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Friday October 31, 2008 | 01:22 PM
Fisher Price has launched a new line of toys marked as the “Kid-Tough” series. These toys include a camera, portable DVD player and portable CD player. If you’ve seen one of the commercials, you’ve noticed the children dropping the “toys” down the steps, accidentally losing grip, having one of them fall in a fish tank and other irresponsible actions that would surely destroy a digital camera, portable DVD player and CD player.
But not these toys. These toys are designed for kids to be hard on them; they’re indestructible, perhaps.
And this is where my argument enters. Perhaps electronics such as the above aren’t the appropriate choices for 3-6-year-olds. As children mature, they learn how to appreciate their belongings more. They then have things to look forward to such as going to the first dance, getting their first phone in their room, and purchasing or receiving electronics for them to watch their favorite movies or listen to their favorite artists. But a portable CD player for a 3-year-old? Where is the child going, for a jog? Is the portable DVD player for them to watch “The Wiggles” on their next red-eye? If the child is too young to keep a grip on the item and dropping it in a fish tank is a real risk, then the child is also too young to be able to appreciate the item better suited for a much more mature pre-teen.
If I played too rough with my Barbies and Skipper’s arm accidentally fell off, my parents didn’t buy me an industrial-strength Skipper. Instead, I learned how to treat my toys with more respect. No adaptations were made. Am I saying that it is a 3-year-old’s fault for dropping that toy down the steps? No, the kid is three. What I am saying, however, is wait at least until the child can hold a pencil in his hand and write his own name before beginning his DVD collection. Let a kid be a kid and hold on to the big kid “toys” until later in life. Give him something to look forward to, unless of course you want him to borrow the car at 11.
About the Author
Rachel A. Pugh, a graduate of Penn State University with a B.A. in communications and a minor in theatre, came to the Weekender in 2000 as a Marketing/Promotions Associate. She was then made an Advertising Sales Account Executive and went on later to become Senior Advertising Sales Account Executive, Advertising Sales Team Leader, Sales and Marketing Manager, and the position she holds currently, Weekender General Manager and fashion columnist.
Rachel also serves as the Vice President of Marketing for the Wilkes-Barre Publishing Company, overseeing the marketing of company initiatives and events.
A graduate of Leadership Lackawanna, class of 2005, some of her community involvement includes: Board for the Greater Wilkes-Barre Association for the Blind, Executive Board for the Domestic Violence Service Center, committee member for The American Cancer Society’s Endure for a Cure, a board member of the Wilkes-Barre YMCA and a member of the Board of Directors for the United Way of Wyoming Valley.
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