Parenting does not come with a manual and what is suitable for a certain family may be deemed inappropriate for another. Certain parents follow the path of positive parenting, wherein yelling and physical punishments are restricted. Instead, these parents talk to their children in a manner as they would talk to adults. Other parents follow the traditional way they have been raised, which may include physical punishments, with the intent of instilling discipline, but not meant to harm their children.
Types of Toys:
It also follows that different parents prefer various types of toys for their children. Some parents believe that toys influence their children to be materialistic, hence, they prefer to trigger their children’s creativity by using common household items as toys for their kids. Other parents do believe that kids should be kids and that toys increase the overall sense of well-being of their children.
But what if you have a daughter in her toddler years, or a niece, or grandchild and you want to give her a toy or a present that will spark her interest. How would you know what is appropriate? Also, where should you start looking? Would you rely on books and other reading materials? Would you refer to talks given by pediatric psychologists or the opinion of school teachers?
Toy Guide:
Below are some questions that can serve as your guide in choosing the perfect toy for a little girl in her toddler years:
- Interest. Is there a particular subject or activity that sparks the interest of the toddler? Consider if she likes to dance, to sing, to look at the pictures in a book, or to play dress up. Perhaps a musical book about princesses or additional reading materials that are interactive would be a perfect fit.
- Household Rules. What is the parenting style practiced in the household? Are toys encouraged? If yes, then there are a wide variety of educational toys that encourage children to learn by playing. If no, then there is always the option of giving the toddler things that will spark her imagination and creativity like wooden blocks or a set of paint.
- Safety. Is the toy or object being considered safe to be handled by a three-year old? There is a wide variety of age-appropriate toys wherein the safety of the child is the primary consideration.
- Budget. Of course, the most important question is how much are you willing to spend for a toy or an object that will be played with?
To wrap things up, parents undergo several phases in rearing their children from going through pregnancy, meeting the demands of an infant, dealing with toddler tantrums, providing answers to the never-ending questions of the inquisitive preschooler, handling teenager heartbreaks, and even in adulthood, parents remain parents. Keep in mind that parenting children is never an easy task and the toddler stage will eventually come to pass. Hence, it is all right to give your little girl a toy, and it will even be better if you empower her by letting her decide on what she wants (for a toy that is).
