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Friday, May 1, 2009

Friday High Five - five reasons not to buy your children anything electronic

Remember when you would play as a child?  You used to have to make your own noises, sounds, dialogue.  Today's toys, quite frankly, just aren't the same.  Now when you play with a farm all the animals make their own noises.  Personally, I think this is why my son, who is five, still isn't 100% sure what sound a sheep makes.  Of course, is could be bad parenting, I'm not rulling that out...LOL

Today I decided to list all the reasons I hate electronic toys:

  • Batteries:  We've been trying to go a little greener in this house.  I bought a battery charger; I'm trying not to use paper towels; I'm cleaning with all natural products.  Electronic toys burn through batteries at an alarming rate.  Even when you are trying to charge those batteries, it becomes overwhelming and annoying.
  • No imagination:  If they baby doll already makes noises, moves and blinks--what is the point?  I can remember playing dolls with my sister and we made up the entire plot, setting, circumstance.  It was fun.  Today's baby dolls are 1) scary looking 2) actually poop which quite frankly is scary and 3) can't go in the tub because they take batteries.  How fun is that?
  • Cost too much:  My oldest has LOST her Nintendo DS.  I'm fuming, but on the other hand, I'm more than aware that she is 10.  She doesn't know how much they cost.  She is not responsible enough for a toy that cost more than $100.  Why did I have to learn this lesson the hard way?
  • Are annoying:  I was trying to clean out one of our toy boxes and everything was talking, moving, lighting up.  UGH.  I had to take tylenol when I finished.
  • Have too many small parts:  Do the manufacturers ever take these toys home and see how long they can keep the pieces.  We have a talking 8 inch Hermione doll who actually has a wand.  Seriously.  Who's brilliant idea was this.  It's about 1 1/2 inches long.  I found it today and not the DS.  How's that for irony??
Here's hoping you aren't being overrun by electronic toys.  I'm signing off to teach my son the sound a sheep makes before he starts kindergarten.

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Angela's Adventures

4 random thoughts:

Shannon said...

I am totally with you on the electronic toy thing. My DD had a doll called "Baby Alive" and it was so completely creepy! It would make baby noises and move when you least expected it to! Reminded me of that movie "The Sixth Day" and that "Cindy Sim-Pal" Doll! LOL
We go thru batteries like crazy! We got some rechargables but somehow they keep wandering off! My 5 year old wants a "Tender DS" as he calls it, but he is not gonna get it. I just about passed out when my mom bought him a Leapster...he already has a VSmile with about 25 games! Now I have 1 LEAPSTER, 1 game for said Leapster and two boys that both want it at the same time. Thanks MOM!!!!

Blessings!
Word is: Plipy, this is the kind of sound it makes when your tap is dripping... a "plip-y kind of sound"

Becca said...

AMEN to everything you just said. I could go on and on about how rediculous children's toys are today but I think you put it quite well!

Have a great weekend!

Enfys said...

You are so funny, and everything you say is true. I went to buy Kiki a doll to give her when her baby brother arrives next month (a baby of her own etc) and they all looked so scary and did all sorts of unecessary things. some of them even started crying and bleating mama every time I walked past them, I do hope the new baby doesn't look like any of them, I might be tempted to say 'send him back'
En xx

Angela said...

Batteries, ugh!! The nice thing about batteries is......the really annoying toys are the ones that get the batteries removed while the kids are away THEN I tell them we don't have anymore!!! My 15 yr old lost his DS too ~~~~ SERIOUSLY! Needless to say he will not own another one bought by our money! I don't have girls so I didn't know they made dolls that poop! That is disgusting and disturbing!!! Small parts ~ ugh ugh ugh! I agree with you totally! Manufacturers should be sent to homes with many small children and the toy then they could evaluate the loss time to be a few minutes! Hate tiny parts!!

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kisatrtle
I'm a 41 year old (gasp) freelance writer, school cafeteria manager, wife and mother. I have three children and one anxious and overweight beagle. I use my blog to make others laugh, to share some cool crafts, to document my lunchlady adventures and to lament about the challenges faced by us all on the journey called life. Thanks for visiting. Please leave some crack...um...I meant some comments.
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