At what age did your parents start to give away some of your baby things?

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Guppy

My mom wants to give away some of my infant - toddler toys and possibly some clothing items, to some little kids.
WHY? They're mine. I don't play with them but they're still mine. I want to keep them all. She lets my adult uncle keep all his toys in our house though she wants to give away his. I want those toys too.

Answer
My parents didn't keep any of our toys or clothes--the clothes were handed down to the next one in line. I kept most of my children's toys and some of their clothing also.

What kind of toys do you prefer for your toddler, wooden toys or plastic toys?

harold

I'm curious to the type of toy material that parents prefer to buy for their toddlers?

Answer
Hi Harold,

I tend to have a strong liking for wood toys that are of excellent quality, but find that wooden toys are generally limited to blocks, puzzles and some very expensive hand made train sets. Some of the best wooden blocks on the market are Melissa & Doug's Standard Unit Blocks:

http://www.kids-toys-parents-love.com/standard_unit_blocks.html

They have other great wooden puzzle sets, and ImagiPlay makes an earth friendly dinosaur puzzle with non toxic paint: http://www.kids-toys-parents-love.com/Dinosaur_puzzles.html

Most of the toys we get for our kids are plastic, primarily because of selection and availability. They definitely are easier to disinfect and last just as long as the wood toys.

Most of the concerns over quality come from the massive 2007 recall from plastic toys manufactured in China containing lead and cadmium metals!! Besides keeping manufacturing jobs closer to home, companies like Little Tikes, Step 2 and Kid K'Nex keep a tight control over quality and materials. For toddlers, Little Tikes and Step 2 offer a wide variety of American made toys manufactured in Ohio, while Kid K'Nex is a great company for older kids who love creative building.

http://www.kids-toys-parents-love.com/Little_Tikes_Toys.html
http://www.kids-toys-parents-love.com/Step_2_Toys.html
http://www.kids-toys-parents-love.com/Kid_KNex.html

So in answering your questions, I prefer wooden toys, but availability and selection keeps our toy collection at 90% plastic and 10% wood.

Hopes this helps, and have fun playing with wood or plastic toys with your toddler!!

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What is the best way to clean or disinfect toddler toys in order to prevent the spread of illness?

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Eva Save-A

A lot of times we don't know a child is sick until days later when symptoms are more evident to the parent. With all the 'bugs' going around this winter, I am trying to figure out the best way to disinfect and clean my sons toys after finding out about such situations...

Part of the problem is that some toys are more easily cleaned than others. (due to the materials) I also try to use organic type cleaners when possible. Afterall, these toys end up in kids mouthes and I don't want to put anything on the toy that I wouldn't put in their mouths. Yes, I know... they eat dirt and pick things up off the floor to eat, but that is not a parents' intention; it just happens... I also know kids need to get sick to build immunity, but some illnesses are better off avoided!! Mom is tired and there are still a couple months left of winter. Yikes.

Answer
Check out this website. It has all types of different cleaning/disinfectants that are safe to use.

How do you keep your toddler safe and occupied while you take a shower?

gustoish

I am so curious what other parents do. We are blessed to have a bathroom large enough to house our playpen, so my son plays in that when I need to take a shower. I'm worried about what to do when he starts getting bigger... I guess I can always shower before he wakes up, but it's a big bummer to have to get up and shower that early!

Answer
At one point, I had a 3 year old, a 1 1/2 year old, and a newborn -- and I’ve always been a shower addict -- so I had to figure out ways to get my shower fix and prevent chaos from reigning on the home front. My husband had to leave for work just after 5 am, when I still wanted to be in bed, so having him watch the kids while I showered was never an appealing option.

I learned to shower relatively quickly (under 10 minutes) and to listen for any crying from the baby, if he was sleeping elsewhere in the house (although the sound of running water can play tricks on your ears, I find: it mimics the sound of a crying baby).

More often than not, I ended up with the whole brood in the bathroom with me: the baby in his portable car seat; the preschooler and toddler playing with toys on the floor. I’d "entertain" them by talking to them while I showered. (No wonder my showers were so short: they weren’t exactly spa-like and relaxing.)

Obviously, making the bathroom as safe as possible is important. Look for toilet-locks, bathroom cupboard locks, and make sure all medicines are stored in a lockable cabinet. There are companies that will babyproof your home from top to bottom on your behalf, if you are worried you’ll miss something.

