Mom's Moment: 7 Non-Toys

 
 
 

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I have a toy addiction. I love them. I'm a toy hoarder. I want to get my kids the coolest most amazing things on the market. Really, I do. With that being said, I've come to realize that sometimes the box is more entertaining then what's inside.

My kids are definitely toy-players. I count my lucky stars that they can sit on the floor and entertain themselves quite nice. However, based off recent observations, there are plenty of non-toys that are just as fun (if not more fun) than what's sold in mainstream retailers.

So here's my list of the 7 non-toys trending in our house.

1. Bubble wrap.Played with safely, of course. My son gets a kick out of stomping on the bubbles and making loud noises. We never throw away packaging until all bubbles are popped. 

2. Tupperware.All our kitchen drawers are baby-proofed except one: the Tupperware drawer. My son empties the drawer nearly every day and scatters the containers all over the floor. As it turned out, these non-toys are actually great for development. Containers can be stacked to build towers, and it's also fun for kids to match the tops to the correct bottoms.  

3. Toy storage. We have a basket in our living room overflowing with toys. Nicholas often empties the box all over the floor and then proceeds to get in the basket and pretend it's a boat. While I'm left with loads of clean-up duty, it's so cute watching him chillax in his basket. Oh, and he loves when I put his brother inside along with him. (See pic above.)

4. Devices.The remote. The laptop. The phone. The baby monitor. The iPad. Every single solitary button around the house. Need I say more? It drives me crazy and I really am anti-technology for kids, but sometimes I admittedly resort to handing Nicholas my phone in exchange for some me time. He knows how to swipe and access YouTube better than I do.

5. Shoes.Maybe it's just my silly son, but Nicholas has a serious infatuation with shoes. He likes walking around the house in my flip-flops driving me insane considering I'm a germaphobe and have a no shoes in the house policy. Regardless, he always finds a way to get into our closet and dress up his feet.

6. The dishwasher.Use this to your advantage, fellow moms. It's like I'm giving Nicholas a cookie when I ask him to help me unload the dishwasher. He's obsessed with putting things away. I remove all glassware and knives prior to gifting him this chore and then I let him go for it, emptying the entire thing!

7. Water bottles.When all else fails, shake a water bottle. Zachy (my baby) is obsessed with the crackling noise of playing with the plastic. Just make sure the cap is tightly secured.

About Nadine

Nadine Bubeck is a multi-media personality, author, blogger, PR pro, keynote speaker, and blessed boy mom. The TV News anchor turned all things mama contributes to numerous publications and is often utilized on TV as a parenting expert. Her niche: everything mom, baby, toddler, child, and family. She is the founder and owner of All Things Mama Media, LLC, the parent company for All Things Mama TVBoyMamas.com, and more.