A Run-in with Hasbro

It’s amazing how well kids adapt to new surroundings and make themselves right at home. Case in point: While barbecue-hopping last weekend, my daughter beelined it for a stranger’s collection of My Little Ponies, and snatched one for herself. (We’re still working on please and thank you.)  As I watched her waddle off with a plastic, pink pony tucked between her little fingers, I couldn’t help but feel conflicted. While a part of me felt a nostalgia towards the girly obsessions of my childhood (so much so that I began humming the theme song), another piece of me cringed at the thought of my child clutching corporate plasticity.

As a parent, I struggle with the toy industry. I’m bothered by synthetic toys manufactured overseas, mass-produced under inhumane conditions, with questionable safety standards and no guarantee of worker compensation. I much prefer to support toys produced in our own backyard, ones that are natural, non-toxic, brand-free, and more importantly, that encourage open-ended play. It just doesn’t feel good to support Hasbro and Mattel, the megalosaurs of the industry who drive competition and stomp on the little guy. And yet, while I happen to like the little guy, sometimes the big kid on the block is inescapable.  So, I’ve come up with my own toy-purchasing values to live by:

1. Whenever possible, I will choose toys that encourage open-ended play and nurture creativity: musical instruments, wooden figures, play silks, kitchen tools, blocks, art supplies, etc.

2. I will gently guide my child towards the types of toys in #1.  I will do this with the understanding that she is still going to love her talking, laughing, story-telling Elmo. In her eyes, he may trump wooden blocks. That’s okay.

3. I will buy quality toys over quantity. Five quality toys are worth far more to me than ten pieces of battery-operated plastics. I’d prefer to spend a little bit more for something that’s timeless and can be passed down to another generation of children.

4. I will steer clear of Toys R Us, except to buy Legos, which are a family favorite. I will not, however, berate Santa for stopping at a department store. That’s unrealistic (although I will let him know that we prefer non-toxic toys manufactured under the jolly conditions of the North Pole workshop).

5. In general, I will choose generic toys over big brands and Hollywood-driven, anatomically-incorrect icons, like Barbie.  If my child happens to love My Little Pony, I will not freak out over supporting Hasbro. Big business is a reality, and philosophically, moderation over abstinence works better for me.

Do I sound wishy-washy and contradictory? Well, that’s because this is a tricky topic. In this challenging economy, it’s hard to shell out $120 for a Waldorf doll when you could clear an entire shelf at Toys R Us for that same amount. For me, this dilemma boils down to putting my money where my values are. Most of the time. The rest of the time, it’s about being okay with the occasional run-in with Hasbro.

If you’d like some more food for thought, here are two interesting posts from the blogosphere:

Choosing Creative Toys @ Steady Mom
Classic Toys That Are Worth The Money @ Simple Mom

Tags: back to basics, parenting, toys