| Watching out for the safety of our children has become more challenging
each year. An ever-expanding universe of potential hazards, both for their
mental and physical welfare, continues to offer challenges never anticipated
when we were growing up.
In those days, parents concerns primarily centered
on making sure children knew how to cross the street safely, making sure
they didn't go swimming until they had rested for at least an hour after
eating, and making sure they didn't take candy from strangers.
Today all
of these concerns still exist -- plus myriad others resulting from new technologies
that have drastically altered in the way children spend their leisure time
and the general pressures associated with the accelerated times in which
children are growing up in contemporary society.
Parents today are faced
with trying to keep their children safe from predators on the internet,
making sure their children can play safely in front of their own home as
well as checking what they receive when they goes out "trick or treating."
When it comes to playtime, parents are challenged with the task of making
sure that their children's playthings are both child specific and age appropriate
in regard not only to the toy's intellectual and physical skill level but
also to the toy's safety.
I recently received a letter from a parent who
was quite troubled that her child received a birthday gift from a grandparent
who responded to her grandchild's wish for a toy without checking its appropriateness.
As a result, she was faced with the situation of having to deal with a very
frustrated crying grandchild instead of receiving the kisses and hugs she
had expected.
Trying to play with a toy that was not only too advanced but
was potentially dangerous caused a tremendous amount of anxiety for all
parties involved. The three year old kept trying to experiment with the
product only to discover small parts that he was not equipped to manipulate.
How do we teach family and friends what is appropriate for our youngsters
and how do we train ourselves and our youngsters to choose the right products
for themselves?
Key to these tasks is the ability to develop a parental
third eye. A three year old designation written on a toy box may apply to
three year olds in general but your child may have an advanced sense of
play, or not be ready developmentally to be exposed to this kind of material.
In most cases the warning signs on the boxes will refer you to the issues
of whether there are small parts, liquids, or electrical sources that could
be hazardous to very young children
Parents should always inspect the boxes for these warning signs. They should also inspect the product for their own warning signs.
You know your child better than anyone else. As such you are aware of the kinds of products he finds appealing. My three-year old great nephew is enthralled with any kind of tool. As a result his favorite past time is to travel the aisles with his grandfather through Home Depot. Obviously it is critical that he doesn't choose a real drill and that he knows the difference as to what is real and what is not appropriate for him to play with when he goes home and discovers his father's toolbox.
Critical to these kinds of incidents is the ability to learn more about your child's interests and style of play. That is why I recommend playing with your child when he first gets a new toy. In so doing you will get a sense of his interest and his limitations.
You can explain how to work the toy and more importantly you can observe any frustrations or anxieties that the toy may produce in him. Depending on the intensity of the experience, these kinds of interactions can reinforce his sense of task commitment, strengthen his ability to solve problems creatively and critically, and help teach him how to follow directions and to develop a sense of patience.
In trying to establish the rules of the game for your youngsters both you and he will be better prepared when a certain product is bought and may not produce the results both you and he had hoped for.
The sophistication of a particular toy is not necessarily limited to the maturity or intelligence of the child. More specifically each child develops at a different rate and responds to different situations in very different ways. Rather than being faced with cries and tantrums, understanding that the toy can only be played with supervision or be put away for another time will be a much easier experience to endure.
Employing your parental third eye to look at your child both critically and honestly in assessing his abilities, what his strengths are will help you in accessing how to use these toys to introduce skills not yet developed.
Many times a toy can serve as not only one that challenges creatively, but can teach and reinforce many of the skills that your child will use later on in life.
Many toys can build your child's creativity as well as test your child's potential. Simple board games, such as Monopoly, Checkers, and Operation, when used with a parental third eye can help develop your child's visual and auditory memory skills as well as his ability to follow directions.
The key to maximizing the enjoyment and potential of any toy is being knowledgeable about the product before purchasing it. Responding to your child's desire to have a toy they have seen on television or at a friend's house by purchasing it without thoroughly researching it is a grave mistake.
Once a toy is purchased and presented to a child, it is critical for parents to play with it with their children. An amazing amount of information can be learned through observing his play habits. How he reacts during play will give you a good indication as to his level of maturity and how responsible he is with his toys. Does he resist picking them up at the end of the play session, does he dislike sharing with others?
If the toy presents a more intense challenge, how does he respond? Does he become frustrated easily? Do these frustrations result in temper tantrums or does he systematically seek to solve the problems in a focused methodical manner?
Construction toys offer a great many opportunities to provide safe and exciting experiences for your child and help to develop the gross and fine motor coordinations that are paramount in developing your child's skills for school success.
Children should be exposed to the kind of tools that encourage their manipulative skills in an age appropriate manner. K'NEX construction toys are available in a variety of sets for various age levels that allow the child to progress at his own rate and sophistication while further developing his critical and creatively thinking skills.
In creatively building things, the ability to have language to describe the structure and the ability to describe the steps that have been taken are paramount into his/her development.
Play should be fun but it is also a wonderful opportunity for you to discover your child's strengths and weaknesses in a relaxed, comfortable, non-threatening manner.
In observing your child's behavior with various products it is critical that you establish the specific rules to be employed when playing with a certain toy. Even though conceptually and intellectually the toy may be appropriate for your youngster, there are certain safety concerns that you should be aware of and as a result should be explicit as to the rules for playing with your supervision and not to have them left to what may cause potential harm.
Again, the safest way to have your child enjoy his toys and for you to enjoy your child is to spend time with him and enjoy playtime with him.
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