Is it bad not to buy toys for your infant?

Posted at November 25th, 2008 by admin

She is @ daycare every weekday from 9-5, but I have no toys for her @ home. I don't see the point. On Saturdays, I hold her and sing & dance while handwashing laundry, and other cleaning, and cooking, then in our other spare time we just go 2 the beach. My mom always makes me feel so guilty, she bought her a ton of stuff and she never played w/ it so I took it to GoodWill

I dont think it is bad not to have toys for your daughter but I think that you should have some things for her to play with around the house. Wheter it be some activites such as crayons and coloring books or some sort of game for the entire family. Too many toys can spoil a child but not enough toys can delay development. Toys can be very educational for children or all ages…depending on the toy. Although she get her play time at daycare it is important for her to learn the quality of playing alone at home…at daycare she is with many children for her to interact with. At home she will need time with her parents…sounds like you've got that part down…but she also needs to learn to play on her own to gain some independence and feelings of responsibility and control.

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13 Responses to “Is it bad not to buy toys for your infant?”

  1. Comment by Pedsgurl

    Heck no! I think that's awesome! You are stimulating her but talking with her and being with her. She probably gets overly stimulated with the toys at day care and the other children, I think she probably like the quiet!

    It sounds like you're doing a great job!
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  2. Comment by wiXet

    Not bad at all. If you are going to spend the time interacting with her, then she doesn't need many toys.

    I think the best 'items' a baby/child can have are books…you can never have to many books.

    She might like a few little bits and pieces to play with, but just stick to quality wooden toys and don't go overboard…some toys do help to encourage imagination and creativity.
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  3. Comment by Sara1785

    no, as long as your baby is being stimulated there is nothing wrong with it. You are spending your time off how you should be, WITH your daughter, enjoying her childhood, instead of putting her in front of a toy to keep her occupied.
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  4. Comment by pcs1s_wifey

    For an infant toys are not neccesary. As long as baby gets one on one interaction thatis good enough. As baby gets older she will need the toys to help her develop. She will need to reach and sit up, etc. Toys actually help this process. I would say normally around 3-4 months of age baby will start to show interest in toys.

    Sad yougave your toys away… you should have asked grandmom to keep them at her house for baby.
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  5. Comment by AK357KJ

    I dont think it is bad not to have toys for your daughter but I think that you should have some things for her to play with around the house. Wheter it be some activites such as crayons and coloring books or some sort of game for the entire family. Too many toys can spoil a child but not enough toys can delay development. Toys can be very educational for children or all ages…depending on the toy. Although she get her play time at daycare it is important for her to learn the quality of playing alone at home…at daycare she is with many children for her to interact with. At home she will need time with her parents…sounds like you've got that part down…but she also needs to learn to play on her own to gain some independence and feelings of responsibility and control.
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  6. Comment by McMom

    " I hold her and sing & dance while handwashing laundry, and other cleaning, and cooking, then in our other spare time we just go 2 the beach"

    That is far more enjoyable than any toys.
    She's playing with toys at daycare, you have no need to worry, and no need to feel guilty.
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  7. Comment by katiesmom4805

    well a few would not hurt and you should have not gave what your mom bought her away as she will want them later

    it is great you fully interact with her but as she gets bigger she is going to want to sit and play while you do things

    i think a bouncy seat is great it has a few things that hangs they can play with

    but as toys for a infant i only bought a few rattlers and things like that nothing big until she was like 7 months old i bought her a excersaucer and that was great and a jumparoo that was also great but other then that they dont' need alot of toys
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  8. Comment by frog8fly07

    noo i dont think that is bad at all! these days everything is soo commercialized and everyone wants everything..what happened to the good ol box and pans to play with? i agree with the answer before me, youre stimulating her with song and dance and interaction with her parents is the most important. and if she ever does want to play with things what abot stacking plastic cups? making rattles out of rice and container….etc….
    good job !
    References :
    Early childhood educator an mom of 6 month old

  9. Comment by mystic_eye_cda

    Ask your grandmother how many toys she had growing up.

    Kids just don't need stuff -THEY NEED ATTENTION!

    They only thing I would say it is better we have more of now than we once did is books. Reading is such a necessity now that it is great to have lots of book around. But mos books aren't designed with words big enough for a child under 2 to read. And talking is the same as reading out loud.

    Also how many adults, myself included, would be far better off if we did chores when we were "bored" rather than oh… spending time on the internet.

    Ok, Ok, I'm off to put laundry away!
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  10. Comment by Candace B

    You dont have to buy a lot of toys but she should have something that she can use to stimulate all of her senses. I am not sure how old she is but if she is not able to hold anything then give her a lot of visual cues. Be sure to use sunscreen at the beach.
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  11. Comment by threenorns

    bah – we spent a mint on toys and same thing: gave them all away.

    her favourite toys – even now at 15mo – are my cell phone, my keys (she tried to "unlock" the door, "turn on" the stroller and oven, and just about everything else by touching the end of the house key to them), wooden spoons, pots and lids, dirt (ordinary potting soil), corn starch mixed with cool water, a bottle of water with sparkles in it, another bottle with mixed dried peas and beans and beads, and a third with coloured water and oil.
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  12. Comment by Hokie На всю жизнь

    Most kids toys these days are crap anyway. They light up and are obnoxious, and really don't teach babies anything. When my son was a baby, listening to mommy or daddy give a running commentary about laundry, or cooking was much more fun that the stock pile of toys people had given us. I ended up giving most of his toys away too because they were rarely played with. Plus, the best toys are in the cabinets: pots and pans! My son is 3 now, and will chose a pot and a wooden spoon anyday over a screeching, light up plastic toy.
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  13. Comment by No Longer Dizzy

    Most children have too many toys. I don't know what age yours is, but if she is very young, she doesn't need any. I can't understand why you gave away the toys your mum gave her, however. It seems to me that you were just trying to make a point.
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