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Toys are Them, not Us

Even before the schools have broken up for the summer holidays, the Back to School banners are flying in the shops. And no sooner have the uniforms and school stationery left the shelves than these are restocked with Christmas toys and gifts. For households with young children, the subject of toys will fill the majority of conversations for the next three months.

In these enlightened times there seems to be a growing demand for toys to fulfil multiple functions. They are no longer innocent playthings, but must help a child's development in every conceivable way; developing balance and co-ordination; fine-tuning the motor skills; teaching colours shapes, numeracy or literacy as well as stimulating the imagination and holding a child's interest for more than five minutes.

If toys do not live up to these impossibly high expectations, they will be rejected or discarded within minutes and the child will grow bored and disillusioned. Some of the most frequent Holiday complaints I hear are about boredom.

So what is the solution? It is all too easy for the child in us to take over when it comes to choosing children's toys. We imagine ourselves receiving the gift and start contemplating our own reactions, instead of considering the actual child and his or her interests. We may know our own children, but when buying for others we need to be prepared to do our homework in order not to make mistakes and cause disappointment.

If that is not possible, ignore all the latest fads (the chances are he or she will have one anyway!) and opt for something traditional and appropriate to the child's age and intelligence. Keep the receipt and offer this to the parent with the cheerful and sincere promise that you will not be offended if the gift gets exchanged. Giving a present in this spirit means you are sure to keep everyone happy.

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