About New Baby Toys
Through my journey as a Dad, I’ve grown so much and ultimately become a better person. It’s honestly difficult to say who has learned more, me or my son! The roller coaster of parenting has delivered challenging lows and elated highs, with the love for my child always driving me to learn more, be resilient and just generally be the best I can be. New Baby Toys has given me the chance to share what I’ve learnt along the way, including how toys can help you be a better parent and general parenting tips for toddlers, babies and newborns, covering the big challenges we all face. I’d like to think this might help others on their parenting adventure, hopefully learning from my mistakes and giving their child the love and happiness they deserve.
Who Is At The Helm Of New Baby Toys?
My name is James, and I am the loving and proud father of a beautiful little boy. A little bit about me:
- I’m halfway through my thirties
- I’m a massive nerd (I even play Dungeons and Dragons)
- I have a weakness for sour lollies
- Caffeine is my lifeblood
- I’ve killed almost every pot plant I’ve ever bought
- I love animals (I have two Samoyeds and a Norwegian Forest)
- I named my son after the lead character in The X-Files
My four-year-old son is the most wonderful and amazing little creature on earth and I love him dearly. To describe him in a few points:
- He’s a full-on loonie kid
- He loves to talk and often says hilarious nonsense that makes me laugh out loud
- His attention span could be compared to that of a goldfish
- He’s very kind and considerate and loving
- Except when he chases the dogs around the house
- He loves routine and repetition
- He’s now in kindergarten and loving it!
- He’s obsessed with toy cars and monster trucks
Although my boy is yet to learn reading and writing and can’t directly contribute himself (although he loves trying to type on the laptop!), he is the inspiration for almost everything on this site. I write the content myself, but without the joys, hi jinx and lessons he has taught me, there wouldn’t be a New Baby Toys to speak of. So the real captain of this ship is my gorgeous little boy!
I Bet Parenting Comes Naturally To You, Right?
When I first became a Dad, I was overwhelmed with emotion. The beautiful little blob that somehow had a part of me inside him filled my heart with joy and wonder. However, parenting did not come naturally to me, in fact, I was quite fearful of it. The “wonder” brought on by meeting my son quickly turned to wonder about how I was supposed to be a good parent. There was so much to learn and so much information and opinion everywhere I looked that it was hard to decipher fact from fiction.
Between the myriad of information on the internet, baby whisperers, books and the old hat methodologies of parents and grandparents, very little seemed to be consistent or reliable. So instead of getting lost in the sea of information, I began to focus on my son, cherishing the time we had together and letting him show me, in his own little ways, whether whatever I was doing was working or not. And it really helped. Before long I could understand his little cues despite him not having any language skills to speak of, and this became the core of how I learnt to be a parent.
I know this seems obvious, but it’s very important to remember. Every single child is different. There is no solution, no formula, no methodology, no approach and no practice that works for every little boy and girl. They are all unique and special in their own ways and therefore it stands to reason that they each need and want different things. So long as you apply common sense and genuinely have your child’s best interest at heart, you will learn to be a good parent.
Now I’m not suggesting that you should go solo, not by any stretch. Parenting is a mission where you’ll need all the help you can get. But please don’t get bogged down in the specifics outlined in baby books, keep repeating some odd practice your grandmother recommended, or trawl through hours and hours of content on the internet trying to tackle parenting challenges. All you need to do is get some basic concepts and ideas, apply them with consistency, and then let your child tell you if you’ve found the solution. Focusing on your child should be at the heart of every parenting journey.
That’s where New Baby Toys comes in. I’m here to give you guidance on the big topics that parents need to tackle, like teething and developing fine motor skills. These are things that worked for me and my son and are based on things I learnt on sites just like this one, from my family and friends, and most of all, from my little boy. I hope that these help you too, and can shortcut some tough times or give you ideas for what to try next. But if they don’t work, don’t worry and don’t give up! Your love for your child is all the motivation you need to keep trying and to be a better parent.
