# Anyone Out There a Toys R Us Kid?

Category: Let's talk

## Post 1 by FaithinGod4ever (Zone BBS is my Life) on Sunday, 14-Feb-2010 22:28:48

While talking to a friend on skype a few days ago, the conversation got me thinking. She told me that in her family, children are made to give up their toys at age eight. I was surprised to hear this and a little taken aback. I could see being encouraged to give some if not all of them up at age twelve, but eight was too soon in my opinion. Regardless of this, it got me thinking of my own life and experiences with the toys I played with when I was younger.
Growing up, I only played with Disney dolls. Ariel and Jasmine to be exact. But as I got older, I stopped playing with my dolls so much and instead treated them as friends. This was because I didn’t have many people to talk to growing up.
I especially didn’t have anyone to talk to around my house. This was because my mother would rather do drugs and drink than spend any time with me.
I talked to Ariel and Jasmine and told them my problems. Ariel was the main one I talked to. I’ve always felt a strong connection with her, ever since I saw TLM back when I was five-years-old.
Anyway, like I’ve stated before, Ariel brought me hope when I was younger and she was the first person to ever tell me I was worth anything. I think that’s why I felt a bond with her and would treat her like a best friend, even in doll form.
While I wasn’t made to give up my toys at any age, I did feel myself growing out of certain things by age twelve or so. As a result, I gave those toys away to kids I knew could use them. I also sold them at garage sales. The only toys that never got sold were my Ariel doll, my Jasmine doll and Fizzy and Firefly from MLP, along with a few other ponies.
I honestly don’t believe that making kids give up their toys before their ready is a good thing. I’m grateful that through all the abuse my mother put me through, she never made me give up my Ariel doll or Fizzy or Firefly. They were the ones who really helped me during my child hood. They hold a special place in my heart till this day.
With that said, I want to see what all of you out there in LJ-land think by taking a little survey I came up with. Be completely honest here. Just replace my answers with your own.
Toy Survey
1. What was the first doll or toy you received as a child?
My first doll I received was Princess Ariel! I still have her till this day and I love her just as much now as I did then.
As for toys in general, my Dad gave me a plush unicorn the day I was born. I still have it till this day. And even though it’s a little old, I wouldn’t give it up for anything. I think that’s what started my love of unicorns, hence my love for MLP’s Fizzy!
2. At what age did you stop playing with toys? I think I was about eleven or twelve. I was more into reading and writing by then. But that didn’t mean I didn’t brush Firefly and Fizzy’s manes from time to time or braid Ariel’s hair while thinking about things. I just didn’t play with them as often as I did when I was younger.
3. Did your parents ever make you give your toys up at a certain age? If so and if you feel comfortable sharing, what was their reason or reasons? Nope! I was very blessed in that way.
4. At what age do you think children should start giving their toys away or at least donate the ones they aren’t playing with to charity?
I think children should decide for themselves when to start giving their toys away to kids in need. The experience is very rewarding and I think once a child experiences the joy of giving to others, he or she won’t be so upset about the initial action of giving their toys away. But if I had to pick an age, I’d say twelve or thirteen. At the same time, there’s nothing wrong with holding onto that special toy or doll that holds great significance for you in your life.
5. If you have children, will you make them give their toys up at a certain age?
Nasai, no! Definitely not! I’ll talk to my girls about giving to others throughout their early years and encourage them to donate the toys they aren’t playing with to a hospital or charity as they get older, but I won’t insist they give them up or stop playing with them. I think that should be their choice.
6. Do you believe children should have to give their toys up at all? No way! I think they hold special memories that children will cherish as they get older and for years to come.
7. How did your parents feel about toys when you were growing up?
Fortunately, my parents never made me give up any of my toys when I was growing up. Since it was my father and relatives who bought me things most of the time, they didn’t mind the toys I played with. They knew what I liked and knew that Ariel was very special to me. They enjoyed giving me things every once in a while.
8. Do you still collect toys today?
Sometimes, but not as much as I used to. It’s like a treasure hunt for me when I do find something I like though. I’m like Ariel that way! GOL!

## Post 2 by Big Pawed Bear (letting his paws be his guide.) on Monday, 15-Feb-2010 10:38:47

erhrhrhr, well i've lost some very dear toys over the years, and one was a lion hand puppet, i called him Leo, and i suppose he wasn't much to look at, but he was real cute. i also had a kangaroo thing that i thought, because of his nose and long ears, was a donkey, but he had a pouch, but to me he looked like a donkey, don't know where he went either. they both got lost in a move twenty years back. now though, i am collecting soft toy animals, and love them all. oh, and i'm 31. now do i believe children should give up toys? no. i think they will grow out of them in time, or not as the case may be. i think some toys, especially soft toys, should be kept from childhood, as they can really mean something down the line. dolls and things like that age, soft toys never do imho. and yay for my little pony! having been into horses from a young age, i looked at my sister's my little pony collection and the only thing i had against them was they didn't look much like any horses i knew. there was a pink one i think, now that looked horsey, if a little naked, but the others? blue? red? whatever. no, they were'nt ponies! haha

