Not all toys from the shelves of even the most expensive stores are worth buying for your beloved baby, because some of them can harm the physical or mental health of the child.

It's no secret that toys are a business, a way to make money. In pursuit of brightness and competitive price, the most important thing - quality - can suffer. Despite the fact that all toys are tested, low-quality and even harmful products regularly get on sale. In addition, categories such as sports equipment, weapon simulators, jewelry, etc. According to the documentation, they do not belong to toys, and therefore do not fall under any technical regulations.

1.Be sure to ask the seller for a quality certificate for the toy you like. At any point of sale, at your request, you are required to provide these documents (commodity-accompanying documentation for the goods). Otherwise, you can file a complaint with Rospotrebnadzor.

Harmful substances that may, but SHOULD NOT exceed the allowable limits in toys:

Phenol - used to shape plastics or rubber - is rapidly absorbed through the skin, upper respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract; destructively affects the immune system, can lead to sleep disturbances, headaches, runny nose and more. It can cause allergic reactions, and a child with bronchial asthma can have the most terrible consequences. Be careful. According to studies, about 40% of toys on the Russian market exceed the permissible levels of phenol content. When these toys are placed in water, the release of phenol increases tenfold.

Formaldehyde is a highly toxic gas used in the production of resins, plastics, paints, textiles and more; has a pungent odor, is highly soluble in water and alcohol - causes a strong toxic reaction, negatively affects the nervous system, genetic material, reproductive function; officially considered a carcinogen and can cause cancer.

Mercury- a toxic substance that can cause a number of neurological disorders and other diseases even from the smallest contact. Symptoms of poisoning appear only after 2 - after contact. Entering the body through the respiratory tract, mercury vapor forms dangerous compounds that harm the kidneys, liver and intestines; depending on the degree of mercury vapor poisoning, consequences such as a lag in motor or mental development may occur. And this is not the whole terrifying list.

Lead- negatively affects mental abilities - it is added to children's jewelry: rings, bracelets, chains, brooches, pendants, talismans, etc. to give silver. Such products are especially dangerous if a child takes them in his mouth or swallows them.

Read labels and product labels. Be sure to include information about the country of origin and the company that produced the goods. If this information is not on the label and label, or on the quality certificate of the goods, or they refuse to show you the documentation under any pretext (the safe is broken; the director is away ...) - it is better to leave without buying, since most likely these toys are dangerous to health.

2. For each toy, the age limits must be indicated.: “from 3 years old” or “0+”, etc.

3. Don't forget to smell the toy: if there is any unpleasant or foreign smell - refuse to buy. If the toys are sold without packaging (especially soft ones), it is most likely that they are “ventilated” before being sold. Packaging is essential! And some guarantee...

4. Don't buy a toy that sheds, fluff, or peels off. The seller can say anything, but such a toy can harm a child: children taste everything and can choke. The ideal filler for soft toys is synthetic winterizer. Foam rubber decomposes over time and releases harmful substances, especially when in contact with children's saliva. Small silicone balls may soon begin to fall out through poor-quality seams, which means they can be eaten by your favorite little one.

5. Polyvinyl chloride is a dangerous substance, especially - its presence in the product is indicated by a special designation (see right). To the touch, this product is very pleasant and resembles human skin.

6. When choosing electric toys, remember that their power should not exceed 24 watts.

7. A toy for a baby should not consist of a large number of loose parts, should not have sharp edges. Before you buy any toy, make sure that the baby does not get hurt while playing with it.

Conscientious manufacturers submit their goods for examination, where they are checked not only for their chemical composition, but also for a number of other indicators. For example, the weight of a rattle should not exceed 100 grams; each rattle is tested for strength: 5 times in a row it is thrown onto a special platform with a height of 850 mm. (if the rattle is easy to split, the child can swallow the "noisy" filling), in addition, there should not be any images or inscriptions on the rattle itself (especially on the part that will get into the child's mouth).

