There's a whole new brand of play out there now for the young ones. Toys have changed quite a bit even in the last 8 years since John was a baby, but this new variety that Will is playing with has an unexpected side effect and I quite like it.
The toy/game manufacturers seem to have decided that some kids may not be getting the ol' self-esteem boost from mom & dad like they used to. So, they built some words of love into the toys.
The first place I noticed it was when I was playing Webkinz. By myself. There, I admitted it. Yes, I do play Webkinz.com and have my own account and everything. I have to take turns, just like John & Maddy when it comes to computer time to play Webkinz.
Anyway, there's this great game on there called "Smoothie Moves." It's a lot of fun. [If you don't have a Webkinz account, you can play a similar game here: Zuma.] The Webkinz version has this cat driving around in a car shooting pieces of fruit at a conveyor belt in order to make smoothies. But the best part is, she just loves on you the whole time. In a southern accent. Here's a little sampling:
"You're all kinds of wonderful."
"That's nice."
"Nice work, Sugarplum."
"This is fun."
By the time you've finished playing the game, you're just absolutely beaming from the inside out!
The other spot I've noticed this self-esteem boosting phenomenon is in this little puppy dog toy that Will got for Christmas. It helps the child learn different colors, body parts, music stuff....just the usual educational toy for tots. EXCEPT it just loves on your soul. Here's a little sampling of what the puppy says:
"You're WONDERFUL!"
"I LOVE YOU!"
"Can you give me a hug?"
"I love you, I love you, morning noon and night....you make the world so bright..."
So, next time you're feeling down...do what I do: Log onto Webkinz and you'll be feeling better in no time.
[EDITED TO ADD: Retta posted a comment with another good one. We have this same camera! It's Disney Princess and when you "take a picture", the princess says, "Smile! You look wonderful! You're pretty as a princess!" Thanks for the reminder, Retta! It's funny, though--I don't think they make boy's sports toys or cars that say "good shot!" "great driving, dude," "you play like a pro!"]
1 comment:
That's hilarious...and as I think about it it's true. We have a princess camera that says, "You look wonderful! You're as pretty as a princess."
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