idea when it was clear that all  the kid wanted to do is ride his bike around and around a miniature maple tree over and over again.

miniature maple leaves

Oh! And  I sewed a pouch for my very limited amount of make-up.

Zakka Style Pouch

Boys' Special Genes

I was shopping at Superstore the other day and I saw 3 boys dressed as firemen sitting in carts. Three! I'm convinced that boys have a special gene: the firetruck gene. There is also the train gene and the truck gene. It makes sense that babies learn early on words most needed for survival and basic comfort, your know, words like Mommy, Daddy, water, eat etc.. but why goo-goo (train), a car (anything with wheels) and nee-no-nee-no (firetruck)? What is it with modes of transportation?

A while back I was walking along with a friend by the train tracks in Gastown and a train was going by so I decided to take a short video to show Baby. I never realized at the time how popular this 3 minute video was going to be. Every time the computer is on, Baby says: Goo-Goo! I bought a play train I found at a second hand store and I was planning to keep it for Christmas, but seeing how excited he was about the train video, I pulled it out recently. My boy has fallen in love with it! Is there a scientific reason for this deep adoration for anything on wheels? I couldn't find one. If you know one, let me know meanwhile I'll be busy tracking down (pun!) more rail pieces!  GOO-GOO!

Kitchen Play-Act 2

Just finished the first coat of paint on the play kitchen yesterday. It's starting to look pretty fancy- dancy if you ask me! I used some leftover gray and beige paint from our storage and spruced it up with an orange front. I still need another coat of paint, knobs, doodads and the backsplash- ohh la la! On va cuisiner comme des vrais chefs! I sure hope my Babe digs this kitchen as much as I do- he might just use the oven as a garage for his cars, and if that's the case, it's all good.

I've been on the look out for kitchen accessories and scored today in China Town and at Value Village! Yes, I know, I know, I can hear a collective gasp from mothers out there thinking "What about the BPA?" Children toys generally do not contain Bisphenol A- so I think the plastic veggies are okay. We will probably end up replacing them as my friend Meggie felts some for us. (hint, hint.) As for the few spatulas I bought, as long as we don't microwave them or suck on them a lot, I think we'll be fine. So I'm super happy. We're almost there- stay tuned for the final reveal!

I got a huge bag of food for $3. Once I discarded the french fries, potato chips and donuts, I was left with lots of fruits and veggies and some cans. I did find something curious. The flash on the camera gives it that "mysterious" look doesn't it? Can you guess what it is?

Lucky Duck Toy Box

We just received our Lucky Duck Toy Box delivery!!! Yay! We subscribed for the 3 toys/ month for $24 plan and chose 1 fire truck, 1 musical table and a toy radio. Baby loves all his new toys and once he gets sick of them (or I can't take the tunes anymore) we can return them and get new ones! What lucky duckies are we? There's a pretty good selection of toys which you can select online by age group.  I did notice that all the ones I wanted at first were taken already; bigger toys like play kitchens and play gardens, but what we got in the end was great. The toys were delivered to my door all cleaned up and ready to go. Definitely worth a try if you don't want to waste your time on craigslist trying to get rid of mountains of unwanted toys.

New Monkey Post

My last post was not exactly the most humorous which was is one of my intention for this blog, so I've decided to rewrite it! So on the theme of monkeys..

Before Baby was born, a coworker and friend of mine rescued the last of this monkey from Starbucks which for whatever reason I just couldn't keep my eyes off of. (Which is weird because I've never been a stuffed animal kind of woman..) I guess when you're pregnant, you are surging with a "cute hormone" and everything babyish is irresistible.

This monkey who shall remain nameless, became our tester monkey. Along with long winded manuals, we used him to test straps, snaps, and wraps. Our car seat, stroller, diapers, sleepsack and crib were all monkey-tested.

Since then it seems monkeys seem to have sneaked up on us here and there. Just the other day, I was reading an animal book to Baby and when I turned the page to the baby monkey, he kissed the page! Baby never did that before and no kissing any other animal, only the monkey. Let's celebrate playfulness today, be a bit more monkey-like, eat fruit, swing, and get rid of our fleas!

Safe Toys

Choosing safe toys for Baby. It's simple isn't it?

As long as the toy is BPA and Phthalate free, has low VOC, isn't painted with lead paint, is bigger than an apple, but smaller than a fridge, is not sprayed with fire-retardant chemicals, isn't too loud, isn't chipping, breaking, rusting or sharp and isn't recalled, then you're okay.  Oh, and watch out for Cadmium too! And it can't be made in China, 'cause you never know about those toys from China, right? It's safer if it's a seemingly overpriced, wooden puzzle from Germany, made in Thailand, right? Make sure you read the warning labels just in case you can't use it while sleeping, jump on it, or submerge it in water (all fun things to do, by the way) Oh, and no magnets! And to top it all off no annoying adult voice pretending to be a kid repeating: "Let's play 1-2-3!" over and over again.

Where are those affordable, fun, all organic, painted with beet juice toys made with recycled corn husks, that make soft, soothing noises, which are not wrapped in questionable containers? uh?

My kid loves banging on plastic bowls and cardboard boxes, he loves to wave my keys around and loves to chew his books.... hum....

Sometimes I feel like I'm back in university. Okay, for Toys 101, research and write a 50 page report on safety. Then for Car Seat 102, research and test 50 models and write a 20 page summary. Don't forget Baby Nutrition 201... Midterm is today.

Luckily, I have husband who loves research. Baby and I do all the testing.

All joking aside, it's worth looking online to familiarize yourself with good toy-choosing habits and to check products if you have any doubts. Visit

Healthy Stuff
 
Health Canada

One last funny bit. Read Curious Dad, Chad Skelton's funny article "Warning: Don't file away children in storage containers."

Gotta go! I have Installing Safety Gate 101 today!