Don’t Pump up the Volume
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Our living room has become the playroom. As such, there are toys strewn everywhere which, although I pick them up several times a day (okay, so I actually just sort of brush them out of the way with my foot most of the time), seem to multiply as the day goes on.
There are wind up toys, toy blocks, stuffed toys – you name it. But the worst offenders are the battery operated ones. Not only are they (usually) larger and made of hard plastic that really hurts when you stub your toe on them, but they are loud.
We learned a trick recently for all those loud toys: keep them off. I don’t just mean not letting your child turn them on or keep them on the lower volume; don’t put batteries in them at all. We tried this with a few of our daughter’s toys and found that she loved playing with them on mute just as much as the noisemakers. In fact, after we did install the requisite batteries into the toy and she figured out the on/off switch, she’d actually play with the toy more when it was off than when it was pumping out all kinds of noise, lights, and other hoopla.
We also found that allowing her to play with the toys without sound – and then adding batteries later – renewed her interest in the toys. In fact, it was almost as if the toys were brand new to her once they started to make noise. A two-for-one!
trish says...
I love that last tip!
Lis Garrett says...
My son has Sensory Processing Disorder and begins to come “unhinged” when there is too much auditory stimulation. I, myself, am the same way, and can feel my blood pressure start to rise and my patience decline when the TV is on, everyone is talking at the same time, and music is blaring.
Quiet is a good thing, in my opinion, and so much more relaxing!