Toys that do not distort reality will be useful for the child. If all his life the baby plays with a purple canary and a green bear, then for some reason, after some time, he suddenly has to believe that canaries and bears do not come in such colors. Or another situation: toy monsters. For a baby up to 3 years old, and sometimes more - all toys are animated, alive. Buying a toy monster for a child, you give him a “live” one. And even in the language of the subconscious, a grin, huge teeth and claws cannot be perceived as something other than intimidation. Even if a child likes such a toy, it will not bring anything good for his psyche.

Psychologists and educators around the world advise choosing toys in accordance with age needs (read more in our next article), giving preference to toys made from natural or textured materials, using natural materials in games (leaves, tree bark, twigs, sand, etc.; all this, if desired, can be processed, including thermally), to acquire more toys that allow the child to show imagination and come up with an action himself (and not just press the button), create.

Help your child come up with 10 stories and uses for each toy, and after a while he will show you 20 more options. It will be much more useful.

And finally - 3 tips on how to make a toy safer.

1. When you come home from the store, double-check that all parts are securely fastened(glue, hem or twist is better before letting the baby play).

3. If the toy is made of plastic– Wash it thoroughly with hot water and laundry soap or wipe it with alcohol. If after water-alcohol treatment the toy has changed color or shape - throw it away sparing no money, the baby's health is more important.

The purchase of toys is often thought in the family even before the birth of the baby. The issue of choosing safe toys remains relevant for parents around the world for more than a year. That is why it is very important that every adult knows about everything that we are talking about with you now.

Pay attention to all the information attached to the product; buy toys of well-known, trusted brands, from large manufacturers. Don't settle for "I don't know what" from "I don't know who" from "I don't know whose stall"... Parental control of the safety and quality of toys is the last and most important barrier between the child and the outside world. What kind of world the baby will meet depends entirely on you.

The most useful and safe shopping for you. The happiest moments and games with your child!

Children's toys, unfortunately, are not always produced from safe and environmentally friendly materials. You can often find dolls, animals, rattles made of cheap synthetics, which have an attractive appearance, but are not always safe for the health of babies. Having chewed on a bright duckling or a rattle, the child runs the risk of getting a dose of poison. Most often in toys there are such toxic substances as phthalates, lead, mercury, phenol, fire retardants, phosphorus, formaldehyde. But not only toxic compounds can harm babies: a long pile of soft toys collects dust and dust mites, magnets are very difficult to remove from the body when swallowed, and modern children's weapons are like an adult traumatic one. In our review, we will consider the 10 most harmful children's toys.

Magnetic constructors

Such toys are dangerous because children swallow small items containing a magnet. When swallowing a simple foreign object, the internal organs of the baby are usually not injured, in the case of magnets, everything is different: they are attracted to each other, which prevents them from being removed from the body, while simultaneously contributing to the occurrence of fistulas in the intestines.

Safety rules And

The following recommendations will help protect against harmful consequences:

• You can not buy magnetic designers for a child under three years old.
• The magnets must be inside a durable plastic that prevents them from being swallowed.
• Elements of the designer with magnets must be large in size, which will make it impossible to swallow the whole part.

Phosphorus and PVC toys

PVC or polyvinyl chloride is a material that is something intermediate between rubber and plastic.

PVC toys contain phthalates, which have a negative effect on the liver, kidneys, immunity, endocrine, reproductive and nervous systems, provoke asthma and cancer. Phthalates are readily released from PVC and are airborne, allowing them to be absorbed through the skin and lungs when inhaled. Kids love to try everything on the tooth, because phthalates also get into the children's body when they are swallowed.

Modern luminous stickers, balls, bracelets, helicopters, animal figurines are made on the basis of reflectors or luminescent coating. But cheap Chinese toys still have phosphorus in their composition, thanks to which they glow. Phosphorus compounds provoke the occurrence of diseases of the cardiovascular system, disorders of the liver, digestive organs, and adversely affect metabolism. In order not to become the owner of a harmful toy, it is recommended to ask for a certificate when buying and purchase products only from well-known manufacturers with a good reputation.

• On a quality toy, there must be a marking. If the certificate has a triangle with the number "3" inside, the inscriptions PVC, VINIL, then the material from which the toy is made is polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Often there are no such inscriptions on toys released in China.
• Non-hazardous plastic is cold and hard. Very rarely, PVC toys have a similar texture, more often they are very pleasant to the touch, soft.

