Help, I've fallen under a pile of catalogs and I can't get up!...
Here is a toy hall of extreme annoyance list from catalogs I have lying about all over the house:
In case you need help or extreme warnings for your 2008 Christmas toy shopping...
2. young exercise enthusiasts treadmill *here* because we shouldn't encourage our kids to go out and actually play? We can't teach those little ones too young that the only way to better health through exercise can ONLY be achieved with expensive exercise equipment.
3. Touch screen ATM machine toy *here*, because it's never to early to teach them to spend, spend, spend...and that the bank is a magic place to go and get money.
4. Remote control tarantula *here*. It's creepy, crawly, cool looking, but sure to scare the *&% out of mom every time it crosses a room. I have to hang my head in shame here and admit I bought one of these for Teddy. I should have thought of the golden rule first. I notice it disappeared from his house pretty quick...
5. Magic music maker keyboard WITH MICROPHONE. *here*Did I mention the microphone? We had something like this when our kids were pre-school age. Ours didn't have a volume control. I ask, why? why...why would I want to hear my already loud kids, amplified??
6. Toy Calypso steel drum. *here* -Sky's worst nightmare, that our son would grow up to play the steel drums on a Caribbean pier for tourists. It would make a fine gag gift for our nephews, whos dad would have the same sort of reaction. Not that I see it much different than Meg wanting to play her fiddle in town for spare change...but then again, Sky wouldn't let me put the boy in dance class either.
7. Toy CD player WITH MICROPHONE -we had a toy cassette player with microphone, the same basic idea. We looked in vain for a tough, chunky player that a toddler or preschooler could use without breaking- without the microphone, and could not find one. We finally clipped off the microphone, ahh- sweet relief finally. Again, I ask..."WHY?"
8. Three-Man slingshot *here* -the link doesn't do it justice, but the photo in the catalog, of three boys actually using it, makes this mom think, "oh-o...bad idea."
Anyone have any other nominees?