Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2006 > July > 08 > Entry
Stupid gifts to spoil our kids
A tip of the hat to Friends of Dave, which pointed me to this great American Inventor Spot article listing 11 of the stupidest products of all time that can serve only to ruin our kids. My favorites? Well as much as I like the $19,000 toy mansion and the $17,000 gold and diamond PACIFIER, maybe the most ridiculous item on the list is the “Daddle,” as in “dad saddle.” Check it out and you’ll see what I mean.
Permalink | Comments (4) | Categories: Young Children
Comments
By Mary
July 8, 2006 9:48 PM | Link to this
I think real research would show it depends on the kid and the germs. Sometimes, entire families have suppressed white blood cell counts and auto-immune disorders, apparently from genetics. Why do you suppose? Why is it almost 50% of us have an allergic reaction to poison ivy but maybe 50% of us don’t. Why do some people die when smelling or eating peanuts? According to the blood type theory, some blood types are more resistant to bacteria while others are more resistant to viruses. While some might want to brush this all off as survival of the fittest, I think how we define fittest can change from one moment to the next. We all have our weak spots and strengths when it comes to our environment. I recall a few years ago, some babies died from a swimming pool at a water park near Atlanta. All it took was apparently a little E coli. I also recall some children dying or getting extremely ill from a petting zoo. (Possibly another germ like e coli.)By Sawber
July 8, 2006 5:15 PM | Link to this
Mary, Actually, current research shows that isolating kids from such germs makes them less resistant to them when they are adult, leading to more involved complications than if they had faced them as kids.By Oldprof
July 8, 2006 4:19 PM | Link to this
I see what you mean, Scott, the Daddle is ridiculous. They forgot to include the daddy-bit and the father-bridle.By Mary
July 8, 2006 10:23 AM | Link to this
Whoever wrote this list must be male or does not take care of young children very much. I understand the grocery cart pad is probably easier and safer to cart around and wash than the disinfectant. The rationale that the grocery cart handle germs are harmless does not wash with me. Has the author stayed up nights with babes running mysterious fevers and left wondering along with doctors how serious and what the germ is? Supposedly, a significant percentage of people do not wash their hands after using public toilets. Here baby, have a little E coli. However, I agree with the list author’s general concern that many parents are daft, including with school activities. They run themselves ragged around their child’s over scheduled life. Materialism is also obscene, trying to give their kids everything. I was perhaps a little guilty of some of this, but I also think I had a very bored and underchallenged child at school who needed toys to help pass the time, be creative, and stay mentally engaged in life.