Simple Play
This post has been in my Google reader for awhile, wanting more than just a cursory skim.
It's not long, but very well written. As I look ahead to motherhood, I'm constantly having to fight the urge to acquire "stuff" both for the baby and for after the baby is born. Even though the newest gadget may look cool (and promise to make my child a genius), is it really necessary? Or will it just be crowding up our house with things we don't need? That's why I'm trying (and honestly, not always succeeding) to make sure our purchases have multiple uses--I've found this is key in the kitchen, too--are made to last and are things we'll actually use.
I want my kids to know how real bread dough feels and shapes, not just brightly colored playdough*. I want them to use their imaginations with sticks, stones, cardboard boxes and not to find their inspiration for playing in toys that do everything for them. Call me too nostalgic, but I, like the author of the original post, long for the days where a new doll is cherished above all else, a pig's bladder becomes a balloon (okay, I'm not saying we'll raise pigs or play with their bladders, but you get the idea) and life is simpler.
*I'm not necessarily anti-playdough...I just don't want my kids to always be playing with the "fake" substitute instead of the real thing, but rest assured, I plan to make play-dough for them.
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