Toys You Want to Hurl Into Space!

February 13, 2021

A roundup of new guidance and stories from NYT Parenting.

Golden Cosmos

When you have a baby in the United States, a specific talking push walker with a casino's worth of blinking buttons and moving parts will appear in your house as if by magic, and it will haunt your dreams for the rest of your days. This walker has not darkened our doorstep for at least two years, but I still remember every word of its theme song: "Welcome to our learning farm / We have lots to show you / Shapes and colors, music too / There's so much to do!"

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I hadn't thought about this deeply irritating jingle for a while, until I read Jessica Delfino's hilarious piece ranking the most annoying kids' toys. Jessica includes two of my personal nemeses, Play-Doh and glitter, but I would like to add the Moana microphone that plays "How Far I'll Go" endlessly. I wish I could hurl it into the ocean with Maui's giant fishhook.

Also this week, Paul Underwood has a charming piece about what improvisational comedy can teach us about parenting. Jancee Dunn asks astronauts and veterans of enclosed spaces like those in submarines and the Biosphere about what couples in 2021 can learn about romance when we are trapped inside with our loved ones for prolonged periods of time. (Happy Valentine's Day, I guess!)

If you have kids who love history, Alexis Soloski has recommendations for how to make this Presidents' Day meaningful. Danna Lorch reminds us mothers and fathers that neglecting ourselves does not make us better parents. And Claire Cain Miller, Margot Sanger-Katz and Kevin Quealy ask 175 pediatric disease experts if it is safe to open schools. These specialists in children's public health "largely agreed that it was safe enough for schools to be open to elementary students for full-time and in-person instruction now."

Finally, some of our colleagues are looking to talk with you about how the pandemic has reshaped your most deeply held values, and how you live them. How have you wrestled your way through this transformation? Tell us here.

Thanks for reading!

— Jessica Grose, columnist, NYT Parenting

THIS WEEK IN NYT PARENTING

Tim Lahan

An Unofficial Ranking of the 10 Most Annoying Kids' Toys

"A barn? A keyboard? A phone? What are you?"

By Jessica Delfino

Tyler Comrie

Yes, and … Clean Your Room

Improv comedy can help us be more patient and attentive with our kids, and help them be more resilient and open with us.

By Paul L. Underwood

Taylor Glascock for The New York Times

We Asked 175 Pediatric Disease Experts if It Was Safe Enough to Open School

In many places, the debates over reopening are fraught. But in a survey, experts broadly agreed that elementary schools didn't need vaccines to open safely.

By Claire Cain Miller, Margot Sanger-Katz and Kevin Quealy

Loris Lora

Neglecting Yourself Doesn't Make You a Better Mother

Showering and eating regularly can be a form of self-care.

By Danna Lorch

Glenn Castellano/New-York Historical Society

Presidents' Day: 5 Ways to Make It Meaningful This Year

With kids off from school, here are suggestions for delving into our nation's complex history with virtual museum visits, D.I.Y. tours and fun movies (Lincoln as a vampire slayer?).

By Alexis Soloski

Nicolás Ortega

This Valentine's Day, Take Love Lessons From the Astronauts

Accept your 'full reality,' keep little rituals alive and remember you're still — yes, still — in it together.

By Jancee Dunn

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Tiny Victories

Parenting can be a grind. Let's celebrate the tiny victories.

"Dance Party Cleanup" has made picking up much more enjoyable (and effective), but I upped the ante this week and offered a bonus song choice to whoever picked up the most. My 5-year-old made sure she "won" … I think I won. — Leslie Curren, Byfield, Mass.

If you want a chance to get your Tiny Victory published, find us on Instagram @NYTparenting and use the hashtag #tinyvictories; email us; or enter your Tiny Victory at the bottom of this page. Include your full name and location. Tiny Victories may be edited for clarity and style. Your name, location and comments may be published, but your contact information will not. By submitting to us, you agree that you have read, understand and accept the Reader Submission Terms in relation to all of the content and other information you send to us.

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