New Year’s Resolutions
January 5, 2007 by Kerri Aldrich
Filed under General Play Library Goodies
So, in honor of the new year (and of an upcoming Family and Relationships Channel carnival—will give the details when it’s up!), I’ll share a few of my new year’s resolutions as they pertain to toys and play!
- 1. Get rid of toys. I’m a pack rat of the highest order! Half of the things we can’t get rid of in our house are still around because I hold an emotional attachment to them, including toys that the kids no longer want. I need to work on that so I don’t pass that hoarding characteristic to them. We can start with the toys, then move on to all my junk.
- 2. Get out and play more! You know that parent that you see at the park who’s always jumping around on the jungle gym with their kids? The one who goes down the slide? The one who readily jumps into a game of hide and seek? Yeah….that’s not me. I’m the one one the bench trying to read a book while Bald Man does the jungle gym jumping. I need to get better about the running and playing with my kids before they’re older and no longer want to play with me!
- 3. Be more fun. Only say “no” when I’ve actually taken the time to listen to my kids’ requests and have a reason to say “no,” not just because I’m being lazy. This includes pulling out the Play-doh and paints more often. The kids love them, but I get bugged with the mess. I know, I know, it’s really not a good enough reason to steal away potentially good memories from their childhood. That’s why it’s on my list.
How about you? Do you have resolutions/changes to make in the toys/playtime arena? Share them in the comments!
And please vote in our Barbie/Bratz poll in the right sidebar. Thanks!
*sigh*
My son and I are playing this game:
Me: What do you want to keep, this blue dinosaur or this blue dinosaur?
Him: I want two blue dinosaurs!
Me: But they are exactly the same and you have never played with weither of them.
Him: I know that!
Kate: I think our sons are taking the same, “How to Make Your Mom Crazy in 10 Words or Less!” classes. heh, as if they need instruction here.
I definitely need to do #1. The girls’ Christmas toys are still all over the living room because I have nowhere to put them!
Thanks for sharing this with the Carnival of Family Life.
I just did #!, setting aside baby toys for a new cousin in the family. What a difference it made! My husband is very active with our oldest, and goes down the slides with her. :O)
Local Girl: I’m with you! Really, how many baby dolls or trucks are really healthy for one house to hold!?! Thanks for hosting the carnival!
Mary: Good on you! I think I need to do it when the kids are sleeping. I don’t think they’d miss a thing! I’m thankful for a hubby who does the slides, too. Maybe one day I’ll get back up there.
Those are some great new year’s resolution. I particularly like the getting out and playing more one. We could all do a little of that.
Here via the carnival of family life.
Lisa: Thanks for commenting! Yeah, I’m hoping my kids remember me more as the mom who played rather than the, “just a minute” mom that I have a reputation for now! Here’s to playing more.
I’d love to be able to stop saying, “KNOCK IT OFF YOU TWO!” to stop the bickering. Sigh. At least they love each other and are best friends as well as fierce competitors.
Here via CoFL.
Desert Songbird: Ditto! I feel like the only time I’m not yelling at them to stop fighting is when I’m trying to ignore it all together.
But the moments when they’re cuddling or reading together reminds me that they do actually like each other, too!
I don’t have a hard time holding on to toys that the kids don’t use. As soon as they outgrow it, I’m ready to get rid of it. But still, toys are overtaking my house. We have way too many. You know you have too many toys when the UPS guy asks if you have an in-home daycare! No kidding. That really happened.
I do have a hard time getting out the playdough and the paints, but it’s mainly because of my little toddler roaming around. There really isn’t a place in our house that my daughter could do her art where my son wouldn’t be smearing it everywhere. I know she’s getting many art experiences though. I’m her preschool teacher. Yesterday we fingerpainted and today we sponge painted. Having her in class with me all the time is frustrating though.
Karen: That UPS thing cracked me up! I’m wondering if our water meter reader thought the same thing yesterday.
Yeah, a lot of the play doh frustration here is that the 1 year old still just wants to eat it. Bah! Well, he is the youngest and he will outgrow it soon. That’s what I keep telling myself. 
I have the same problem with my 1 year old. At the last preschool I worked at we made our own playdough. There certainly was nothing harmful in it. We’ve had a lot of playdough given to us as gifts, so I haven’t made any of my own yet.