C is for....

C is for cow. At least that is what my monsters interactive puppy Scout tells me. Since it is the monsters favorite animal, it is also Scouts. That little thing is a copy cat. I am not a fan of toys that talk. I am a Grinch. I normally wait for the kids to be sleeping, then I remove their batteries...or in the case of the PEEK A BOO I SEE YOU puppy, I hide that thing in a plastic bag in the darkest part of my basement. Which just happens to be under the staircase that my husband is tearing up, so he brought all the stuffed animals out and gave them back to the monster and munchkin. Sometimes I think he is trying to make me lose my mind

Now normally, I would say I am the more patient parent. I am slower to discipline than my husband, quicker to run to their side should they get hurt, quicker to help them with something that may be making them upset. I can not stand crying. I absolutely can not stand it, if there is something I can do to stop the crying, I will do it. Some say this spoils my children. I see it as building trust that mommy will always be there.

Whereas my husbands parenting style is more laid back. He wants them to do things for themselves, he wants them to figure out toys themselves and if they get hurt he says they need to learn to soothe themselves, if they get frustrated, they need to find the solution. We are both are extreme when it comes to how we parent, so we balance each other out nicely. We can recognize when our children need the other parent more than ourselves.

That being said, I have NO patience when it comes to toys. None what-so-ever. If it makes noise, it drives me absolutely bonkers. Toys bother me if they are noisy or messy. I can not stand playdoh either, as well as puzzle pieces that do not stay together in the same area, blocks being outside the block area, etc etc etc. I am told I have a problem. My husband will tell me "Melissa, they are kids, they like noisy toys and when they cleanup they do not think hey, these blocks do not go in the ball pit, they are just thinking about picking it up off the floor" And I understand that, I do. This does not change my hatred for toys though. I look forward to the day when they are teenagers and like to go outside play their video games and their toys are confined to shelves or containers known as DVD/Game holders or tinker with cars and "play" with tools.

Now that you have read of my hatred towards toys, please someone tell me I am not alone? I can not be the only parent in the world who feels this way, right? Or at least not the only parent willing to admit her hatred towards them!