Essential Baby blogger Amity Dry
This week the Royal Show came to our town and the anticipation of going has been building in our household for the last fortnight. When the Show Bag guide arrived in the morning paper my 3-year-old excitedly ‘read’ it from cover to cover and then carried it around in his pocket for days, even taking it to show and tell at his pre-school.
I wasn’t quite as excited, as I discovered last year that there really is no show as good as the Sydney Easter Show (just as every other zoo fails to rate when you’ve been to Taronga.) But, despite my lack of enthusiasm, it is hard not to get swept up in the excitement of a joyful child, so we were all looking forward to having a fun day.
But as soon as we got there I remembered why I get so riled up at the Show. And as soon as I saw the object of my fury it was all I could focus on, clouding all the lovely things, like baby chicks and free cheese tasting.
Now, I should preface this rant by pointing out that I really try and follow the philosophy, both in writing this blog and in life in general, not to judge other people for their choices. As long as they’re not hurting anyone, each to their own, I say. But I’ve got to tell you people, on this day, I was doing some serious judging.
No, it wasn’t of the people who were shovelling dagwood dogs and jam donuts into their mouths when they looked like they’d probably be better off with an apple. No, it’s a free world – knock yourselves out. Besides, what’s the show without crap food?
No, it wasn’t of the families who were squandering hundreds of dollars in side-show alley and being rewarded with horrible bright green foam toys that will probably go in the bin as soon as they get home. If it makes you happy, go for it.
And it was not of the giggling teenagers who are insane enough to go on those rides that catapult you into their air like a tennis ball – even though I SO don’t get how that could be fun.
No, it was the show bags that some parents were buying their kids. Show bags with charming names like ‘MEGA COMBAT,’ “NINJA WARRIORS,’ ‘MEGA MAFIA’ and ‘FORCE.’ The content of these bags including child friendly items such as swords, knives, balaclavas, disc shooters, ninja weapon sets and machine guns.
Then there were the ‘toys’ you could buy at the stands in side show alley, like the high-powered bow and arrow and inflatable baton with a studded ball hanging by a chain. Because what child shouldn’t have studded ball to play with?
I saw one young boy who looked about ten-years-old and he had at least six show bags, every one of them containing weapons. His mum was walking along side of him carrying the huge bow and arrow and I wanted to scream at her “Are you crazy??”
Is she hoping her child grows up to become a violent criminal or will she be surprised when it happens? Or am I being too dramatic and puritanical, after all girls who buy fairy show bags do not grow up to become fairies. But I can’t help but think that boy is more likely to engage in violence than a child who did not grow up playing with toys that glorify exactly that.
Of course, we all grew up playing Cops & Robbers and Cowboys & Indians and I have vivid memories of lying dead in the backyard after my cousin shot me with his pretend cap gun. And I’m sure none of our parents worried that we were going to end up becoming actual ‘robbers.’ But in those days there was not the real life gun violence that we have in society now. Kids were not carrying knives around and using them in fights against other kids and the idea of a child really getting shot by a robber was probably as fanciful as the prospect of finding real fairies in the garden.
I know that boys seem to be naturally drawn to playing with guns, like there is some inbuilt need to go to war in all of them. But to me there is a huge difference between an old-fashioned cowboy gun and an AK47. No kid has ever walked into a school with an old fashioned cowboy gun and shot and killed his classmates (except maybe in Texas.)
As much as am against weapons of any sort at least the Police or Army showbags and toys are modelling a profession which is to be admired and you can emphasis to your kids the importance of them helping people. But is there anything good to be learned from playing with a Ninja sword or combat knife? And if a child grows up playing with toy knives is it any wonder when, as a teenager, they want to move on to the real thing?
But it’s not just at the Show you can buy these toys, I get angry every time I see them at our local Toys R Us store. And I know plenty of decent people buy them for their kids. But I just don’t get why they would want to encourage their kids to play with things that kill people?
But then I also don’t get why we would buy our kids video games that reward them for violently killing people. Call me a Ned Flanders if you like, but I will be happy to go to battle with my son over him having these games in a few years time. Society is getting more violent in general and how can we be surprised when these are the toys our kids are playing with? These video games are actually used to train soldiers and de-sensitise them to violence before going to war. And we are letting our kids play with them in their most impressionable years. It just doesn’t make sense to me.
So what do you think, I am being a wowser and is it all harmless? Or do you agree that these toys should not be on the shelves? Do you buy your kids violent video games and how do you feel about it? I’m keen to hear your thoughts here.
