"Three Million and Counting"

by Sally Lodge

Publishers Weekly, October 15, 2001

        "In this age when children are inundated with technology, we have the tough job of keeping them challenged and stimulated," writes Shari Kaufman, publisher of innovateiveKids, in an introductory note to her company's fall catalogue.  

        This is the introductory paragraph/quote from the article I read.  This basically sets up the entire story.  The article reads more like a wordy advertisement for several of the new toys out on the market for the upcoming holiday.  While the article does give a good idea of what is out there for the more inquisitive kids, it does seem a little more like "Hey mom, buy this for your kids and they will be smarter for it!"  

    While i am not opposed to getting children to play with more "brain toys," I didn't enjoy this article anymore than to just bombard me with the newest high tech gadgets for kids.  Hell, I never had any toys with the word CD, interactive, computer, or internet involved.  Whatever happened to non violent action figures, Legos, bicycles, climbing trees or building a "fort" in the backyard and pretending you were cowboys and indians?  While im not opposed to innovative toys for tots in any sense, I just believe that its a bit much!  When I was a youngster, I could make hours of fun out of a tree house that I built. I didn't need a computer with a CD Rom and a phone line.  I wish more kids nowadays would agree with me!  Come on parents, lets save a few bucks and let kids learn the value of childhood before its too late.  Let schools teach them innovation.  Let them skin their knees and get dirty in the sandbox while they are still kids. Don't you wish you still could?!