Giving Your Children Experiences Instead Of Toys Boosts Their Intelligence And Happiness

Recent studies have shown that children who have too many things to play with have the opposite effect and can even make them less happy. An abundance of toys can overwhelm and distract children, causing them to lose focus on what they need to learn from the toys. Development researcher Clair Lerner suggests children play less when they are inundated with toys and games.

In addition, too many toys push children to play more solitary games and impair what can be learned. Lerner’s findings were confirmed by Dr. John Malone, a professor of psychology at the University of California at Berkeley. Malone’s study showed that fewer and better toys lead to more cooperation and exchange when it comes to valuable life skills.

It is not necessary to buy everything on the Christmas wish list for the child, even if it is only one toy or two or three or four or five or six.

While there is no reason to reduce the flow of toy donations, researchers have found that children’s academic success increases when experiences are made. Academics and children were more closely associated with their home environment and parental involvement than with the toys and electronics they brought. Parents whose children had fewer toys or electronic devices and spent more time with their children did better at school, suggesting that parents attention was much better than screens, toys, and money. Spending time for the child is much more valuable, even if it is only for a short period, such as a few hours a week.

Several decades of research have been conducted on the effects of childhood experiences on children’s mental and emotional well-being – and we have found that happiness comes from experience, not material possessions. Having experiences that spend more time with the family than with toys brings much more happiness and joy. In summary, happiness from childhood experiences is much greater than the value of toys, electronics, or other material objects.

So, dear parents, do not worry about gifts and concentrate on what you remember, but on the memories of your children of their childhood experiences.