## Post 3 by Brooke (I just keep on posting!) on Monday, 15-Feb-2010 10:58:47

1. What was the first doll or toy you received as a child?
I don't remember for sure, but I think it was a Baby Drowsy doll.
2. At what age did you stop playing with toys?
I have two younger sisters, so even when I outgrew playing with toys for my own benefit, I still played with them. I stopped playing with most of my toys around age 12 and gave those toys to my sisters, so needless to say I spent several more years playing with them to entertain my sisters.
3. Did your parents ever make you give your toys up at a certain age? If so and if you feel comfortable sharing, what was their reason or reasons?
Nope.
4. At what age do you think children should start giving their toys away or at least donate the ones they aren’t playing with to charity?
Whenever they're ready. Sometimes even if a child isn't playing with a toy, they may not be ready to part with it right away, especially if it's something that is important to them.
5. If you have children, will you make them give their toys up at a certain age?
Nope.
6. Do you believe children should have to give their toys up at all?
No. I was talking about this with my sisters a few months ago, and we all still have some old toys stashed in our parents' basement that we haven't parted with yet.
7. How did your parents feel about toys when you were growing up?
They were fine unless I whined for something really expensive, LOL.
8. Do you still collect toys today?
I do love stuffed animals. I wouldn't say I collect them, but I still get some from time to time.

## Post 4 by Big Pawed Bear (letting his paws be his guide.) on Monday, 15-Feb-2010 12:38:47

it amazes me how often stuffed animals, above all else stay with grown ups. they might have one or two from their childhood or one that they picked up at a fairground, but they're always there somewhere. and yes, i'm the one at the fairground who's fireing corks at bottles to win an oversized polar bear plush *smile*

## Post 5 by FaithinGod4ever (Zone BBS is my Life) on Monday, 15-Feb-2010 13:05:17

Awesome! I enjoyed reading your replies! And don’t' feel bad Smokey! I tried to shoot the clown with water to get a plush Rajah!

## Post 6 by chelslicious (like it or not, I'm gonna say what I mean. all the time.) on Monday, 15-Feb-2010 15:11:27

shouldn't this be moved to the "getting to know you" category, as that's where surveys are? just asking; if I'm wrong, sorry.

## Post 7 by FaithinGod4ever (Zone BBS is my Life) on Monday, 15-Feb-2010 16:11:02

If a moderator asks me to move it there, then I definitly will do so.

## Post 8 by Twinklestar09 (I've now got the bronze prolific poster award! now going for the silver award!) on Monday, 15-Feb-2010 20:23:24

1. What was the first doll or toy you received as a child?
I really don't remember. The earliest one I remember was a doll that had a bottle and cried when you took it out of her mouth.
2. At what age did you stop playing with toys?
Mid-teens maybe? I still pretended occasionally with my toy food and dishes, pretending that I was spending time with certain people including eating meals with them.
3. Did your parents ever make you give your toys up at a certain age? If so and if you feel comfortable sharing, what was their reason or reasons?
Well, they never said that I was too old to be playing with toys or anything like that, but sometime when I was a kid (I really don't remember how old I was but maybe sometime before age 13), my dad made me and my brothers get rid of most of our toys; I don't know what ever actually happened with them. Apparently he'd gotten tired of us not always putting them up after we played with them. I miss a lot of them as some were old and of pretty good quality compared to some I've seen now. But anyway, we did manage to keep some of them along with getting some new ones for Christmases after that, and for now the ones we still have are in a little portable closet thing outside. My brothers and I range in age from early to late 20s, and I know for sure that me and my youngest brother still like our toys and want to keep some of them.
4. At what age do you think children should start giving their toys away or at least donate the ones they aren’t playing with to charity?
I don't think there should be a set age for that; I think sharing with and donating to others in need should be taught as early as possible, if not by directly having the child give, then by example by the parents sharing/giving to others. I think a child will eventually want to do the same when she/he sees their parents and others doing it.
5. If you have children, will you make them give their toys up at a certain age?
If I notice they are no longer playing with them, I'll talk with them about giving those toys to charitty or to younger relatives, but it will be up to them when/if they are no longer interested in the toys.
6. Do you believe children should have to give their toys up at all?
They shouldn't have to; I don't think you're ever too old to have toys. I mean, if an adult still likes playing with Legoes, caring for a doll, pretending with toy food and dishes, or having some special stuffed animals or dolls around, or anything like that, I don't feel like there's anything wrong with that. Some adults still run around playing sports, getting on amusement park rides, playing video games, and watching cartoons, so nothing wrong with owning and playing with toys supposedly just meant for children.
7. How did your parents feel about toys when you were growing up?
My mom thought that children should be allowed to play and that included having toys to play with, so despite the thing I mentioned earlier in my answer to post 3, we always had toys around. My mom grew up with 8 other siblings to play with, and even though I don't think they had much, they were allowed to run around and play. My dad on the other hand seemed to think toys were just more of a thing to have to pick up; I don't think they had much to play with in his family and it seems like his parents were more strict.
8. Do you still collect toys today?
Sometimes. I still like things like Legoes, See-'n-Say's, puzzles, some children's books (because the ones I like have tactile pictures and so are more interesting to "look" at (smile*, some toy foods, dishes, and other household things, and some dolls. I also have a Father Time clock/tape player. Also, I've been trying to collect all of this series of board books that feature characters called the Alphabet Pals. The characters are a Rabbit named Amy and a monkey named Zack, and 26 other animals who's names correspond with each letter of the alphabet. We and a cousin had 2 sets of what this system came with growing up, and so I have most of it (the books and tapes anyway), but I'm still hoping I can find the puppets and the few other books to make up a whole set. That would be really cool as I don't believe that specific set exists anymore. What I have are from my cousin and what I found in flea markets/thriftstores so that was just lucky so far. *smile*