Toys with small parts

Elements of small size very easily end up in children's ears, nose or are swallowed, therefore, according to statistics, toys with small details are the most dangerous for babies up to one and a half to two years old.

Children's motorcycles

Parents, dreaming to please the child, buy him a children's motorcycle, without thinking that many injuries were received due to the fault of such a toy. A children's motorcycle is a powerful toy that a baby cannot handle. Relatively safe riding is ensured by choosing a motorcycle model, taking into account the age of the child and his character.

A wheelchair motorcycle can be bought for a child from two years old. Such transport is set in motion by the usual repulsion from the floor. Battery powered motorcycles can be purchased for a child from three years old, and the larger the battery capacity, the older the child should be. Gasoline motorcycles are only allowed to be bought by teenagers over 12 years old.

Our expert is a researcher, leading expert of the laboratory of complex problems of hygienic assessment and examination of the Research Institute of Hygiene and Health Protection of Children and Adolescents of the Federal State Autonomous Institution "NMIC of Children's Health" of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation Lyudmila Nadezhina.

material interest

A wooden horse, a teddy bear, a rubber duck - all these fun things dear to the heart have remained in the distant Soviet past. After all, today in 80% of cases products for children are made of polymers.

In order to achieve the required indicators of plasticity, resistance to temperatures, light, mechanical damage, manufacturers introduce special chemicals into the composition of polymers - plasticizers, stabilizers. And if at the same time bad raw materials are used or the technological process is disrupted, then the plastic is of poor quality. And it would be fine if the toys made from it were simply fragile, but they can emit hazardous chemicals (formaldehyde, styrene, phenol, phthalates) that can adversely affect the growth and development of the child. The more complex the composition of polymers, the more potentially harmful the toy made from it, because toxic compounds can interact with each other, increasing the negative effect on the body.

And although the maximum permissible concentrations (MPC) of harmful substances are strictly regulated, and their low levels are considered harmless, this, alas, is not always the case. After all, not only the concentration of any harmful substances is important, but also the constancy of their impact. If the baby loves the toy with all his heart, eats with it, and sleeps, and bathes, and licks from morning to night, then special attention should be paid to the quality of this thing. After all, a long-term accumulation of harmful chemicals in the child's body over time can lead to impaired immunity, allergies, diseases of the liver, kidneys, heart and other organs.

Your own experts

Conscientious manufacturers give their products to special laboratories where they conduct sanitary-chemical and toxic-hygienic studies. Toys are not only tested for the presence of harmful substances: lead, arsenic, mercury, but also tested for strength and safety. For example, rattles are repeatedly thrown from a height of 85 cm. Plastic toys are tested for edge sharpness, resistance to saliva and sweat. But not all manufacturers do this. How can you be sure that their products are safe?

Does the toy smell pleasantly like vanilla or caramel? Manufacturers often mask low-quality polymer "chemistry" with other odors.

Smell. An intense smell indicates low-quality plastic. By the way, it's not about the bad smell. Often, on the contrary, a plastic toy exudes aromas that are attractive to a child's nose: vanilla, caramel. This is how unscrupulous manufacturers mask the “chemical” spirit of a low-quality polymer.

Expert opinion

Pediatrician Oleg Konstantinov:

- If after playing the child has a headache or allergic reactions (cough, tears from the eyes, skin rashes), sleep disturbances, upset stools, vomiting, shortness of breath or a strong heartbeat, poisoning with toxins (for example, phenol or formaldehyde) can be suspected . By the way, when a toy gets into water, the release of these substances can increase several times, so do not use suspicious toys in any case in the bath.

After buying, be sure to wash plastic or wooden toys with soap (or treat with alcohol), and wash soft ones with baby powder and dry.

Feel. The seams of plush animals must be strong. Eyes, noses are sewn on so that the baby cannot tear them off. And the stuffing should not contain sharp objects. If granules are used as stuffing, they must be packed in an additional bag.

