Detrimental Toys For Kids May Contribute To Destructive Habits Later In Life
I was looking for new toys for my 2 year old granddaughters the other day and was absolutely dumbfounded by the choice of unhealthy baby toys readily available for our children. I was so nauseated by the vast selection of unhealthy baby toys I felt I needed to vent here, both for myself and for those of you who want to leave notes at the end of the column.
It's terrible enough that we adults are bombarded on a regular basis with underhanded marketing strategies meant to brainwash and instigate hyper-consumerist tendencies, but so many of the ploys meant to hook babies through their toys is just plain shady! We as adults can at the very least recognize the rouse. We might still bite, but we have the judgment making skills and (for the most part) the capacity to decipher when we are being catered to for our betterment or our disadvantage. Our infants merely don't have that facility; which is why it is up to us to cut out the hazardous toddler toys.
One egregious violator was the McDonald's McKids toy line. Inside the french fry and burger boxes, the backpack, and the kitchen setup were several dozen mini milkshakes, burgers, fries, and cookies. I cannot condemn the McDonald's corporation for attempting to profit and let's be truthful, they wouldn't sell these toys if people didn't buy them; but we have to understand that this is how our youngsters recognize the brand and relate the golden arches with enjoyment as a juvenile. This kind of brand recognition marketing will keep the obesity rate at a steady incline until we as role models take the issue into our own hands and start saying no to damaging child's toys.
I also saw a donut shop toy set...yup, donuts. Let's face it, any child who knows custard filled donuts and iced mocha prior to seeing the inside of the shop is destined for cavities and diabetes... and that's the best case scenario.
Like I said, I can't blame these billion dollar businesses for doing what they do first. We already know what they're all about. We know that for the most part they are cold, methodical, profit machines that will do whatever is required to ensure their fiscal well-being. Establishing unhealthy habits in our children can affect their future bottom line.
It is up to us to educate our children so that these marketing firms that are successfully initiating brand recognition at such an early age do not continue on to encourage the unhealthy baby habits that feed into the childhood obesity epidemic through unhealthy toys for our children and babies. They will continue to create and market these toys to our kids, but we need to try to remember that the strength is always in our hands to say NO!
We can stop purchasing these unhealthy toys for our babies and help our kids form good habits; or we can continue down the same path. Let our kids be influenced by people who don't care about them or their well-being. Allow them to be an additional unhealthy statistics in an increasingly unhealthy society. Or we can do what is correct rather than what is easy. We can value our kids by valuing our purchases for them. We can keep our integrity by giving our kids a fighting chance against the diseases and dysfunction both instigated and ignored by the fast food industry. Either way, it all starts by what we choose to surround our kids with.
Early Years Lil' Shopper Play Set Is My Preferred New Baby ToyThe Early Years Lil' Shopper Play Set is a fantastic toy for your baby for many reasons. Here are just a couple of reasons why it stands head and shoulders above the crowd.
Melissa And Doug Provide The Ideal Educative Toys For Children This Christmas SeasonIf you check out any best sellers list, you are bound to find Melissa and Doug products mentioned at least once but probably a lot more than that.
Lego Batman Games On PSP3, DS Or Nintendo Wii. Seems Certain To Become A Bestseller And In Demand Gift This Christmas.If you are wondering what your kids are going to be playing this Christmas, the Lego Batman game is already a favorite. Kids love Lego and the fact they can combine their favorite toy with their number one super hero is a recipe for success.
Transformers Leader Optimus Prime? - This Is About To Turn Into One Of The Hottest Toys Of The Year.If you have boys to buy presents for this Christmas you should check out Transformers Leader Optimus Prime.
Where Can I Find Angry Birds Toys For Sale?Unless you've been living on cloud cuckoo land you can't fail but to have noticed that the Angry Birds are dominating news in so many ways at the moment - but where do you find the angry birds toys for sale?
Strawberry Shortcake Dolls - What Helps Make Them Hold On To Their Success After All These Years?Strawberry Shortcake dolls are very popular with kids and grown ups alike. This lovable character was originally created for greeting cards but has since become a very well known TV character.
My Quandary: Do You Think I Should Buy The Leappad This ChristmasKids aged four to nine years are in a prime learning phase and gadgets that they love to use will help them with their learning. Introduce them to the LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer. It's like an iPad for kids, and it might just be the thing that makes them forget your iPhone!
Take A Look At The Very Latest As Well As Newest Angry Birds Toys And Games Available To BuyThese days there is an enormous array of Angry Birds toys and games on offer - much more than there was just a few months ago. See what is available right now and start enjoying the Angry Birds stuff for yourself.
Other Articles
More Resources
RSS Feed