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At what age did your parents start to give away some of your baby things?

best toddler toys parenting image

Guppy

My mom wants to give away some of my infant - toddler toys and possibly some clothing items, to some little kids.
WHY? They're mine. I don't play with them but they're still mine. I want to keep them all. She lets my adult uncle keep all his toys in our house though she wants to give away his. I want those toys too.

Answer
My parents didn't keep any of our toys or clothes--the clothes were handed down to the next one in line. I kept most of my children's toys and some of their clothing also.

What kind of toys do you prefer for your toddler, wooden toys or plastic toys?

harold

I'm curious to the type of toy material that parents prefer to buy for their toddlers?

Answer
Hi Harold,

I tend to have a strong liking for wood toys that are of excellent quality, but find that wooden toys are generally limited to blocks, puzzles and some very expensive hand made train sets. Some of the best wooden blocks on the market are Melissa & Doug's Standard Unit Blocks:

http://www.kids-toys-parents-love.com/standard_unit_blocks.html

They have other great wooden puzzle sets, and ImagiPlay makes an earth friendly dinosaur puzzle with non toxic paint: http://www.kids-toys-parents-love.com/Dinosaur_puzzles.html

Most of the toys we get for our kids are plastic, primarily because of selection and availability. They definitely are easier to disinfect and last just as long as the wood toys.

Most of the concerns over quality come from the massive 2007 recall from plastic toys manufactured in China containing lead and cadmium metals!! Besides keeping manufacturing jobs closer to home, companies like Little Tikes, Step 2 and Kid K'Nex keep a tight control over quality and materials. For toddlers, Little Tikes and Step 2 offer a wide variety of American made toys manufactured in Ohio, while Kid K'Nex is a great company for older kids who love creative building.

http://www.kids-toys-parents-love.com/Little_Tikes_Toys.html
http://www.kids-toys-parents-love.com/Step_2_Toys.html
http://www.kids-toys-parents-love.com/Kid_KNex.html

So in answering your questions, I prefer wooden toys, but availability and selection keeps our toy collection at 90% plastic and 10% wood.

Hopes this helps, and have fun playing with wood or plastic toys with your toddler!!

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

What kind of toys do you prefer for your toddler, wooden toys or plastic toys?

best toddler toys parenting image

harold

I'm curious to the type of toy material that parents prefer to buy for their toddlers?

Answer
Hi Harold,

I tend to have a strong liking for wood toys that are of excellent quality, but find that wooden toys are generally limited to blocks, puzzles and some very expensive hand made train sets. Some of the best wooden blocks on the market are Melissa & Doug's Standard Unit Blocks:

http://www.kids-toys-parents-love.com/standard_unit_blocks.html

They have other great wooden puzzle sets, and ImagiPlay makes an earth friendly dinosaur puzzle with non toxic paint: http://www.kids-toys-parents-love.com/Dinosaur_puzzles.html

Most of the toys we get for our kids are plastic, primarily because of selection and availability. They definitely are easier to disinfect and last just as long as the wood toys.

Most of the concerns over quality come from the massive 2007 recall from plastic toys manufactured in China containing lead and cadmium metals!! Besides keeping manufacturing jobs closer to home, companies like Little Tikes, Step 2 and Kid K'Nex keep a tight control over quality and materials. For toddlers, Little Tikes and Step 2 offer a wide variety of American made toys manufactured in Ohio, while Kid K'Nex is a great company for older kids who love creative building.

http://www.kids-toys-parents-love.com/Little_Tikes_Toys.html
http://www.kids-toys-parents-love.com/Step_2_Toys.html
http://www.kids-toys-parents-love.com/Kid_KNex.html

So in answering your questions, I prefer wooden toys, but availability and selection keeps our toy collection at 90% plastic and 10% wood.

Hopes this helps, and have fun playing with wood or plastic toys with your toddler!!

To parent that have purchased Outdoor Climbers?

OhIluvEm

I am interested an buying one for my daughter for use during the summer time. She will be 13 months by the time she can use it in June. She loves going to the park and playing on there toddler toys.

What climber would you recommend and what are your experiences with it.

Answer
I bought this one: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2308747 for my daughters when they were 17 months, and they needed a little help getting up the steps, but they are 4 now and still love it!