Scratch with your fingernail and lick. In toys, surface staining is allowed, in rattles - no. But both of them should not have an irritating effect on the mucous membranes. The paint did not peel off, the tongue did not stain, they did not feel an extraneous taste - well, it's already good.

look around. There are no nicks or streaks of glue - this is a plus. The case is durable, there are no sharp edges and corners - fine. Now make sure that the fasteners do not protrude above the surface of the toy, and folding toys have a limiter that prevents spontaneous folding. It's like that? Great!

Throwing and flying toys must have soft tips or blunt ends, and inflatable toys must have strong welds. In an electric toy, the voltage should not exceed 24 V.

Listen. When buying a talking or musical toy, evaluate the volume of its sound. It's not just that the baby can be scared. The small ear canal of a child amplifies noise differently than an adult's ear. So children's machine guns and pistols that make too loud sounds are extremely dangerous.

Read. Read the information on the labels carefully. The toy must indicate: its name, country of origin and its address, trademark, age of the child, the main material from which the toy is made (unfortunately, the manufacturer is not obliged to indicate the full composition), methods for caring for the product, date of manufacture, expiration date service and storage conditions. The presence on the toy of the PCT (Russian standard) or EAC marking (confirming compliance with the requirements of the Technical Regulations of the Eurasian Economic Union "On the safety of toys") should reassure you.

Respect age restrictions. Do not buy toys for growth. For example, trendy flying games (helicopters, drones) are only suitable for schoolchildren. They are difficult to manage, and preschool children can be injured. In toys for children under 3 years old, the use of natural fur, leather, glass, porcelain, pile rubber, cardboard, paper and small parts is unacceptable.

Buy from specialized stores. As a rule, they monitor the availability of documents confirming the quality of toys.

Expert opinion

Pediatric surgeon Ivan Osipov:

- Recently, children are often injured by magnetic construction sets. If you swallow just one magnet, there will be no big trouble - it will come out naturally. But if there were several such details, they will be attracted to each other and can break through the intestines. When the contents of the organ enter the abdominal cavity, there is a threat of deadly peritonitis. No less scary are toys that run on flat batteries. When swallowed, the “pills” stick to the esophageal mucosa and release harmful substances for a long time. This is fraught with the development of an ulcer and even the death of a child.

However, it is not the toys themselves that are dangerous, but non-compliance with safety precautions when playing with them. Therefore, be sure to read the instructions and do not let the kids play games that are not intended for them by age. And always be there. Many amusements are designed for the fact that you can only play with them under the supervision of adults. After all, even inflating balloons can end tragically if this thing accidentally gets into the larynx. Any small details (for example, parts of toys from a surprise egg) can block the baby’s airways, so even these seemingly innocent fun can be potentially life-threatening.

The market for children's goods was captured by real monsters. On the shelves you can increasingly find scary dolls, mutant hares and other monsters. They become the favorite toys of children. Fairy tales, unfortunately, are written in jargon. Kind princesses, cute bear cubs, cats, dogs are less and less attractive to children. Let's look at the most harmful and, in fact, what is their harm. In stores, of course, you can find useful toys both for the child's body and for the development of the child, but their cost is usually high.

Lego toys

So, let's start our review of harmful toys with the world-famous Lego constructor. It has long been recognized as a world-class toy. According to psychologists, designers of cars, helicopters, houses are not only exciting entertainment, they have a positive effect on the development of motor skills. Are Lego toys really that bad? The fact is that there are kits with parts of a very small size. They are contraindicated for children under three years of age to avoid swallowing small objects. In addition, if a child hunches over to play in a dark corner, problems cannot be avoided. Therefore, take care in advance of equipping a comfortable and well-lit place for the game, where adults will not interfere with the child.

Set for children "Doctor"

The kit includes a pouch with organs and a man with holes on his body. The essence of the game is that you need to correctly insert the liver, stomach, heart. And then carefully remove them with tweezers. It would seem that such a toy can help in the study of anatomy, however, teachers and psychologists are sure that it is necessary to start studying the internal structure of both the human body and animals at a certain age, when the child's psyche is ready to assimilate such information and only under the supervision of a teacher. Such a game is contraindicated for children, as it leads to mental disorders in children.

