I came to think of this topic lately as I was scouring for toys to buy for Ayra. I find toys for her almost every month. With every development and every milestone I seem to think she needs new toys hahaha. Anyways, this one was spawned when she started to move her hands up and down and hit on things. In other words, to me, she was drumming. And so I wanted to find a drum toy.

As a modern-day ‘konon-in-line-with-technology’ mom, I searched on the Internet. My search led me to this. Now, though initially all I wanted was a simple drum toy, u guessed it, I did go out and buy this thing. And it’s not cheap!!! Though people in US can get it for less than 20 bucks, for us over here, it costs more than RM100 mind u! It has 4 play modes (ABC, music, drum mode and crawl mode) and 2 languages (English and French). I am pretty much SURE Ayra still can’t learn ABC nor can she learn English much less French. The drum comes with an electronic display top and it has sensors to sense hits and also can sense when the drum is on its side (crawl mode). The display changes, the music changes, and ALL I WANTED WAS A SIMPLE DRUM. It doesn’t make a sound if pounded on when it’s off.

Ok now to defend myself, I cannot for the life of me find any other simple drums in the toy stores (and yeah u guessed it, I searched only in department stores and Toys ‘R Us). Besides, I am one who believes in reviews, and as the item is an award winning one and parent’s pick on Baby Center, it’s definitely a sure-buy for me.

Now how many of us are guilty of this??? Buying features we don’t necessarily need, with prices we shouldn’t have splurged, with brands we only know of is famous. I know I do it. For toys (only looking at brands like Playskool, Fisher-Price, LeapFrog, etc), clothes (branded ones please), feeding accessories (Avent anyone?), and almost everything else. It’s not the first time I splurged (we also bought a toy remote for Ayra from Fisher-Price on the SAME day) coz I have been guilty of purchasing a bouncer which costs RM300 and can vibrate, sense babies’ kicking and make music. She only used it for 6 months and I am quite sure she cannot remember nor appreciate it.

Back then, we played with household items. We drum on tables using mom’s spatula. We only had Kiko, Ladybird and Kiki Lala. Our bouncers are those net ones we can use till we’re 2 years old. Our electronic items are mom and dad’s stuff we spoil. The music comes from radio and tv.

The choices we make huh. I am sure it is all in the interest of buying the best for the baby, though soooo not necessary, I am quite sure I can’t stop doing it. Is it because we can?? I think it’s more coz we choose to. I’m sure peer pressure has some part to play in it too. All for our ‘princes’ and ‘princesses’. Sigghhhhh.

Now I’m hoping someday Ayra will learn her ABC from that drum and while she’s at it, I hope she learns it in French too. As of now, I’ll just smile when all she does it pick that drum up, puts it into her mouth, topple it over, look at me and smile… I’ll take a pic of that soon.

Oh u lucky (in Malay that would be ‘bertuah’) little girl u.

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