The Christmas List

Do any of you give your family members a wish list for your children at holiday time? Some members of our family have asked what they can get Julian for Christmas. I have always felt weird about giving a Christmas list because I feel like I'm saying you have to buy me a gift and here are the things I want so pick one of them. And now I feel like I'm saying you have to buy my kid a gift and here is a list you can choose from. However, the alternative to not giving a list could be bad. The last thing I want is for Jules to have a ton of non-educational and/or toxic plastic toys that take up a ton of room in our small house. I hear it from all my friends with children. Well-meaning friends and family often give their children toys they'd rather not let their kids play with.

So I decided to create a list of toys that are fun, educational, non-toxic and will be age-appropriate at some point within the next year. These are all things that I would truly like to see my son play with. If I had a ton of money I'd buy everything on the list for him myself.

Which brings me to the next potential issue. Cost of good quality toys. One might look at this list and see a shape sorter for $21.99 and say that's very expensive. I suppose compared to the plastic Fisher-Price shape sorter for $8.50 the one on Julian's list is expensive but some Fisher-Price toys have been recalled for having lead in the paint and I am not willing to take a chance with Fisher Price right now. So I took a look at a brand that many people love and trust, Melissa & Doug. Their shape sorter costs $12.44. More than Fisher-Price but certainly less than the one I want made by Plan Toys so why did I choose this expensive shape sorter? I read that some Melissa & Doug toys have been recalled in Canada for having barium in the paint. I decided to hold off on any M&D toys until I can research that a little more.

Just like my argument for buying organic products over conventional, sometimes you have to pay more for a higher standard of quality when actually the lower standard products shouldn't even exist. So if you look at it like that you can say high quality toys and organic food aren't expensive. Crap is cheap. And since Julian will surely be putting his toys in his mouth for several months I'd rather not take any chances.

So while I don't "expect" people to buy my son anything for Christmas because that is not what the season is about, if they do want to give him a gift I hope they will consider something on Julian's Christmas Wish List.