Kids toys..............

i ask my kids what they want and to be honest most of the time they ask for a certain type of books, guitar stuff other instrurments to learn on, or outside play stuff, fishing stuff, camoing stuff. then they ask for arts and crafts and barbies still too. they are 10 and 12 so they still like toys. even when they were little though they asked for things that i really didnt mind them having. once they asked for a game cube and well they didnt get that. they have asked for a tv but they didnt get that either. we dont mind them watching or playing but if they have there own in tehre room that might be all they do so we just said no. we told them why and they understood. i get them educational stuff but i also get them other things too like care bears, barbies etc. they play with them and that helps the imagination too so not everything is all educational but in ways it is.

I always ask them for a list of what they want. That way they don't know what they are going to get "exactly" If the things they want are either too advanced for them or something of the like, I explain it to them. Fortunately, although my boys drive me nutso and act like little heathens half the time, they are really good about stuff like that. Theyare always happy with whatever they get and I have raised them so they are not materialistic. If they ask for something and I say it's too expensive, or I just can't afford it, they really understand. I have shown them what their father & I make, and all the bills. They have an appreciation for money, so they are really good that way. I am very proud of them. My nephews are very very materialistic, so my boys make me proud. My eldest is a science geek (he's 10) so he always gets science related things (learning) and my youngest (he's 7) likes dinosaurs and animals. Both are easy things to buy learning toys for. They do have their gameboys and gamecube too, but mostly they get learning or interactive toys.

Educational toys can be fun as well as educational - while even so called frivolous toys can help children learn to use their imaginations, develop socially etc! Le children be children and let them have the type of toy they enjoy - that is my motto! x