Babies don't care about what toys they have

Despite all of the sales advertisements, commercials and TV shows telling you to get the latest and greatest toys, babies don't need all of those toys. Sure, babies need toys/activities that facility their development, but something as simple as a foam letter or burp cloth can do the same. We have toys in almost every room of the house, but let me tell you, I think we have only purchased about 3 percent of those. The rest were gifts or things Grandma bought when she visited.

Toy from GG

My grandma (GG to CJ) bought this turtle filled with balls (you know, the ones kids jump around in at Chuck E. Cheese). The picture shows a baby sitting in the balls in the turtle. That's great in theory, but I think CJ only sat like that for a picture to send to GG and ever since then, he's just been focused on chewing on the balls. He LOVES them, but not the way the toy company envisioned, which is fine. All I'm saying is that these big fancy toys are just things to babies. They are the same as a shoe or a hair brush or a burp cloth.

But what's more important than what toys he is playing with or what non-toy items he finds appealing is how we, as parents, are working with him to develop as a human being. Are we spending enough time reading to him? Are we focusing on the right developmental skills for his age? Should we be looking for additional developmental aids? So many questions, but again, like John has told me many times, parenting is an art, not a science.

Content chewing on his sock.

So the way I see it is, as long as he's happy, all is well. If he is happy chomping away on a foam letter made for the bathtub, then so be it. If he wants to play with the Lil Zoomers Spinnin' Sounds Speedway, more power to him. Or if he just wants to snuggle up while we read a short book before bed, well, that's my favorite. Not only do babies not need every toy in the advertisement, but I don't need every gizmo and gadget - holding my baby close and enjoying him at that moment is better than any toy man can create.