To think it's cruel not to give a toddler any toys?

[CeCeBloomer]

My SIL nannies for an 18 month old who isn't allowed any toys, parents believe over stimulation causes attention problems. Is this a thing? I had never heard of it. Just seems pretty cruel to me, I can't imagine not playing with my dc with their toys. I also thought playing and toys helped their development?

Am assuming he does play with household objects and am sure SIL plays with him, thanks all, some interesting opinions

I don't think it's a problem as long as he still gets to play.
DS1 has never really played with toys, he always had toys but genuinely prefers pottering about the garden or playing with the recycling.
He arranges stones into pictures, lets bugs crawl onto his hand and talks to them, loves mud, sand, puddles, leaves. At the park he plays under a massive tree pretending the roots are a house for some imaginary creature.

He is always daydreaming/imagining . He does use pens, paper etc and makes his own toys out of things he finds around the house.

DS2 plays with a select few of his toys daily. The rest are ignored. Kids have too many toys these days (mine have far less than most kids and I think they have too many).

I think it's very unusual, not sure if I think it's cruel but if he gets played with, gets plenty of time outside and plays with household things then I think it's probably fine at his age.

I do think the mother sounds strange though, the "over stimulation" thing is bollocks.

I can see her point after seeing this sensory overload on a FB selling page!

It's not cruel - just snobby and pretentious in a my-child-doesn't-play-with-plastic-tat kind of way.

I'd be surprised they don't sack your SIL in favour of a Mandarin speaker once the child starts talking.

YABU.I have come across this before.An excellent idea! Stimulates resourcefulness and imagination

Tryharder!

The parents sound a huge yawn fest. Kid will be fine and as soon as it talks things will change.