Too Many Toys

Dear Parent,

How wonderful for your child that you wish to protect him from the numbing overindulgence in toys. The good news is that at age four he is still young enough to forget the one birthday party and the gifts he has received. With no new toys and without taking him into stores, your son will gradually forget this party and you will be able to resume your lifestyle. 

However, I invite you to let go of the idea of fitting in. Trying to be like everybody else will not bring you joy but struggle. You must stay true to yourself and find friends who fit with your aspirations. Most of the readers of Mothering Magazine are not those who fit in, but those who have the courage and commitment to do what is best for their children, regardless of the trends of the majority. You can’t fit in with a culture of shoppers if you don’t want to shop. I too am a foreigner but I don’t see myself this way. I am from diverse and colorful planet eath. Our family never fitted in with the mainstream and our lives are wonderful. 

There are parents who want what you want. It may take more time and effort to find them, but you are not alone. Many of the parents who call for my advice and attend my workshops stay away from purchasing too many toys. In my free newsletter I publicize information of parents looking for like minded families in their own areas. You may want to sign up and then email me a request to find friends in your area. I will be happy to post it in the next newsletter. I know of a few families in the USA and in AU who found friends through my newsletter and my network of parents world wide.

Our family has never done Christmas gifts either. When people are spending hours in traffic jams, holiday shopping, we are relaxing and playing at home. There are so many better ways to celebrate without material goods. Initially, our children didn’t know about gifts and specific dates. When they did, we just told them that we don’t do that and explained our reasons. It made sense to them. Over the years, we bought some creative toys, books, music and arts supply as the needs arose, in limited quantity and at times that were not dictated by the calendar. We celebrated by being together; the greatest gift on earth. 

Warmly,  Naomi Aldort,  www.AuthenticParent.com