Free our kids

[marty998]

Article in SMH today (reprinted from Telegraph, London)

http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life/raising-kids-for-free-why-i-wont-be-spending-money-on-my-son-in-2013-20130116-2cs9a.html

Some quotes:

On December 19, with the new year in sight, our son Johnny turned two. We were on holiday and so had avoided any present-buying hype. Instead, we pulled into a garage on the day and bought him a 50p (76-cent) water pistol.

He was ecstatic. It was a weapon, then it was a tool for watering plants; no wait, it was definitely, actually, something to feed bedraggled dogs from. A toy shop's stockroom could not have made him happier, or sparked his imagination more powerfully. And that's when I had my eureka moment.

It was all superfluous.

and this

a nursery in Ohio that replaced all its toys and learning materials with cardboard boxes. It claimed to find not only that the children did not care, but that it made them more imaginative.

Link to the original blog: www.freeourkids.co.uk

[gooki]

I love my daughters imagination. A single duplo block can be a person, animal, or machine. Or even a block to build something with.

[Rekreativc]

a nursery in Ohio that replaced all its toys and learning materials with cardboard boxes. It claimed to find not only that the children did not care, but that it made them more imaginative.

This. I will never forget how pissed off my brother was after buying his kid an expensive toy and seeing the little guy playing with the box it came in!

[lauren_knows]

a nursery in Ohio that replaced all its toys and learning materials with cardboard boxes. It claimed to find not only that the children did not care, but that it made them more imaginative.

This. I will never forget how pissed off my brother was after buying his kid an expensive toy and seeing the little guy playing with the box it came in!

My son is 9mo, and we expressed a similar interest to my inlaws... something like "We don't want to spend too much money on him for Christmas. He won't even remember, and besides, he likes the boxes more anyways".  My Mother-in-law came to Christmas with a good sized box that had pictures of family members taped to it securely, and portholes cut in the sides.  My son absolutely loves it.

[Phoebe]

My son is 9mo, and we expressed a similar interest to my inlaws... something like "We don't want to spend too much money on him for Christmas. He won't even remember, and besides, he likes the boxes more anyways".  My Mother-in-law came to Christmas with a good sized box that had pictures of family members taped to it securely, and portholes cut in the sides.  My son absolutely loves it.

[/quote]

I love this idea!!

[turtlefield76]

Yes we've had to make it clear to the grandparents what the toy and clothing parameters are...  Luckily one set of grandparents are totally onboard.  They turned a car seat box into an awesome little house by cutting out windows and doors.  My daughter plays with it daily.