to want my DC to only have wooden toys? (Or is this a case of PFB Syndrome?)

[LovestoLove]

I don't think I'm generally PFB - I want my child to respect adults, eat with no fussing/faddiness (or at least no reaction on my part), have no quibbles about the step, won't give copious amounts of juice/biscuits, won't give into tantrums, etc.

But I really have a thing about the bucket loads of plastic toys that I fall over when at friends' homes.

I love wooden toys/puzzles, books, cloth dolls, make-believe things, fancy dress, etc.

Is it totally unreasonable of me to ask parents, in-laws, and anyone else who's expressed interest in getting a baby gift to get something wooden/natural? I know wooden toys are generally seen as more expensive but I've found some on Ebay and other sites that aren't bad.

Or am I going to be seen as crazy? I'm 30 weeks pregnant by the way with DC1.

I'm sure she has 'issues'-I would love to know the background to her relationship with her parents.

Is it real? I see no signs in those rooms that Finn actually exists? How utterly bizarre.

Gasp! You may be on to something Sarah perhaps she has made the whole thing up [hshock]

That blog reads like a Montessori teacher-training manual.

And as the writer is a former Montessori teacher, her tone makes sense.

I only hope her blog is aimed at wannabe Montessori teachers rather than REAL PARENTS. If I came across her writing and photos in a Montessori/Early Years teacher-training textbook I wouldn't feel so sick.

Of course she must clean and tidy her showroom house for hours before photographing it: if it looks like a normal, chaotic mess for the 23.5 hours of the day when it's not being photographed for textbook blogs I think I can forgive her.

I think she owes it to the parents exposed to her blog to publish a 'pre-shoot' pic, warts, toddler, compliant husband and all.

There is no sign of a child living in that house. Maybe the small blonde boy is borrowed, a child model, hired purely to show off her perfect child, perfect house, perfect family life.

Which doesn't exist

The kindercrap breeds I tell you. It just turns up, I have no memory of buying/receiving most of it!

Perhaps someone can explain something that has always puzzled me?

If the ethos of Montessori is about exploring, discovering and following the child etc,

why do the children at our local MS wear such prescriptive uniforms? Blazers, shorts, hats, ties the lot.

It really makes no sense to me at all.

Someone mentioned Mango Mama, just googled her: jennifervanlaanen.blogspot.com/ SCAREY!!!!!

I read pages of this thread yesterday but I just haven't got the time to keep up when threads get so long dammit! Have loads in my watch list to get around to later.... Apologies if this is repeating anyone but found this site and thought Lovestolove might like it.

www.myriadonline.co.uk

I love wooden toys as much as the next person, they do look beautiful and are much nicer to handle, but on the whole I just find the cheapest version of the toy DD would like, usually on ebay, and I don't think she gives two hoots. It's all about how she interacts and plays with it. I would rather keep the money I haven't spent on things to spend on days out and experiences instead.

www.myriadonline.co.uk

doh

Ooh, here might be a good place to ask - anyone have any opinions on wooden vs metal balance bikes? Want to get one for DS for Christmas and honestly can't see what to choose between them.

YABU.
The toys are your childrens, not yours....and kids like plastic crap. Get used to it.

Rhian I would say metal as DS managed to utterly trash his wooden one within 3 months (but he is ASD and quite destructive)

Rhian82 - My ds has a steel Runner bike which lasted from 2.5 to 4.5 even though he can now ride a proper bike with no stabilisers, he still enjoys riding round our cul-de-sac on it. It's super tough, has proper tyres which is v. important for off-road and is easy to clean the mud off. Based on one very satisified customer I'd go for a good quality steel one..

As for wooden toys, until I had kids I used to be quite well paid and bought wooden toys for nieces and nephews. Now, I let my kids and my purse lead me!

Rhian, she lost me at '..helping little ones with portion control.' [hsad]

I had a rocking chair like the one in Finn's room. I couldn't help laughing when she mentioned she had found it in the attic, abandoned there by the previous homeowner. The relatively narrow width of the chair and the high arms made bfing and manoeuvering a baby from one side to the other and up for burping impossible without bumping poor DD1's head. But it looked so nice, almost Shakerish.

'And as the writer is a former Montessori teacher, her tone makes sense. '

She is no longer a Montessori teacher-maybe she found the reality of real DCs too much.

Thanks for all opinions so far. Can't believe it's generated this much attention .

I've decided to stick to my guns and have mainly wooden / natural toys, but will not request them from relatives unless they ask what we prefer!

I will still come back and update the thread in 2 years

Thanks for the myriad toys link, looks lovely!!

Sounds a sensible decision LovestoLove-do hope all goes well for you.

I am hugely disappointed that no one has told me the play difference, for the DC, between a wooden and plastic Noah's Ark.

I suspect that's because they can't, piscesmoon, because there is none. It is all down to the aesthetic appeal for the parents - wooden ones simply look nicer.

Although my sister some parents would espouse the philosophy that it is in some way better for the children to only play with natural materials as it is... Actually, I'm not sure how that sentence ends.

And to "stipulate" what gifts people buy your dc....? Plain rude.

I laughed so hard at that blog that a little bit of wee nearly escaped.
Has she ever actually seen a small child? Does she know what carnage they are capable of?
And is she actually planning to spend all day in his bedroom?

I wonder what she would make of a friend coming around and them using the broom and a mop to sword fight!

I suspect they can't answer SleepingLion-it is nearly 24hrs since I first asked.
Only one person has tried, saying that some people thought it forced DCs to be more imaginative. I think that is utter rubbish! It depends on the personality of the DC and how imaginative they are in the first place. My DS1 was highly imaginative and could have pretended a cotton reel was a tiger called Jim, giving it's whole life history and conversations with Noah, but DS2 would have said 'but it is a cotton reel!! If I wanted to help my very literal DS2 I would need a plastic tiger, in the right colour with stripes and build on that. DS1 would have had the same play value with plastic, wooden or even cotton reels.
I think it boils down to adult preferences for classic wood and not wanting garish plastic in the house.

Finn's mum has filled the house with wonderful adult like toys and stifled the imagination by showing how to use them in the way that an adult would-Finn could do with her hosting a toddler's coffee morning and leaving 6 toddlers to work out their own games.

Picesmoon - I think you are right. Some children find play more fun with lots of accessories and "rules" of play laid out for them. Some actually prefer simpler toys that they can go their own way with.
I loved Playmobile when I was young - but I wasn't so keen on the farms and vehicles and big playsets - I just wanted lots and lots of people and bits and pieces. I would take the whole lot out to the garden and pretend that the lived in houses under plants and in holes in the ground. I had a friend, however, who only wanted to play with the sets "properly" and got very annoyed if you had things in the wrong place - like the swings in the farmyard for example.
I think the woman in the blog was trying to decide in advance what type of imagination her child was going to have.

Exactly kungfupannda-she is lacking in imagination herself.

Could anyone finish the sentence 'natural materials are ber for children because......?