“Great advice James, much appreciated. But what’s all this about toys then?”
Just wait, I’m getting there!!
The Best Parenting Tips For Babies and Toddlers | Toys Can Help You Be A Better Parent | Here's How They Helped Me
From very early on, it became apparent to me that toys were a critical part of my son’s life. The best parenting tips for toddlers and babies is that toys should be at the heart of their world and used as a tool to help them learn and grow. Not only did they provide a fantastic medium for his physical and mental development, but they also provided a pathway for me to communicate with my child despite him being unable to talk. The simplicity of shaking a rattle in front of your child’s eyes provides so much excitement and happiness for them. Their little minds are still developing an understanding of cause and effect, object permanence, natural forces (pushing, pulling, gravity and the like), classification (shapes, colors, animals, etc.) and purpose. As you fly a toy plane around in front of them, you may as well be a magician, it’s no wonder their eyes widen and they giggle with glee!
These simple activities create positive emotional connections between you and your child. They begin to associate happiness and fun with you. This is a beautiful thing and goes beyond the need for language and understanding that is the basis for most adult relationships. I realized that by playing with toys together with my son, I began to learn more about who he was and he began to learn more about the world. Needless to say, toys became the center of our friendship. We played all the time with whatever we could find. It was great! I still remember this funny video from when he was about a year old where I would put this dinosaur toy in his mouth and he’d shake his head around and growl like he was an even bigger dinosaur and then we’d both laugh. It was so cute!
But I also realized that as much as I wanted to play with Hot Wheels race tracks and Lego, these just weren’t things that he could relate to or identify with. It became apparent that the laughter, silliness and fun only came by using the right toys. I did a little research and learnt about the developmental stages of babies and toddlers, identifying that my little boy was still far too young to be able to master the fine motor skills required to race cars around on the tiles with me, let alone comprehend the innate complexities of building toy race tracks.
My mind immediately jumped to the age range labels you typically see on toy packaging and I clicked. It wasn’t that we couldn’t play with cars or Lego together, I just had to get more age-appropriate versions of those toys. So I quickly ordered an activity station and a stacking toy, and once they arrived so did my son’s hilarious little giggle. It all made sense, matching toys to the developmental stage of my little boy was the key to success. And therein lies the beginning of New Baby Toys.
I learnt by getting the right toys, not only was I able to have those wonderful connected moments with my son, I was also able to help him work through each developmental milestone, learning and having fun at the same time! As he grew older, we could work on different things. Activity centers changed to block towers which changed to push-along walkers and then balance bikes, monster trucks and now action figures. Just the other day he pulled out the Hot Wheels race track as he’s now at the stage where he enjoys building the track himself. Obviously, I’m stoked, but I’ve had so much fun with him along the way it hardly matters that we’ve only just got to a stage where we can play race track together.
So What Is New Baby Toys All About?
New Baby Toys is all about me teaching you what I’ve learnt, often through my mistakes! At its heart are the toys that the beautiful bond I have with my son is built upon. Although a lot of information is available about developmental milestones and the importance of play, none seem to really focus on how toys are a pivotal part of this experience for most children, and that having the right toys can be a game-changer for their mental and physical development as well as their emotional connection with others, including you. The reviews and guides I’ve provided focus on exactly that, and arm you with the information you need to make sure your child loves their toys and loves to play with them together with you.
Beyond toys, the Baby Blog on New Baby Toys provides me with an opportunity to share with you what I’ve learnt about broader parenting, baby and toddler related topics and challenges. From how to help a teething baby sleep to teaching toddlers to share, I’ve covered topics that many parents face and some struggle with. I’ve tracked down useful information, insights and data so you don’t have to and I’ve added my own thoughts and experiences as a parent and father, giving you some real-life examples of how you might approach each scenario.
Whether you’re the parent of a newborn or a preschooler or just a friend or family member looking to get a beautiful gift, you’re sure to be inspired to be a better person and to show the children in your life just how much you love them!
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