Christmas is just over a month away, and for many of us, that means it's time to start thinking about what presents we're going to buy for our loved ones. But while you might think choosing a gift for a youngster in the family is as easy as picking out any random toy that takes your fancy, you should actually be thinking very carefully about what you buy - as you could end up picking a gift that "overwhelms" or upsets the child you're buying it for.
According to a former play therapist, there are certain types of toys that children just can't stand, and that she would never advise people to buy. And that news will be music to the ears of parents everywhere - as the list of toys you shouldn't buy children includes noisy toys that drive parents and kids insane.
The expert, who is called Amy and posts on TikTok under the username @amysgiftideas, shared her tips in a video posted online in which she listed the five types of toys she would never buy for kids, along with an explanation of why.
First up was noisy plastic toys, and she said: "Other than being annoying for parents, they're also not great for kids. Studies show that they can be overwhelming to children, especially young kids, and they also can delay language development."
Amy then took aim at toys with a lot of pieces, as well as big toys that take up a lot of space - even if you think that a bigger toy makes for a better present.
She added: "Kids cannot handle too many options. Studies show that when they have too many options available to them, they're more likely to just make a mess and walk away because they lose focus, they get distracted, or they get overwhelmed. It's just too much for them.
"Grandparents are notoriously guilty of giving big toys because they want to give something that seems really big and impressive. But those big, impressive toys are going to take up space, and I know that kids thrive in play spaces that are less cluttered and don't have as many options around.
"I like to give toys that can be easily put away, and while there's a lot of value in these big toys that promote open-ended play, I'm going to let the parents choose what they want in their space."
The play therapist also said she wouldn't advise giving children any sort of instructions when handing them a present, as you should always promote "creativity and independence" with the gifts you give.
She explained: "Number four is any kind of gift that comes with an instruction or an obligation of my expectation of how, or when, or where they're going to use it. For example, I'm not going to get a child an outfit and say 'You could wear this on the first day of school'. Or giving them a stuffed animal and saying 'This is for you to sleep with every night'.
"We're going to give kids the creativity and the independence to choose if, how, when, and where they use the gifts that we give them."
And lastly, Amy said she would never buy a gift that only offers a small amount of value, such as toys that are "used up" in five minutes and have no replay value.
She said: "Number five would be anything that gives them just five minutes of fun and then it's over, and what's left is not something they're going to continue to play with."
Commenters on the woman's video were divided, as while many said they agreed with her tips, others said there was nothing wrong with buying the mentioned toys if the child is happy with them.
One person said: "As an aunt of six years, I have flat-out refused to buy them anything except books."
While another added: "I agree with everything you here but I will say my daughter uses her Mixie over and over - she puts all kinds of things in there."
But someone else disagreed, stating: "As a former child, I can't agree. Let them have fun with all kinds of toys, action figures are the best."
Do you have a story to sell? Get in touch with us at yourmirror@trinitymirror.com .
