Why do babies only want to play with dangerous things?
@vera5d (4004)
United States
March 18, 2008 7:39pm CST
My 6 month old daughter doesn't have many toys, but I consider them to be "good" baby toys - some of them light up and play music, one is a ball that jingles as she rolls it around, another is a mirror with all kinds of nifty things attached to it. She's got a handful of toys like this.
Yet guess what she is playing with in her playpen right now: my junk mail.
I was most concerned about her putting it in her mouth, but I watch her carefully and made sure she has her pacifier in. I don't let her rip it up into tiny pieces either because I'm afraid she'll choke on it. But there is nothing she likes more than to have a piece of paper and crumple it. Maybe it's the noise, the texture, who knows. I'm sure even if I had a toy that did everything this newspaper does that was safe for babies, she wouldn't play with it.
She also loves our cell phones, our computers, the lamp which we won't let her near but she goes diving for as soon as she's on the floor...but she really seems to have a facination for paper and magazines! I tried the typical baby books - these apparently do not suit her taste!
Did you notice this with your kids? Why do babies and kids always want to play with the stuff they shouldn't play with?
2 people like this
12 responses
@gemini_rose (16264)
•
19 Mar 08
We always bought our lot as babies, loads of lovely things to play with, but they always just wanted to play with the boxes, we just stopped buying them toys in the end and would give them boxes to play in. My daughter likes to push a chair into the kitchen at the moment, she has a fascination with the microwave, I caught her the other day putting all sorts of goodies in there! I now have to make sure it is unplugged just in case. I guess all the stuff that is dangerous just seems to hold a real appeal for them.
@vera5d (4004)
• United States
19 Mar 08
my son when he was 3 lit our microwave on fire - we *just* moved into a new house & I had plugged in the microwave forgetting I put a box in it with lightbulbs and paper...well he decided to push the buttons and naturally the metal sparked and the paper started to light. Thank goodness I was standing there in time to turn it off asap and get that box under the kitchen sink...I would have felt terrible to have started a fire on our first night in our new apartment! You might want to try a fridge lock for the door so at least if she presses the buttons nothing will be inside it.
@gemini_rose (16264)
•
19 Mar 08
Oh my goodness, it certainly was lucky that you were there in time! I shall be keeping a close eye on her trust me!
@vera5d (4004)
• United States
19 Mar 08
i will have to try empty boxes & bottles - I'm glad to hear your daughter loves junk mail too!! Mine likes napkins too - she will rip them to shreds though so I can't really let her play with them!
@lingli_78 (12821)
• Australia
19 Mar 08
i don't have a kid yet... but i've watched lots of my friends' babies... oh yes, they don't like to play with their own toys and always want to play with something that they are not supposed to play... i guess it is just because of they want to learn mrore... they are curious and want to explore... all babies are... and i think that stage will past... so just be patient and you just have to watch your daughter closely for now until she is older... good luck...
1 person likes this
@bobet17 (158)
• Philippines
19 Mar 08
Kids are very innocent they know what they are doing but they dont know what is the effect of it,they just want to play and play they dont feel tired,we have to watch them wherever they go,thats the challenge of being a mother how to handle the kids.
@vera5d (4004)
• United States
19 Mar 08
i joke that my children zapped out whatever energy I had in me when they were born...
@nandinim (96)
• India
19 Mar 08
Your daugter is very small and she might get attracted to the light rays comming out of the electronic items.She is unaware of the fact that these thing are operated on dangerous thing called electricity.And when you stop her of touching all these things she become more curious about it.
1 person likes this
@k1tten (2315)
• United States
19 Mar 08
That's how children learn about things. I'm taking a Child Development class and we just went over this! lol glad it's being useful. Anyway, at that age they have to touch everything and try to put it in their mouths to try and figure out what it is. She probably likes the feel out the magazines since it's slick.
1 person likes this
@vera5d (4004)
• United States
19 Mar 08
I know, it is her way of learning about the world around her! I just wish she liked things that were safer, lol. Glad I could help you apply what you learned in school :)
@Debs_place (10520)
• United States
19 Mar 08
I had a nephew who only wanted to play with extension cords and electric wires. He is now studying to be an electrical engineer.
I figured that is what he would do in life, either that or join the boston strangler.
@vera5d (4004)
• United States
19 Mar 08
hehe, that's funny...good thing he went the engineer route...maybe my daughter will be a writer!?!
@Rozie37 (15499)
• Turkmenistan
19 Mar 08
This is the way that babies are. They always prefer what they are not suppose to have. This is why it is not a good idea to buy a lot of toys unless they are learning toys. It is a known fact that you can buy a child the most expensive toy in the store, bring it home, unwrapped it, and the child will play with the box that it came in, LOL.
1 person likes this
@vera5d (4004)
• United States
19 Mar 08
I haven't bought a single toy for the baby because of that very reason! well meaning friends & family always get them stuff though...oh well, at least something makes her happy :)
@vera5d (4004)
• United States
22 Mar 08
this is true - they want to experience as much as they can! my son managed to survive to be 5 so far despite his curiousity, i hope i can protect her as well too!
@sid556 (30953)
• United States
19 Mar 08
Babies are new in the world and just simply curious about everything. you should not have your junk mail in her playpen. They do love magazines for all the colorful pics. They do have cloth books for little ones but if you let them look at magazines and things...then you do have to keep a close watch. You have to keep your eye on these little ones 24 -7. it isn't easy but that is how it is. They want to check out EVERYTHING! Nothing...even the stuff that you don't want them to be into holds their attention for long. Their attention span has not developed.
@vera5d (4004)
• United States
19 Mar 08
I always watch very carefully when I let her play with it...I think she is learning if she tries to put it in her mouth I will take it away - and boy does she scream when I take it away!
@hallmarkjl (500)
• United States
19 Mar 08
You said it right there in your last statement. They want to play with stuff that they shouldnt play with. lol I'm sure its not that she doesnt want to play with her toys. The other things tend to excite her because they do things that her stuff doesnt do or doesnt have. Most of the things you listed (other than the paper and magazines) all do one thing. Light up! Granted I'm sure some of her toys light up as well, but they also make noise. The magazines might be something she likes b/c of the way the paper is waxy, makes noise when crumpled, and has bright colors. My 2 month old has a thing for our coo-coo clock. Even when it isnt make noise or anything he will lay there and stare at it for hours on end. We dont know why. When other little babies come over they stare at it also. It is the funniest thing ever. I really wish I could tell you why exectly your daughter likes those things. The only thing I can think of is she sees you using them and thinks she can do. Not to mention they make noise and have lights.
1 person likes this
@vera5d (4004)
• United States
19 Mar 08
i might need one of those cuckoo clocks! that is funny, i bet it's cute!