## Post 9 by Daenerys Targaryen (Enjoying Life) on Tuesday, 16-Feb-2010 20:38:41

I used to love Toys R Us when I was younger. I don't remember the first toy I got. I was never made to give up my toys, but I never had any problem giving some to my neighbor's or younger cousins. I think children should give toys away only when they're ready and don't want them anymore. I will not make my children give up their toys at a certain age or at all if they don't want to. I got a lot of toys when I was young as long as they weren't too expensive. I still like stuffed animals. I have a couple of Furbys and a talking Hermione Granger doll.

## Post 10 by SexySquirrel (I can't call it a day til I enter the zone BBS) on Tuesday, 16-Feb-2010 21:46:00

I will always love toys! I will be 58 this month and I guess I will never grow out of liking toys.
I agree with letting children keep there toys for as long as they want.
The first toy I can remember having is Casper the Friendly Ghost. I loved hearing him talk.
Another toy I remember having is a stuffed blue bear. He was my security blanket when I was growing up. He helped me when I had nightmares.
To this day I love my stuffed animals. My husband and I have over fourty stuffed animals on our couch and love seat. We call them the Frobits and we always talk to them and we pretend they talk back to us.

## Post 11 by FaithinGod4ever (Zone BBS is my Life) on Tuesday, 16-Feb-2010 22:05:42

Hey Gloria! Awesome! I really enjoyed reading your post! How has your day been?
Talk to you soon!
God bless,
Your friend, Lauren

## Post 12 by The SHU interpreter (I just keep on posting!) on Thursday, 25-Mar-2010 0:11:20

i still have dols that i got for my 13 birthday and it came in a round backpack and with rubber clothes and stuff like that. i still have it till this day

## Post 13 by SexySquirrel (I can't call it a day til I enter the zone BBS) on Thursday, 25-Mar-2010 0:44:53

Hi Ariel
Things here are going good!
I still enjoy my cridders!
Big grin!

## Post 14 by turricane (happiness and change are choices ) on Friday, 26-Mar-2010 13:41:12

I love this topic. We have a whacko woman in my office who gforcibly took her kids toys away. the youngest cgirl was six. the wolverine disguised as a mom said "my kids have been testexd and are geniuses. playing with toys is a waste of their intelligence."
1. What was the first doll or toy you received as a child?
Ever since I can remember I had toys. My first memmories contained them. As a toddler I had a baby squeezz boy doll named "day day" after my brother. I'm sure he looved that. As a pre schooler my faves were my new born baby doll named "john John" after the kennedy baby, and betsy his girl equivalent. During the elementary school years, I had all the barbie family. My girl friends and I played with these for hours and hours. At the same time I collected mineature babies and dolls and had a doll house. My mom said developing the imagination was as important as being able to do math well or any other mental process.
2. At what age did you stop playing with toys?
Well that's hard. I'm 52 and still play with them. My grand baby gets them and I have to make sure they are sarfe and fun right?
3. Did your parents ever make you give your toys up at a certain age? If so and if you feel comfortable sharing, what was their reason or reasons?
When I was 12, my mom said it would probably be good not to tell my friends i played with my dolls still but she didn't care if i did.
4. At what age do you think children should start giving their toys away or at least donate the ones they aren’t playing with to charity?
This depends on the attitude of the child. I know many kids who have the "i'm a kid and entitled...." attitude. No matter the age, they should be made to decide and realize there are others less fortunate. I had a friend who from the age of four or five made the kids go through every spring and give half their stuff to a homeless shelter. I liked that idea but never was organized enough to do that.
5. If you have children, will you make them give their toys up at a certain age?
I did have kids and i did not.
6. Do you believe children should have to give their toys up at all?
nope
7. How did your parents feel about toys when you were growing up?
my parents loved toys. my dad made stuff for me to play with all the time.
8. Do you still collect toys today?
nope. i don't collect anything but happy memmories.