boys & their toys

I find it very interesting how boys are boys and girls are girls. I am not sure if I am making sense with that sentence, so let me explain!

When I found out I had a little girl, I could not believe it. All I could think about was pink, pink, pink and more pink. Although I am not a pink girl myself so I was unsure about dressing her in pink. But I don't know what happened to me, I was drawn to anything and everything pink. I actually started to like the colour. This however was the only girly thing I put to Keely. I dressed her in a little pink, some purple, but most of all I loved her in red. I let her lead the way when it came to what she would like to play with and what toys inspired her imagination.

As babies they all pretty much play with very similar developmental toys and they are usually unisex, so no real girls toys and boys toys. Once Keely got a little older and she was able to express what she liked in toy stores she was instantly drawn to the dolls, barbies, pink things, and anything with sparkles. I too played with dolls and I had a pretty good barbie collection. I cannot believe I am admitting to playing with barbies.I still bought Keely the train set, the wooden mail truck and other "boys" toys, but she kept coming back to her dolls and barbies. I actually do not remember the last time she played with her train set.

Now I have had a boy I can truly see the difference in their likes and dislikes. I know they are two different people, but the whole boy toys and girl toys is so evident when you have one of each child. (There is no doubt there are little girls out there that prefer boys toys and are little tomboys, and the boys that just love the girls toys). I have never pushed trucks and buses on to Taj. I am not the mum that stands on the side of the street saying about 20 times, 'look Taj there is a bus!' I do not do this due to watching a father do it to his son when Keely was only a baby. I watched this man make a fool of himself. Although he was pointing out the bus to his son, which is lovely, but it was the whole tone, the fact he was more excited about the bus, and his son was over it by the time he had said, "look Oscar a bus, look Oscar a bus," 5 times. Of course I point trucks and buses out to Taj from time to time, but it is more when he is on his tummy having one of his new tantrums, or I need to distract him from something else he is doing. He is always so busy doing his thing and exploring the world and I know if I interrupted I would be a naughty mummy! Taj shows me the trucks and buses before I have even spotted them.

I have not really bought Taj any new toys for his age now. I find he plays with Keely's toys, or he is happy to be out and about exploring our big backyard, the beach. There is so much for my little ones to do and I love how a simple rock is exciting to him. Oh and what is it with boys and sticks?! Seriously Taj loves them! I did however buy Taj his very first Matchbox car from the shops this week. I was standing in the isle with all the toys and little things and another boy from down the beach was choosing a new car. I asked Banjo if he could choose Taj his very first special car. Not only was Taj happy to receive his first car, he was happy to receive it from one of the bigger kids from the beach.

You learn as parents that your children are very different, even when you have two girls or two boys, or if you have one of each. They too are individuals like we are, with their likes and dislikes. They are discovering their world and we are right there discovering it all over again with them. Nice feeling, don't you think?