Rachna says

You know it is really so difficult to buy toys for kids these days. When it comes to Sid, I’ve slowly graduated to buying him books and comics. He has really taken a liking to the Famous Five series, Panchatantra, Asterix comics and so at least that can be bought. Besides that buying him a ball – a football or a basketball is a good bet. He likes these but sometimes he wants those transformer or Ben 10 toys. I think they are a waste of money. They are exorbitantly priced and frankly I see no use of them. Even those Fisher Price puzzles are a big put off and so high priced too. Last year, we pooled the money he got from different relatives for his birthday to buy him a Nintendo DS which he really treasures. But, I strictly ration the time he spends playing on his Nintendo. And now he would need new games for his Nintendo.

For Gautam, I am at a complete loss. Any game, puzzle or toy and his interest lasts exactly two days. How can I blame him when most of the toys are light-flashing, battery-guzzling varieties. Even the so called puzzles don’t interest him. I remember he earlier enjoyed being read from his board books. And, nowadays all he wants is a toy car and his favorite is a toy auto :). He has more than a hundred cars but he always wants more. I guess boys get attuned to machines from a very young age.

One thing I would really like to do is read to Gautam. But once or twice that I tried, he did not show much interest. And now either I am too busy or tired at the end of the day that I do not even try to read to him.

You know what is the toughest? Buying birthday gifts for other kids. I really do not know what they like so of late I have started handing out cash. Even tougher is buying return gifts. I think they are a complete waste of money in the form of stationery items and I really hope that we can scrap the whole custom of taking gifts and giving return gifts. Just have a party and let all the kids have fun. The useful gifts are anyway bought by the parents and the close relatives.