To moms who shop : One child does not need it all !!!!

Hello lovely moms!!

What are you guys upto?

Life is so busy  at my end and I am trying to juggle many things with just a pair of hands and an energetic toddler who keeps me busy every free moment I could find. Uff… life of a  mom isn’t it?

Despite my hectic life, I wanted to write this post.

Nah, this post isn’t about me or my toddler.

So pull up a chair and grab a cup of coffee. One of those deep chairs that you just sink…sink…sink into.

I am going to ask you something?

Do you buy stuff for your kid?

I am not talking about those cute frilly dresses. But about those educational stuff which you think is more like an investment in laying your child’s fundamentals strong.

Again, do you buy some of those?

Okay, let’s do a quick math. How many a month? How much in terms of money? How much for a year? Spinning head!

To the point now.

Thanks to the reach of online resources, we see a lot of markets spring up every day ‘promising’ toys which are educational or something which is going to improve your child’s learning abilities.

You might ask me, whats wrong with that?

With every passing day and with the ever growing customer base, education is becoming a money making mantra.

I am going to spare schools and other after school tuitions for now (that calls for a whole new lengthy post).

I have an online shop and I am into the same line of business and I know how these things work. I wanted to share my perspective both as a mother and seller/shop owner, with a balanced approach.

I am not going to pin point or talk in detail of what you should or should not buy, instead give you a heads up on what are the pointers you should have in your mind before  you hit the “pay now” button or comment “ I need one of these” on a FB sale post.

Know the stuff you are buying and its purpose.

Make the right choice of play for your little ones.

Next time, when you are so tempted to fill the shopping cart pause for a moment and answer these questions in your head.

• Does it add any value to your child? Or it just a play toy which you assume would keep your toddler busy?
• Is it age appropriate?
• Do I really need this?
• Does my child really need this?
• Do I have a similar kind at home already?

If yes, it’s a straight NO.

Eg: Once my friend Kalyani had mentioned that if you already have a wooden vegetable cutter, you don’t need a pastry/cake cutter or a plastic fruit version of it.

• Could there be an alternative for this? Like something that could be made with what you already have at home?

Like a spooning activity set, which you can imitate using two similar bowls and a spoon and some soya beans at home.

Or a car slider, which one can easily make using a book slide. Isn’t that what we did when we were at school?

• Is it a luxury toy? (As a caring parent you are well within your rights to choose and decide the definition of luxury)

Eg.,You don’t really need to have a ball pit at home.

Come on. It is supposed to be an occasional joy ride in a birthday party and not an everyday affair at home.

We make all simple joys accessible for them at home. So what is left to explore outside at home. Or say in a school!

If you have a sand/water table at home, do you think your child would find it exciting when the same piece is kept at school when the other kids play together?

• Do not compare with what the other moms have for their children and fall for peer pressure.
• Finally, do your own bit of research. You don’t need a sentence building kit at two years. At two years you don’t need anything to do with letters and numbers.

My point here is, one child does not need to have it all.

Always remember the minimal is more and makes the experience better and richer.

Save your money. You are going to need loads of it as they grow.

And if your child is anything less than one year old. Please, please do not buy anything except for books and some music toys.

Everything they see around in this world is new to them and they are going to be fascinated by every small detail this world has to offer them. Be it a paper windmill or the pages of the calendar on the wall ruffled by the ceiling fan.

So please please think twice before you buy anything.

Remember; one child does not need to have it all 🙂

Now finish that cup of coffee and share this post to all moms who would like to be assured and be reminded of this simple truth 🙂

Moms don’t stop shopping, remember PTS( Pause-Think-Shop)

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