I call it the Land of Discarded Toys. Our Garage. In its chaotic depths, you will find Bakugans, Go-Gos, and now Beyblades.
You see, a few months ago, it was ALL ABOUT THE BEYBLADES in our house. Beyblades for the Boy’s birthday, Beyblades for Eid. All of a sudden, our house was overrun by these “metal infusion tops”, and the Beyblade Arena was front and foremost in our family room. Kids were coming over for Beyblade tournaments, and trades were being organised for key Beyblade players like Drago.
Then, all of a sudden, it was over. The Beyblades were shoved into a forlorn corner, left to rot in their shiny, discarded arena.
In a flash, the new “thing” was Pokémon. Fueled by the Nintendo DSI games like Pokémon Gold, Pearl, Black and White, the Boy plunged in, reading Pokémon books and watching how-to videos on YouTube. Now, The Boy chats to his friend on the phone about whether or not a Pokémon has evolved, or what’s going on in the “gym” – the place where Pokémon trainers train their Pokémons. Don’t ask me how I know this.
The excessive and transient nature of these toy obsessions is really getting to me. I know that it’s not just my kid, because I see all his friends participating in the same frenzies. However, it is troubling nevertheless. These toys are expensive: A 2-pack of Beyblades currently retails for $14.99. These kids don’t have a concept of “value” at this age, and they don’t understand why they can’t have, immediately, whatever the next trendy toy is.
My experience with my girls has been different. They have consistently liked the same stuff for a while now – dolls, dress-up clothes and accessories, and kitchen supplies seem to be constant. They scream for make-up and new doll stuff too, but the toys we buy definitely have more longevity.
I’ve been talking to my kids more about waste, excess and discarding their old toys so callously. I’m putting together their old toys and we are going to go together to donate them to a shelter. I’m hoping some of that will have an impact on them. I’d love to hear some feedback on how other parents cope with this.