Should I buy my son some toys?

[MamitaM]

So my son is 3 months now and doesn't have many toys and I'm thinking I should buy some soon. I don't have a lot of money and am trying to get out of debt so I'm buying things as I need them right now. So if I can wait another month or two to buy him toys and clothes it's better for my debt. Of course I don't want him to get bored and miss out on some development milestones b/c he doesn't have any toys. Right now he has his Sophie, a small Sleep Sheep (for babies,not the bigger one) a small stuffed snow man, a BIG soft monkey,3 finger puppets and the Baby Einsten Kalidascope toy. Oh and a vontage Fisher Price crib activity center thing. I'm waiting for a set of wooden blocks and a wooden teether to arrive from Little Sapling Toys soon. Does he need anything else right now and what kind of things should I be looking for? 

[chel]

wow.  sounds good with what you have.  way more than what my lo had/has, though i do let her play with stuff around the home

[Knitting Mama]

Sounds good to me! My daughter didn't really start playing with toys until around 4-ish months, and it wasn't until recently (she's 9 months now) that she took an interest in having a selection of specific toys near her. Before that she would happily play with 2 or 3 different things over and over. Of course, we have way too much, as she is the first grandbaby on my husband's side, so I rotate out her toys fairly regularly.

[tzs]

nah....at that age the toys are mostly for you (but they are fun!)

sounds like you have a good supply!

[MamitaM]

ok thanks mamas! i won't worry about it now then. you're right about the toys being more me then him right now, the blocks have spell out his name and he won't know his name for awhile yet, but i really wanted the blocks! i'll think about getting a few toys in mid February maybe.

[newsolarmomma2]

He doesnt need toys, he wont know what to do with them anyway. At 3 months, they mostly like to look at your face anyway. Plus, There are plenty of household things you can entertain him with if you think he needs it. Dont let people scare you, your kid does NOT need toys to reach milestones or enrich him. This is consumer culture, not necessity, but I understand as it preys on parents fears of their kids being behind.

I did by playthings, not toys per say, but excersaucers, johnny jumpers, walkers, etc. The problem I had was Im an environmentalist, and dont want to get stuff made my slave/cheap labor- hard to do! My solution was to hit Craigslist, where I got everything I needed, including a years worth of clothes, for about1/10th the cost of new. I found a mom with a year old son, and bought everything she used for the first year. This was great, since I had NO CLUE what I needed anyway. used stuff is best, it was a win win!

[SeattleRain]

OP, you have PLENTY of toys! DS is 6 months and has similar toys and doesn't show much interest in any of this more "advanced" toys yet, like the wooden blocks or the shape sorter he got for Chanukkah. It seems like he's going to be interested in the same set of toys for another few months and then he might get bored. At your sons age, the big skill is taking something and passing it from hand to hand, from hand to mouth, and picking things up and he can really learn to do that with anything of appropriate size and safety.  Measuring cups make great toys, especially in the bath! The only thing I'm not seeing are small toys other than Sophie and the snowman that are light enough to learn to pass from hand to hand so I'd look around your house for some more small items like this. Like I said, measuring spoons and cups are great for this, or you could use some spoons especially if you have a small wooden spoon.

Do you have books? Books are the best toys, and they're important for developing language. So if I was going to spend money on something (which you really don't have to since there are libraries) I would get 4 or 5 board books like the Hungry Hungry Caterpillar or Brown Bear, Brown Bear. The colors are really vivid on the pictures and babies love to nom on the pages.

[MamitaM]

I forgot that we also have some of those little toys that dangle off his play mat, the arches of it are broken so I took off the toys for him to play with. We also have a cool Nascar exersaucer, from CL for just $15! I figure he can use it by next month maybe. He also "plays" with the toy bar that goes with his little chair. We do have some books and I'll start reading with him now then. I don't have measuring cups or spoons, but it's something I should have for myself since I'm learning to cook and bake  and will need them, I'll add them to my list. My friend did give me plastic lids to baby bowls that she didn't have. I'll let him play with those. In fact that's why she gave them to me. Her own son loved playing with them!

[sssheri]

My vote goes on household items: different colored fabrics to grab, wooden spoons and spatulas, things to practice grabbing and reaching for. Can you make a doll-like thing. It can be super simple with just a face. Babies like to babble to their stuffed animals. I get all my toys at yard sales and thrift shops. You can get great stuff for nickels and quarters. 

[McGucks]

Originally Posted by sssheri 

My vote goes on household items: different colored fabrics to grab, wooden spoons and spatulas, things to practice grabbing and reaching for. Can you make a doll-like thing. It can be super simple with just a face. Babies like to babble to their stuffed animals. I get all my toys at yard sales and thrift shops. You can get great stuff for nickels and quarters. 

  My 9 month old's current favorite toys are an empty lint roller and a 2-liter soda bottle with some water to slosh around.  He's also really into carpet fibers for both recreation and nutrition (and he gets really mad when I take 'em outta his mouth).  My opinion is that you are fine--your son will not miss out on milestones based on certain toys or the lack thereof.  Sounds like you are doing great--and thumbs up to you for pumping to donate!

[ciga]

um.. yeah at 9 months some of the favorite toys have been a few canning rings tied together, wooden spoons are a big hit, a small felt ball he refuses to let go of and loves crawling around with, coasters, his sippy cup, and the #1 toy since he was like 5 months old and still reigning is the laundry basket.
 

Originally Posted by caedenmomma 

Originally Posted by sssheri 

My vote goes on household items: different colored fabrics to grab, wooden spoons and spatulas, things to practice grabbing and reaching for. Can you make a doll-like thing. It can be super simple with just a face. Babies like to babble to their stuffed animals. I get all my toys at yard sales and thrift shops. You can get great stuff for nickels and quarters. 