Baby dolls and baby dolls

Talking baby dolls and baby dolls that appeared on the shelves are expensive and harmful toys for children. These seemingly harmless dolls react to human movement and cry, demanding food, drink, sleep. A kind of Tamagotchi in the form of a man, the dangers of which have been repeatedly discussed.

The idea is clear: we are educating the expectant mother. However, imagine that this doll will cry with any movement, your daughter will have to jump up to her day and night to rock her. Here it is not far from neurosis.

Leaders of sells

What currently occupies the shelves of children's stores? During a freelance examination of the assortment of one of the most ordinary stores for its usefulness, the correspondent of the newspaper Dengi and Doctor of Psychology Vera Abramenkova did not see the usual designer, alphabets, cubes or mosaics on the shelves. But most of the store was occupied by the Winx fairies, various vampire killers, warriors and "vampire fighters", the appearance of which is at least disgusting. Remember the Teletubbies!

It is proved that the creators of this cartoon were under the influence of drugs in order to achieve some kind of “outside the box thinking”. Managers considered these funds to be a source of inspiration and encouraged their employees. As a result, characters were created that the Polish authorities recognized as heroes promoting homosexuality. It is safe to say that these are harmful toys. However, it has been estimated that in Russia, the profit from the sale of products with the participation of Teletubbies (toys, goods with their image, magazines and sweets) amounted to $100 million a year.

Toys with magnets

Letters, numbers, figures on magnets can also be a source of danger for your child. If such a magnet falls out, terrible consequences occur. A child who at this moment is not under the supervision of parents can swallow such a magnet. Manufacturers have a responsibility to think about the consequences of unreliable toy manufacturing. Quite often, the magnets in such structures are weakly fixed, you need to choose designers in which the magnets are welded into the plastic.

Considering harmful toys for children, you need to remember about smart plasticine.
At first glance, an ordinary harmless children's toy that develops fine motor skills, logical thinking and creativity is an excellent anti-stress tool. But the small parts and magnets that make up the plasticine are dangerous for children who are unattended by adults.

Neocube

Continuing the review on harmful toys, it is impossible not to mention the neocube, which managed to bring a lot of grief to some families. This dainty toy, made up of 216 small marbles, is freely available in many stores. This is a universal thing that can develop intelligence. But it can also kill and maim.

The balls of this designer are made of an alloy of iron, boron and neodymium. This composition has the properties of a super strong magnet, the balls are attracted to each other with incredible force, the child can model various shapes, while developing fine motor skills and creativity.

Many parents do not realize how harmful toys called neocube are, because they do not take into account. Even at 3-4 years old, the baby often pulls anything into his mouth - this is how he learns the world with the help of his senses. The child's fingers are sometimes not able to separate the balls, you have to separate them with your teeth.

One ball that gets inside the body will not cause any harm and will come out naturally. But if a child swallows several of them, moving along the digestive tract, these balls, separately from each other, end up in different parts of the body. A magnet always remains a magnet, connecting, these balls can lead to rupture of intestinal tissues.
As a result, if you do not see a doctor in time, not only serious consequences are possible, but also the death of the victim.

Useless and harmful toys for children

On sale there is an unusual toy - a talking duck. While playing, you need to strangle the duckling so that it speaks. Needless to say, it causes cruelty! Comments are unnecessary - the process of suffocation alone causes horror in a normal adult.

Robot Spider is a battery-powered mechanical toy that even parents are terrified of. This is a huge spider with blinking eyes. After playing with such a toy, it is difficult for babies to fall asleep at night.

Surgical kits for children began to appear on store shelves more and more. At first glance, this is an ordinary medical kit, but no one thinks about the consequences. The child quickly gets tired of training on ordinary plasticine. Soft toys, even pets, are used. As a result, the psyche of the child is disturbed.

Children like toys that follow orders: dolls and dinosaurs, robots that respond to voice and follow commands. Psychologists consider such toys to be harmful, because the toy itself plays, and the child should only command it.

Made in China

Today, those toys that are made from environmentally friendly materials are expensive, so many children have to play with foreign ones, in particular, Chinese ones.

