Christmas is now fast approaching us – almost as fast as Santa’s sleigh!
I must say that I find it sad that if you Google “top 10 Games”, the results only show electronic games for playstations and so on.
And if you change your search to “Top 10 toys”, you will find an article in the Daily Telegraph with results from Hamleys Toy store in London, in which they state that “This year’s Christmas stockings are set to brim with state-of-the-art technology which will have even the most savvy of parents reaching for the instructions”. The London store’s must-haves include a doll named Cayla who uses speech-to-text Google software to look up answers to questions online, (thankfully only after she has been synced with a smartphone or tablet!).
Hamleys also say that the Doh Vinci 3D Deluxe Styler which mimics the principles of 3D printing will also be a best seller, along with robotic dinosaurs and Transformers, and Disney’s Frozen Ice skating Dolls.
Here are some pointers for you to consider before you go and buy the toys and activity boxes for your children………
1) Will you have to turn out the whole of the cupboard under the stairs for those pliers o special scissors, just to get the toy out of the box
2) Will you have to spend half an hour looking for where you put your glasses, just so that you can read the instructions, in all different languages, and all in the teeniest size font possible?
3) How long will it take for you to hunt for the pliers and screwdriver, which are in that cavern full of junk known as “the understairs cupboard”. (How many times have you asked for the tool box to be tidied?)
4) How much construction is required by you in order for that toy to be played with?
5) What length time span will the eventual enjoyment be? Please remember, especially with babies and toddlers that they can be more fascinated with the paper and boxes than they are with the toy itself!
6) Just how many parts and components are there? Because you can be sure that once the box has been torn open, there will be nothing provided to store the bits!
7) Is the picture on the box a true representation of what’s inside? Or will you face a massive tantrum because there is such a disparity?
8) Don’t forget the batteries to go with the games and toys whenever they are required.
So – Christmas morning comes around, and by some ridiculously early hour when civilised people should surely still be asleep, the presents have all already been opened, and you are frazzled to bits, and still the whole day ahead of you.
Next year, you promise yourself, it’s going to be fluffy toys (Monty the Penguin, where are you?), slippers, socks & gift vouchers all round!
And don’t forget there’s always the sherry or brandy – your need might be greater than that of the Christmas pud!
I hope that you have found this blog informative and interesting.
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I look forward to speaking to you soon,
Norma Lewis
Norma Lewis Nannies