The other day, I read that companies are already putting together their lists of the ‘must-have’ children’s toys and gadgets for Christmas 2017.
It’s May, chuffing MAY!
Why this surprises me I really don’t know; advent calendars seem to hit the shops earlier every year, and who the actual f*ck is buying those Easter eggs they put out on Boxing Day…
But here’s the thing. When it comes to toddlers, these lists COMPLETELY miss the mark.
Sure, they might play with the toy for five minutes or so once you’ve spent the best part of an hour wrestling with the packaging, frantically untwisting 40 different plastic ties to the soundtrack of your little darling’s impatient screams (I’m absolutely convinced that it would be easier to break into Buckingham Palace than it is to free a family of Sylvanians from their sodding box). But beyond that? It won’t even make their top 10…
Here’s Miss O’s current list of ‘must-have’ toddler accessories:
Manky stuff she finds in the park
If it’s slimy, mud-encrusted or shat out by wildlife, she’ll immediately make a beeline for it.
Daddy’s wallet
Fun for all the family here – J usually embarks on that classic follow-up game, “where the F*CK has she hidden my debit card?!?” at around 9pm. Often, I’m fully aware of its location, but equally aware of the wet towel that he’s left on the bed AGAIN, so I’ll give him a 10 minute head start…
The TV remote
Some children have comfort blankies, others have teddies; ours has the Sky remote. Honestly, she’d take it to bed with her if she could. It usually takes me about half an hour after she’s gotten her chubby mitts on it to turn the TV back on again/turn off the subtitles/reset the language (how on earth do they do that?!), so we now have a dummy control, a back-up dummy control, and the real deal. That’s right folks, we’re a remote-per-person kind of household these days – modern parenting at its finest.
Baby wipes
Initially, she just wanted to eat these, but has now progressed to using them to clean the floor, her toys, my face – whilst this is terrifically sporting of her, when a toddler feels obliged to step in and do the housework, this really doesn’t reflect well on you…
Old birthday cards
If you thought ‘That’s not my penguin’ was the ultimate bore-fest, try reading your daughter’s collection of ‘You are One!’ cards aloud in your best storyteller voice. Over and over again. All afternoon.
Anything dangerous
These are the things that Miss O absolutely YEARNS for but is not allowed, so she rewards me with her very best “STOP RUINING MY LIFE!!” face/wail/boob-punch.
Yesterday I was the worst mummy in the world because:
– I wouldn’t let her drink Chanel No 5
– I wouldn’t let her rearrange the shiny things in the knife block
– I decided against letting her electrocute herself.
I know. What a knob.
Empty boxes
The imaginative possibilities are endless with boxes; they can be a ship to sail the seven seas in, a jaunty hat to parade around the room in, or a step that finally enables you to reach the fridge door (we learnt this one the hard way, the yogurt-coated toddler kind of way).
Unfortunately, her favourite box is this one:
Yup – the postpartum ‘why are my lady-bits on fire??’ box she found in the bathroom. This is the box that she insists on keeping her collection of small plastic crap in, and also the box she toddled over to show the Sainsbury’s delivery man last week.
I can never look that poor guy in the face again…
Somehow, I don’t think any of the above will make the final cut this Christmas!
Pass the wine please 
Hahahaha! This is so accurate! We probably have a toy on our list…but it’s either McDonald’s happy meal toys and Kinder Surprise toys…you know, the ones with tiny parts…and my under one year old wants those 🤦♀️
I laughed out loud reading this list. 🙂
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Any animal … the bigger and more unfriendly looking the better. 🙂
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Tell me about it! At the farm last week she legged it towards a group of massive geese having a full on fight, who runs TOWARDS that???
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Yup basically why waste money on toys when wet wipes and anything manky from the floor will do!??? Thanks for linking this up to #coolmumclub lovely xoxo
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Wallets and purses, the TV remote and empty boxes – always always a winner!
#coolmumclub
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hahahaaa, brilliant. Kids can be sooo embarrassing. pen x #fridayfrolics
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Literally every single one of these gets played with in our house! As well as the wet washing hanging on the airer!!! #coolmumclub
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Yes! Totally accurate! All of them are toys at my house!
#fridayfrolics
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Hahaha, they always want to play with what they shouldn’t. Mine loved sanitary towels! All the shiny toys in the world but no they wanted them! #FridayFrolics
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Haha….lol. My middle boy was obsessed with the remote, we had to buy two extras as he just chewed them up like a puppy on speed! Didn’t want the vast variety of teething toys…. just the sky remote! #fridayfrolics
P.s. glad it’s not just me who withholds important information as payback for a previous misdemeanour. Hee hee
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yes. I dont think the twins had an actual toy until they were two…and only then I bought them cause I felt like a shit mom.
#fridayfrolics
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Our ‘real’ toys just seem to be for display purposes!
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haha … I love the small bit of revenge in item one. That’s married life right there! My girls also love random sh*t to play with. They are older now, but boxes of any kind are always a hit.
#bigpinklink
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Ha! This is so true. It’s Baby Lighty’s birthday in three weeks time. I don’t think I’ll bother with actual toys?!
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My eldest is 7 and on Friday afternoons he is allowed to play on the wii. We have to give the toddler a wii controller minus the batteries just so he thinks he is playing too! Thanks for linking up to #FridayFrolics
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Ahh that’s mega cute! X
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Haha! This is so true and keys, my youngest always had the car keys and posted them in the washing machine or a shoe. I’m the ‘running late’ mum and still never learnt my lesson and put them somewhere high.
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Yes!! This is both of my children’s dream Christmas gift list! I’ve told people time and time again not to waste money on actual toys-their most precious things at the moment are snapped kinder egg toys from 2014, stones from the park that resemble Darth Fader (um, of course they do darling…?!) and leaves that they will scream and mourn for when they shrivel and die. Anything priced £5 and upwards is dead to them after 1 day maximum! All the sighs!! I’ll read this list out to them later, and see the excitement on their faces thinking they’ll get the things on it, for Christmas!
Thanks for sharing with #bigpinklink!
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Oh I’m become addicted to your writing style. Although seriously…not letting hour child electrocute herself? How totally autocratic of you. Easter eggs on Boxing Day? Kill me. Thank God I no longer live in the UK (sorry but really thank God) And those buggering plastic ties. I’d love to weld them all together in one long line and wrap them round the neck of the idea who thought up that idea. #bigpinklink
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I know, I’m such a killjoy… I’ll let you know the moment the first advent calendar hits the shelves…I’m thinking September??
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