Well I just finished my first shopping experience. Kate and I went off to Target to see what we may need to bring our little girl home. We got ourselves a scanner gun and made our way through the maze of consumerism and did our best to avoid the normal trappings. It was fairly easy at first as the practical side of me said she needs shirts, dresses, pants, and shoes. She also will need things like sippy cups, toothbrush, socks; oh yeah a car seat too.
As we made our way through the aisles it dawned on us that she would need some toys and things to play with. Thanks to the good folks in marketing we were directed to the age appropriate toys in the back of the stores. Toys for this and toys for that. Learning toys, fun toys, computer toys and talking toys. Toys toys toys toys. Toys are everywhere. I was struck by the masses of technology toys that exist in today's marketplace. I am sure that the toys are good, helpful and amusing. I know that nothing existed like a cellphone toy or laptop toy or just about anything else out there in the marketplace when I was a kid. I had Tonka Trucks, star wars figures, a few matchbox cars and other things as well but nothing close to today's standard. Some of those toys that were around then are are still around but in "upgraded" versions. I digress.
So what what am I getting at? You'll have to stay with me for a minute so I can explain myself. I recently heard Donald Miller of "Blue Like Jazz" in an interview with Relevant Magazine speak of someone that wanted to bring toys to a mission and the mission asked them not to. The reason, because toys often bring about greed and fighting among other things with the kids. Miller also mentions a person in Scotland that didn't want to bring their friends back to the US before their kids are beyond a certain age because they would like to shield them from the mass consumerism of our present culture. They wanted the kids to really value the relationship with their siblings and friends more than any "thing" that they could want or have.
What I am getting at is that all of the toys that were considered the best, the high end ones, were all "learning" toys. All toys that allowed your child to interact with a machine or game that would teach them something. Maybe I will show my ignorance here but I thought that interacting was to be done by children and parents or children and friends. Don't get me wrong here I am not saying that they are all bad. I am sure they are good things in many if not most of the toys out there. It's just that I worry that it creates an environment that is too easy for me as a parent to ignore my child in the name of amusement and learning.
In wrapping up I would say is that my hope is that I will navigate the course well be mindful of my time and money as a parent. I would prefer to think that I would value that time so much with my child that would want to be there, side by side watching, learning and interacting with her. The idea of reading to Asha makes me nearly melt right now. Maybe I'm nuts, maybe it's just the years of waiting to be a parent makes me ultra sensitive to gift and privilege of having a child. I just don't know, I just thought I would get some thoughts out.
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