I took on a part-time job working at a small toy store a few weeks before Thanksgiving. With all my other responsibilities, I needed my part-time work to be a little carefree, in a place with a positive vibe. I was certain that my first month would be the busiest time of the year.
I was surprised, however, to realize that without lots of added responsibility, I was able to fall into a happy old habit of observing. It must be the dormant anthropologist in me, but I have been having a jolly old time of it. I thought a few of my observations about toys, the economy, and relationships might make for a light hearted post.
There is little long term play value for the money in toys today.
Ours is a somewhat higher end toy store, yet I am appalled to see how much of the toys marketed today have a very limited purpose. The craft and science kits are designed in a once-and-done consumable fashion, most at a minimum of $20 a pop.
While we carry a large variety of great toys for imaginative play like puppet theaters, wooden blocks and kitchen food sets, etc. , they were not the big sellers that the consumable crap proved to be this year, even at similar prices. I understand the trend toward consumable toys from a manufacturer's perspective, but I was a little surprised that in this economy too few have adjusted their purchasing habits toward value.
We rely too heavily on the Chinese for manufacturing.
I know that we all *know* this, but I have been overwhelmingly shocked at the reality of it. I began noticing it as I faced the shelves (moving everything to the front of the row in neat lines). I have to say that the only items I found not made in China were a few wooden toy sets and figurines made in Germany, and specialized items manufactured in the States. Even the lovely wooden toy puzzles and block sets are traveling halfway across the world.
We have discussed this a great deal as a family, and are especially interested in the economic labor aspects of this trend. We are doing our best to be conscious of this in our own purchasing. I tried to set an example this year in my own gifts and purchases, selecting handmade mittens and a sweater coat from Nepal, a hand-thrown pottery tea mug, and silver jewelry and iron work made by local artisans sold at a local craft fair.
Something we have done, and encourage you all to do is get involved with the grassroots efforts to Help Save Handmade Toys. We all need these artisans to be able to use places like Etsy and the WWW to increase sales for us all.
There are many aspects to "Grandparent's Envy"
I had first heard the term used in reference to parent's of adult children who had chosen to put off marriage and family for career. I thought it was all about babies, and as one who much prefers children once they hit the rugrat stage, I just didn't get it at all.
This year, however, I have a new understanding of the many facets of this condition. I am certainly LONG away from wanting my children to have children of their own, so no warnings of "be careful what you wish for" are needed here. But this is the first year that neither of my children was in the market for toys. The closest I got was getting Honey a few small UglyDolls, which she thought were very funky.
I'm not really talking solely about toys to purchase, for said reasons above, but toys to make. DH and I had a great discussion about this over cocktails the other night, and it was neat to see his interest in the ideas as well. One of the great joys of being a parent for us was those projects of building our own train tables and play forts for the kids.
Even when we had no money for supplies, we found creative ways ot make things happen for them. I remember hand sewing puppets with scraps of outgrown clothing. I made a "fairy corner tent" out of a pair of thrift shop sheers, a few spools of ribbon and a hula-hoop when the catalog version was too pricey. I look at some of the great projects being made by others in Blogland with littles and grandlittles and long to try them as well. I realize how much I miss toymaking, and that it holds a joy much different than making clothing.
Hopefully some of my nieces and nephews will start having kids soon, so I can get crafting .
Well, I must get in the shower for another shift at the toy store!
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4 comments:
Very interesting observations. It is a shame how consumers go for the plastic junk, allowing their children to be driven by playground trends rather than genuinely nourishing their imaginations and souls.
We are almost out of the toy phase too. Ironically, Rose made ME a toy this year for Christmas! I feel just a little sad to have no more opportunities of convincing her dolls really are fun to play with. ;-)
I'm curious about these "consumable" toys, but I guess I can understand why you would hesitate to post specific examples.
We're a Lego family. In both of my marriages, Lego has been a staple gift item for every Christmas and birthday, and when the adult kids come home, they STILL enjoy Lego.
Myrt prefers wood toys for GBabyZ, and he gets a lot of play out of wood toys, but he loves Lego, too.
My worst Christmas ever (as a parent) was when my husband and I decided on a train set and lots of materials for a model village to build together as a family. We blew the budget on this. Day after Christmas, my brother in-law showed up with Donkey Kong for his niece and nephew, thinking that EVERY kid would automatically have whatever game console that required. Hubby put the console on credit, so as not to disappoint his brother or the kids. :-)
Just wanted to offer a different perspective on "consumable" gifts, of all sorts.
We've encouraged the exchange of literal "consumables" among adults in the family for years. If we need it, we buy it ourselves. We don't need more random stuff, and neither do our parents and friends.
It's similar with the kids. We've invested (and grandparents have invested) in top-quality blocks, trains, marble run kits, dolls, puppets, pretend kitchen stuff, legos, gears, etc. Last year we got so many great games--really, great games-- from family we still haven't played them all. I told people who asked this year, no new games please! (I have also suggested no stuffed animals for a couple of years, although the Webkinz sneak in.) After 9 years of buying toys, what else do we need?!
Victoria got two Magic School Bus science kits this year (one from us, one from grandparents that we picked out) and a solar system model to make. (Also a very cool card with 50 minutes of high powered telescope viewing). Violet got a DNA science kit from us. Both girls have received painting kits to paint animals, tea sets, etc. (Though I suppose you keep the results.) Last year we gave Victoria a tissue paper art kit, and Violet has gone through a few sets of beads (though we have plenty more in the craft cupboard after 3 years of receiving bead kits!)
No doubt anthropologists would have something to say about households so stuffed with toys that they don't want any more! :)
We are very careful what we buy for Cate and Si and really aren't at the consumable stage. I'm always thinking long term about toys. You remember the expensive blocks we bought last year. They played with them almost everyday. Si especially enjoys them which makes me so very happy.
I just don't get the grandparents insistence on buying junk. Why they feel it is necessary to buys lots of gifts. I was so happy to open the last of the things, so happy to see the last of the UPS man but again today a delivery. A giant (sure to break) plastic blow-up toy (for children ages 6 and up) to roll around in. What were my in-laws thinking. Surely, they weren't thinking "how can we drive our DIL over the edge." lol.
There are about a dozen things in the Hearthsong catalog my kids would enjoy. Why did they spend nearly a $100 for a plastic ball?
Oh, look my comment has gone off topic. Sorry. My dh just now emailed me and said I could return it. Thank goodness.
I enjoyed reading your perspective. I love a good children's toy store and would love to have a part time job in one someday. I used to work in a children's bookstore and we carried many high quality toys. I could walk to work. It was a dream job.
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