  My 9 month old's current favorite toys are an empty lint roller and a 2-liter soda bottle with some water to slosh around.  He's also really into carpet fibers for both recreation and nutrition (and he gets really mad when I take 'em outta his mouth).  My opinion is that you are fine--your son will not miss out on milestones based on certain toys or the lack thereof.  Sounds like you are doing great--and thumbs up to you for pumping to donate!

[MamitaM]

I'm so not crafty so I can't make him any doll like thing, but he does have his cute little sheep, snow man and Sophie to talk to for now. I have some canning lids! I also have a cute little tin from AVON that I'm saving for his "store" when he's older and wants to play "store". So since he really doesn't need anything right now I'm going to take my "extra money" and put it toward my debt and get myself a treat.... new underpants! lol Yep, I think I deserve them!

caedenmomma said : thumbs up to you for pumping to donate!

Thank you! I really love donating and have met some really nice mamas while doing it.

[sk8boarder15]

Kitchen stuff is great! The safe stuff not knives lol! Wooden spoons, plastic bowlsa and measuring cups ect... When my nephew was 6 months we couldn't go anywhere with out his stainless steel kitchen bowl and his plastic 1/2 cup measuring spoon! He liked them more than any baby toys! 

[SeattleRain]

New underpants are my FAVORITE new treat. :-)

[lrgs]

cadenmomma......lol, my DD (5.5 months) is also into carpet fibers right now........we have shag(ish) carpet (the new kind) and this morning she was on her tummy with hands spread out in the carpet just wiggling her fingers around and staring at them :)

OP......I think you are making the right choice, your LO has plenty and I'm actually really jealous at the few toys you have. My DD's are the only grandkids on my side and we have so many toys I don't know what to do with them anymore. Before Christmas we gave away a big box of toys but we need to get rid of more........or stash some in the basement to rotate.......they are starting to take over. Enjoy your new underpants, lol

[neonalee]

LOL I recently discovered that DS LOVES paper!  Other than that he just started "playing" with things about a month ago.  I too got everything from Craigslist - the paymat w/arches and dangling toys, 2 exersaucer things, the swing with a "toy" bar, and the bouncy seat with the dangling toys.  To be honest, I got most of these because I need to put him down!  My daycare told me last month that he loves the soft baby books and the exersaucer, to which I said 'oh, I didn't realize I needed toys already!' and thats when I got the 2 exersaucers (2 for $45, I couldn't pass it up).  The exersaucer is the standup activity center, right?

[P.J.]

I second the household items suggestion. Our baby loves empty plastic water bottles filled with various things that rattle (beans, rice, etc~ with the lid then screwed on VERY tight so they can't open it). We have several of different sizes and colors with different things in there for various sounds when shaken. He also loves playing with tupperware-type containers and lids, and well just about anything. His new hairbrush is a current favorite. Oh, and cardboard boxes are lots of fun (when your baby's a little older and more mobile).

Honestly, I believe a kid and especially a baby can manage fine with little to few toys, as everything is a toy for them! Older kids can also use their imaginations and therefore don't need a huge arsenal of toys.

[MamitaM]

nak

oh, we're just to poor to have toys! lol i think if i had more money and less debt i'd have bought more and may have to many. we also live in a tiny 1 room apartment right now so i don't want to much for him, i just don;t have space for anything. i all ready had to put my end table in the closet to make room for his exersaucer! we didn't have the problem of to many toys from family b/e i don't talk to them so i avoided that issue.

i'm going to enjoy my new underpants! i didn't need new ones, maternity ones while i was pregnant and i wore the elastic out of one pair. then in the hospital i had a c-section so i made my friend get me some really big underpants so i'd be comfortable. they are so ugly though and my scar doesn't bug me now so it's time for nice underpants. my friend and i go shopping on monday!

Originally Posted by lrgs 

cadenmomma......lol, my DD (5.5 months) is also into carpet fibers right now........we have shag(ish) carpet (the new kind) and this morning she was on her tummy with hands spread out in the carpet just wiggling her fingers around and staring at them :)

OP......I think you are making the right choice, your LO has plenty and I'm actually really jealous at the few toys you have. My DD's are the only grandkids on my side and we have so many toys I don't know what to do with them anymore. Before Christmas we gave away a big box of toys but we need to get rid of more........or stash some in the basement to rotate.......they are starting to take over. Enjoy your new underpants, lol

[MamitaM]

Originally Posted by neonalee 

LOL I recently discovered that DS LOVES paper!  Other than that he just started "playing" with things about a month ago.  I too got everything from Craigslist - the paymat w/arches and dangling toys, 2 exersaucer things, the swing with a "toy" bar, and the bouncy seat with the dangling toys.  To be honest, I got most of these because I need to put him down!  My daycare told me last month that he loves the soft baby books and the exersaucer, to which I said 'oh, I didn't realize I needed toys already!' and thats when I got the 2 exersaucers (2 for $45, I couldn't pass it up).  The exersaucer is the standup activity center, right?

yep,that's right. the exersaucer has a seat you sit them in and they can turn around in it. they are often round shaped but also come in car or lady bug shapes.

[texmati]

Originally Posted by sssheri 

My vote goes on household items: different colored fabrics to grab, wooden spoons and spatulas, things to practice grabbing and reaching for. Can you make a doll-like thing. It can be super simple with just a face. Babies like to babble to their stuffed animals. I get all my toys at yard sales and thrift shops. You can get great stuff for nickels and quarters. 

ITA... the kitchen is a great place to find toys (esp as your little one gets older). spoons, mixing bowls, tupperware, an empty canister filled with beans, cardboard boxes, oatmeal containers, junk mail.... the list goes on and on. One thing I loved and did buy specifially for him was a feather duster.