When it was just my son I took great pleasure in choosing toys for him. I chose things that I thought he would love. Now my shopping compass is a little different. I watch my girls sitting in each others laps because they are competing for the lone kid-scaled seat. I catch the glint in the eye of a kid about to push another kid off of Rody the Pony, and snatching toys from each other has become a game unto itself. With three kids under four, I look for things that they can enjoy together. Bonus if they can’t use it as a weapon against each other. I need toys that are challenging enough for my older child without presenting safety risks for his twin sisters. We were lucky to receive a cool wire maze and sand table as a generous hand-me-down from my sister’s kids. It looks like this one:
I have watched my three kids play together in a friend’s play kitchen and wondered if our compact model might be due for an upgrade. Anything with a big footprint is considered and reconsidered, and multitaskers are the most highly regarded toys of all. Priorities have shifted. I have some big plans. BIG.