So, Chinese harmful toys, why are they dangerous for children? The faces of these dolls and animals usually do not carry any emotions, their expressions are stupid and meaningless, sometimes even aggressive. They are made of low-quality rubber, which has a pungent odor. These toys are painted with poisonous paints.

Parents often follow the lead of their child, who asks with tears to buy another monster, because many children from the class have the same one. However, they forget how harmful such a toy can be both in terms of health and from a psychological point of view.

Fancy Reviews

On the Internet, video reviews of a wide variety of children's toys are quite common. What does Comrade Safronov tell us? One of his reviews is titled "Bad Toys: Phones and Slimes." Having examined the slime, we see: this toy is clearly made of low-quality material, as it has a pungent smell of gasoline. Considering that small children put everything into their mouths, the conclusion suggests itself: this is contraindicated for children. With children's toy phones, the situation is a little simpler, such a phone does not cause harm, but a melody that cannot be turned off on its own can pretty much spoil the mood. In general, Comrade Safronov does skillfully reviews on harmful toys, he takes into account many criteria that parents should use when choosing the next toy for their baby.

How to choose a quality toy for your child

When choosing a toy, you need to pay attention to the following points:

• Appearance. A good toy should not have sharp edges. For children under 3 years old, do not buy toys containing small parts that can be accidentally swallowed. Avoid too bright colors, as a rule, brightly colored toys are toxic, they may contain lead and cadmium.
• Material. Do not buy toys made of PVC, as it can cause diseases of the kidneys, heart, and immune system. PVC toys are marked with a triangle with the number 3 inside and with arrows. When scratched, a white stripe will remain on such a toy.
• The packaging must not be damaged in any way. You need to buy a soft toy for a small child only in individual packaging. The contact details of the manufacturer, the date of manufacture and the shelf life during which the toy will be harmless to the child must be indicated on the toy.

In the modern world, there are harmful and useful toys. The choice largely depends on the parents. It is they who choose which toy is suitable for the child. Manufacturers are required to ensure that the toy meets the world standard, is useful and educational, and not dangerous for the life of our children.

Psychologists are concerned about the extent to which the quality of children's play of modern preschoolers has changed: it has become monotonous, aggressive and individualistic. One of the reasons for the sad trend is that many fashionable toys hinder the development of the child, distort his emotional sphere and form negative character traits. Child psychologist Inna Malash told the portal about dangerous “toys of prestige”.

More than a game

For a baby, a toy is an indispensable tool for learning about the world around it, allowing you to master new actions, solve new and increasingly difficult tasks. Therefore, adults should approach the choice of toys with all responsibility - not only take into account the age of the child and make sure of their sanitary and hygienic safety, but also know the criteria for the pedagogical and psychological usefulness and harmfulness of “childhood friends”. To do this, it is important to have an idea of ​​the meaning of the game for the child:

- the game is the leading activity of a preschooler, which determines the development of his intellectual, physical and moral strength;

- creative imagination is formed in the game;

- the game is a "school of arbitrary behavior" (the child learns to consciously control his actions);

- the game is a "school of morality in action" (it is the game and the fairy tale that help the child to understand "what is good and what is bad"; verbal explanations can be long and unsuccessful);

- in the game, the child learns to communicate, interact with other people and learns about himself;

- in the game the child learns to express his feelings and understand the feelings of other people;

- in the game there is a repetition of social practice, accessible to the understanding of the child.

Harmful toys

At first glance, it may seem that there is nothing difficult in determining which toys can harm the development of the baby. So, toys are unconditionally harmful if they do not arouse in the child the desire to know the world around them or make independent and free creative play impossible.

However, in practice, it is often difficult for non-specialists to draw a line between toy “good” and “evil”. In addition, many adults are confused by the price factor: most of the toys that are harmful to the child's psyche are by no means cheap, so their "comprehensive" safety is not in doubt.

So, what kind of toys does child psychologist Inna Malash categorically advise against introducing preschoolers to?

Female dolls (Barbie, Cindy, Bratz, etc.). When playing with an "adult" doll, a little girl is limited in her ability to imitate her mother. This adversely affects the attitude of future women to motherhood.