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How do you keep your toddler safe and occupied while you take a shower?

best toddler toys parenting image

gustoish

I am so curious what other parents do. We are blessed to have a bathroom large enough to house our playpen, so my son plays in that when I need to take a shower. I'm worried about what to do when he starts getting bigger... I guess I can always shower before he wakes up, but it's a big bummer to have to get up and shower that early!

Answer
At one point, I had a 3 year old, a 1 1/2 year old, and a newborn -- and I’ve always been a shower addict -- so I had to figure out ways to get my shower fix and prevent chaos from reigning on the home front. My husband had to leave for work just after 5 am, when I still wanted to be in bed, so having him watch the kids while I showered was never an appealing option.

I learned to shower relatively quickly (under 10 minutes) and to listen for any crying from the baby, if he was sleeping elsewhere in the house (although the sound of running water can play tricks on your ears, I find: it mimics the sound of a crying baby).

More often than not, I ended up with the whole brood in the bathroom with me: the baby in his portable car seat; the preschooler and toddler playing with toys on the floor. I’d "entertain" them by talking to them while I showered. (No wonder my showers were so short: they weren’t exactly spa-like and relaxing.)

Obviously, making the bathroom as safe as possible is important. Look for toilet-locks, bathroom cupboard locks, and make sure all medicines are stored in a lockable cabinet. There are companies that will babyproof your home from top to bottom on your behalf, if you are worried you’ll miss something.

What are the best toys for baby that are not too expensive to buy?

Jill Tregr

Looking for the best toys for baby that are affordable. We are buying tons of toys and we are trying to cut down on expenses so what toys for baby would you recommend we get?

Answer
Babies at this age need basic toys, and not all the expensive electronic gadgets.

I would look for something that encourages the baby to crawl/cruise - often toys where you push a button down, and then the toy moves further ahead.

musical toys are always a hit. I would look for something that encourages cause and effect, and better hand/eye coordination - xylophones, drums (which you can make out of an empty plastic container and a small wooden spoon), tambourines, bells, maracas and rainmakers. There are lots of baby-proof toys out there, and the baby sets can be fairly inexpensive because they are plastic and small. Also nothing wrong with pots, pans, plastic containers and wooden spoons, and spatulas.

Books - this is so important for speech development, learning how to read, setting the precedent for enjoying reading, and getting some quality time with a parent or caregiver. There are all different types of books for babies and preschoolers, just be prepared for some chewing. I still buy board books for my toddler and preschooler, because they are cheaper than the paper ones. And, some of the board books have the entire story and illustrations for 1/2 the price. Get a family library membership - libraries also offer story time even for babies.

Stacking toys and shape sorters - Wal-mart and TRU each make their own cheaper version than Fisher Price, but the FP is a thicker plastic. Be prepared that your baby will not be able to sort shapes for quite awhile. Stacking toys just need to be varying degrees of sizes, shapes and colors (to help differentiate the shape, and keep their interest). Great for hand/eye coordination and motor skills.

Blocks - get something that is easier to grasp in their small hand - larger, or squeezable, or even small. Just not too small that they are a choking hazard. TRU and Wal-mart each have their own knockoffs, which will save you a bunch of money.

Balls - I would get a bunch of softer balls. I would buy them in different sizes. If you have trouble finding them, my toddlers seem to be into the dog’s balls (we won’t go there). I don’t mind because they are indestructible (no chewing off small pieces) and most are squeezable.

And a couple of plastic containers in which to put stuff in. The stuff can be the shapes from the shape sorter, blocks, balls or other small toys. Older babies like to put stuff into a container, dump this into another container or out on the floor.

Babies are fascinated with themselves (actually I think they just see "other" babies). One of our babies went to daycare. They have a mirror, mounted behind Plexiglas) that was about 3 feet tall and 6 feet long. All the babies and toddlers were fascinated with it. A small unbreakable mirror would do. We hooked up a baby car mirror (unbreakable), that was too small for the car, up to the side of the coffee table (in this house we attached it to the railing that runs along the living room).

And the very best toy is YOU! Babies want to interact with their parents/caregivers. They want to play interactive games like Peek-a-boo, or pat-a-cake or sing nursery rhymes or children’s songs. This is the best place to find the tunes and lyrics for nursery rhymes http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/musicchild.htm Because I was never great at remembering the tune or the lyrics, or both.

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