Kids Today

[jesus]

Hunter put this on the links page:
Barbie Tanner
But I had to comment on it.
I saw that ad on TV a few weeks back and just couldn't believe it!
What kid is going to play with that? And for how long?
I was going through a Target toy catalogue the other day and I couldn't believe some of the toys.
All this electric stuff, it plays with it self.
My kids are only 13 and 11, but when they were younger for the most part we only gave them oldy timey toys. And I will argue till I am out of breath that it really helped them. They are both imaginative and smart (the girl took the SAT last year at 12 for placement in a talented youth programme and scored almost 1100), and I think its because they used their imagination when the where wee instead of having toys with bells and whistles that did it all for them.
Back when I was a kid...
Damn I feel old again.

(Sorry to rant, 3 cups of coffee and no breakfast yet.)

[Hunter]

I have a younger sister, and she has a good number of what I would call horribly conceived play things. Since she was 7 I have only ever bought her books and more recently the Klutz juggling kit.

I agree; toys these days suck.

I was lucky - in an age where the quality of toys was on its way to the crapper, I was gifted hand-me downs from two sisters 10 years older; ie a little time capsule of the last quality toys.

Specifically I got a large bag of old school legos; we're talking blocks and bricks of all colors. I could make cities, cars, horses (don't ask), or whatever I felt I needed at the time. New lego kits have one set of instructions so you can build the thing on the front of the box, and very little else.

I also got some old wooden blocks and was stoked when I was able to add some smaller, colored ones into the mix. I met a kid the other day that didn't understand what I meant when I asked if he ever played with blocks.

Next time I'm back northerly I am going to hunt down those blocks, toss them into that house, and break their televisions.

[Seadawg]

Along with imaginitave toys, encouraging reading is another gift of a lifetime.

I am very blessed... My oldest got several scholarships and bursaries for her first year of university and my youngest, just 16 brought home her midterms yesterday, which include advanced pysics, advanced math and Bio, she has a 92 average. That combined with her job, and varsity athletics, keep her very busy.
She also makes two trips a week to the library for books and is heavy into training for the upcoming girls "Rugby" Season. Keep em busy when they are younger and they will push themselves.

The electronic babysitters need to heavily monitored.....