Give Your Children Experiences, Not More Toys
Many parents think that their children will be happier if they receive more toys, especially at certain times, such as Christmas. But nothing could be further from the truth; if they receive too many gifts, the exact opposite of the desired effect may occur. So, give your children experiences, as this will make them happy and produce long-lasting memories.
When children receive a large number of toys, you’ve probably noticed that, in the end, they focus on playing with just one toy. In fact, they may not play with any of them at all, or end up playing with the empty boxes.
However, the experiences, the moments you share with them, are what really leave a mark on them. When you give your children experiences, that’s what really matters.
Make your children happy with experiences; they’ll favor their development, their personal growth, the affective bond with the family, their social skills, and of course, it’ll be fun for everyone.
Make your children happy without so many toys
If children receive a lot of toys, even if we think we’re making them happy, it’s really not the case. In fact, just the opposite is true. Many toys scatter their attention, so they end up getting bored because they don’t even know which one to play with.
It’s better to have fewer, but more educational toys that develop their imagination. Many toys end up turning children into materialistic people. Having everything they want is not a great idea. We must teach them the value of things, the effort that everything requires, and that those things don’t just fall from the sky.
If you give your children experiences, these will bring them happiness and unique moments that will remain in their memories forever. This will increase their intelligence and wellbeing.
Make your children happy with experiences
Experiences don’t have to be very sophisticated or cost you a lot of money. An outing to the park, a family picnic, going to the beach for the day, or even going camping together will do. There are many ideas that don’t cost much, but that will make our children very happy.
Experiences will provide them with learning that toys won’t. Spending time with your children is more valuable to them than anything else. The experiences at school with their friends or classmates will be great, but those with their family are priceless. The memories that will be engraved in their memory will last a lifetime.
If we want our children to be successful and happy children, we must give them experiences and time with them, instead of technology and so many toys. Family plans, picking them up from school if you can, going to the park, etc.
What if we give children a lot of toys?
All this doesn’t mean that we should stop giving toys to our children; that’s not the point. Many of them stimulate their learning and imagination. However, when does the problem arise? When we don’t set limits and every purchase seems too small to our prince or princess.
Sometimes, we believe that happiness is proportional to the number of gifts our children receive, but we’re actually wrong. In this way, our children receive a lot of presents without making any effort and without valuing them.
If they receive too many gifts, their imagination will also be limited and they’ll only play with their toys, without looking for other ways to entertain themselves. Even if children wish very strongly to receive many presents, they end up not playing with all of them.
How does receiving too many toys affect them?
- They lose interest very quickly when the toys pile up
- They play a little and then the toys are forgotten in a drawer
- It can make them selfish and spoiled
- They push children into more solitary play
- Many toys make them lose the concentration needed to learn from them
Before buying toys, we have to be clear about two things that will be key
- The fewer effects the toys have, the more things the child will be able to do using their imagination. Simpler toys are more stimulating for the child’s mind.
- Less is more. The more toys, the more likely they’ll end up being abandoned in some corner of their room.
Make your children happy with your time, as you’ll be giving them the best of gifts and contributing to their happiness. It’s true that many parents sometimes have a very complicated schedule, but 15 minutes of your time is worth more than none at all.
Get organized, plan your agenda, and give your children experiences as gifts. The attention of parents will always be better than any toy, technology, or amount of money.