Many psychologists are convinced that Barbie dolls and their analogues are the embodiment of the anti-cult of the keeper of the hearth. Opinions are also expressed that female dolls with unnatural proportions are able to plant the first grains of dissatisfaction with their own bodies in the souls of girls. In the future, “shoots” are possible in the form of such mental disorders in girls as anorexia and bulimia.

Scary toys (monster dolls, mutants, monsters, freaks). If traditional toys - kind and sweet - perform a psychotherapeutic function (namely, help children master their fears and overcome them), then the creepy products of the toy industry, on the contrary, bring an additional portion of nightmares into the lives of kids.

These toys have a direct influence on the formation of character traits: a child, copying the image of a doll, identifying himself with it, can become withdrawn, distrustful, and angry. Also, toy monsters-“comrades” awaken uncontrolled aggression in children, cause disturbances in concentration and distribution of attention, and can cause difficulties in building relationships between a child and peers and adults.

In addition, scary toys pervert the sense of beauty, which means that they prevent the formation of aesthetic taste in children.

Electronic toys (transport, musical), creating the illusion of a child's activity, actually manipulate him and set a program of action. In essence, a small person turns into a contemplative-passive "addition" to the toy, his activity is reduced to pressing buttons, which is useless for the development of logic. And the lack of space for ideas, fantasies, transformations and experiments hinders the development of the child's creative thinking.

Interactive dolls and animals contribute to the distorted development of the sphere of emotions and feelings. Having in their arsenal many responses to interaction with a person, these toys emotionally “disorient” the baby: they can respond to stroking and swaying with crying or sounds of displeasure, and aggression or long inattention - hugging or joyful remarks.

Ways to counter toy deceit

Parental awareness of the psychological harm of modern toys, alas, does not guarantee adults a quiet life, and children a happy and safe childhood. Aggressive advertising and laudatory annotations ordered by toy manufacturers do their dirty work. Therefore, it is important for moms and dads to know how to act if ...

... the child dreams of a harmful toy. First of all, parents should think about what attracts the baby in a toy. To do this, you should find out how and in whose company the child is going to play with her. The answer is "I will beat her!" indicates repressed aggression. It can be caused by dissatisfaction with the child's basic psychological needs for love and care. Also, aggression is often provoked by resentment against parents or other close people (grandmother, brother, friend, etc.).

Joint games and conversations between parents and the child will help to solve the problem, as well as special game methods to reduce the level of aggressiveness (for example, you can shout into a glass, arrange a fight with newspaper snowballs, mold the figure of the offender from plasticine and break it, etc.).

If a child wants to attract the attention of his peers, he will say: "I will bring a toy to kindergarten, and then Masha (Vanya) will play with me." Also, children often ask to buy them this or that toy, because "Masha (Vanya) has one." A possible root of the problem is the low self-esteem of the baby. In this case, it is important for parents to reconsider their methods of education. The second common reason is the child's undeveloped gaming skills. They can be developed only by regularly playing with a preschooler.

... the child was presented with a harmful toy. Ideally, relatives and friends should let parents know what toys they are going to give. But in reality, no family is immune from unwanted gifts. Therefore, it is advisable for moms and dads to know what problems they may encounter if they decide to get rid of a harmful toy after the holiday.

Firstly, it is an insult to the “donors”. Many parents do not even try to explain to relatives and friends what harm a gifted toy can cause to a child. They are stopped by hidden and poorly realized motives (fear of loneliness and rejection, guilt, etc.). However, it is important for parents to understand that if they do not know how to negotiate with people, constructively negotiate and resolve disagreements, then they will not be able to teach this to their children.

Second, the child may protest violently. In order not to overshadow the holiday, you should not take away a gift from a happy baby. You can “isolate” a harmful toy in a few days. The main thing is to go to the end, not succumbing to the demands of the child to return the gift. If it is difficult for adults not to deviate from the decision made, then they should indulge in reflections on their parental role and honestly answer themselves the questions: “Is my child leading me?”, “Am I following his lead?”. Positive answers are an occasion to think about the reasons.