Holiday Shopping and the Education World Collide?

Holiday shopping for youngsters is such a fuss. One kind of shoppers, normally parents and loved ones, stand outside in freezing temperatures, waiting to grab the perfect gift first. Other gift givers focus on smaller goals-of dodging toys laden with lead paint or made cheap, breakable plastic. Typically, both sets of gift buyers seek gifts with an education edge: talking books, play computers, shape boxes and building blocks. No matter the shopping style or type of gift, giving a child a gift is indeed contributing to his education in some way.

Shoppers tweet and update their statuses, bragging about expensive purchases. Spending huge amounts of money does not insure a satisfied child, or an educated one. Consider this: the American Girl catalogue landed in the recycle bin as fast as it hit my mailbox. Scroogeness? Cheapness? Maybe the latter, but mostly, American Girl Dolls and their outfits cost hundred of dollars. My two year old destroys her dolls either by feeding them peas, plying them with lotion, or placing them atop a mud-pie. I am immensely pleased that she does this. Getting an education takes play and love, and is many times messy. Using your imagination should be messy. Creating is messy. Handing a child a toy and telling her not to play with it sends a phony message, especially when she sees her male counterparts' hands-on playing, such as building race tracks for their cars.

Other gifts may not be as expensive, but promise an education boost for children. The 'teach your kids how to read' gadgets leave out those important skills that regular old reading patterns create, like determination and coping skills. They also tell children to hurry-up and grow-up. Ironically, parents fight against their children not acting their age in later years. Additionally, learning and gaining an education often lacks lights and electronic features. Puzzles, books, stacking shapes--all simple, silent, with no famous characters--give children foundational tools. True, they do require human interaction, which largely contributes to an education. That should be a benefit, not a drawback. Jesse Jackson was correct when he said, "Your children need your presence more than your presents." Simple and sustainable holiday gifts are lasting and send a sensible message.

Most educators, myself included, believe that any toy is educational. Does it have colors? Letters? Numbers? Shapes? If the toy can spark a conversation, it has an educational edge. Even if you do not set out to buy an education toy, all presents teach something. This holiday season, think away from spending gobs of money for that toy that promises to have an eighteen-month-old reading. Beware the subconscious message of gifts, positive or negative, or you may be giving that youngster something extra to fuss about.

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