“Educational toys are the best investment for children which pays you the best interest in the form of values and ethics”
If you are a parent, you probably agree with me that parenting is the toughest job in the world. As a parent, you always need to be attentive and look after every activity of a child, and purchasing toys for your children are one of the crucial activity and duty of yours as a parent. Don’t take us wrong but at the time of selecting toys for your children, you are not being attentive and cautious.
Parents generally use toys as babysitters, they just bought toys and walk away to check their emails, phone, etc., and let their children will play on their own. Even if your child is at the age of 10-12, you should need to engage with them and try to teach something new with the help of toys.
To make purchasing toys a great investment a parent must involve himself/herself. This is not only beneficial for your child only but also for society, for the economy, and for the Nation.
So, here are the top 5 common mistakes that every parent is doing while selecting toys for their children:
1. Selecting Toys on the basis of Brands:
We agree that branding is one of the major factors of selecting the toys but not always. Sometimes you just need to select the toys according to their feature, quality, and most importantly your kid’s interest. Buying branded toys without any feature, creativity is nothing but a waste. Toys are not a status symbol they are purely meant for playing and building values and ethics.
2. Selecting Toys on the basis of Reviews:
Selecting toys completely based on Reviews is not a good decision as it does not show a breakdown of what a 4-year-old child can do with a toy and what a 6-year-old child can do with it. In short, do not go simply with the reviews of others just check its features, quality, and its relevance for a child’s growth. Also, there are many types of research on reviews that show many fake reviews are posted on websites to increase sales of their products/services.
3. Selecting Toys on the basis of Technology:
As it is rightly said that, “the more a toy will perform, the less the child will do” (kidsstoppress.com). The main objective of buying a toy must be to engage children mind and body both. For example, joining blocks are far better in comparison to mobile-based games, as they develop strength in children’s core trunk, shoulder, and arm muscles. Depending on technology will somehow make a child more lethargic than energetic.
4. Quality Assurance:
In India, for the quality of toys, BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) Certification must be necessary. Many of us are buying the toys from the local market without checking the quality symbols at the back of the package. Here are some symbols that must be there in the packaging of toys.
Image Source: International Safety Signs for Toys
Also, for soft toys, you must check the quality of their fur(fabric), as it must be stable and not shed. For stuffing the material must not be plastic or synthetic. These are the few guidelines to check before you buy toys from local shops near you. For more information please check the official website: https://www.sgs.com/en/news/2020/03/safeguards-03320-india-issues-order-for-toy-safety
5. Selecting Toys Randomly:
This is the most common mistake parents generally do. Usually while buying a birthday gift for children, parents randomly select toys on the basis of packaging, size, colors, etc. which is not recommended.
You must select the toys by giving first priority to “Interest of Your Children”. Suppose, if your child is interested in becoming a doctor, then you must encourage his/her feeling by purchasing a doctor set or something else related to doctors. This will not only make his/her mind but also develops values and ethics that help them to become a responsible citizen of our nation.
Certain Important Factors need to be considered while Selecting Toys for your children:
- Quality
- The interest of Your Children
- Values and Ethics
- Cognitive Development
- Motor Skills, etc.
So, this is our viewpoint, hope you like it. We exist only for one aim that is “Giving children the best values and education with the help of toys” As toys are not only meant for playing but also for educating children.
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