An encouraging and fun way to help children understand early on how money works is to have them play with money and banking toys and games. There are a variety of cash registers available complete with play money, fake credit cards, price scanners, price check microphones and readouts offering learning opportunities for several skills from motor skills, mathematical skills and cognitive skills.

Today there are more spy gadgetry toys available than ever before. There are spy listeners (allowing children to listen in on other rooms or to use as stethoscopes), detective sets, mini keyboard transmitters allowing children to send text messages to each other, spy goggles, motion detector sets with infrared sensors, spy cameras available in sunglasses or wristband styles (complete with real film) and walkie talkies. Spy pens come with a variety of options from activated motion alarms, flashlights and magnifying glasses. These toys not only offer hours of entertainment but toys such as motion detectors and infrared sensors teach children basic electronic skills.

Kids love to do things around house just like dad or mom, especially anything to do with tools. Complete tool sets for children are available with tool belts, tool chests and tool boxes. Any tool imaginable from saws, levels, planers, wrenches, screw drivers, drills and hammers can be found. Workshops (complete with bins to store tools) with work horses and work benches can provide base for all your child’s building adventures. And for when your child ventures outdoors to do some work there are mini working wheelbarrows, weed trimmers, lawnmowers, rakes, shovels, hoes, chain saws (with sound effects) and leaf blowers to complete job. Of course you’ll want to be sure they always wear their hard hat.

Lastly, another popular part of pretend play is use of puppets. Puppets can be found in hand puppet, finger puppet, bath puppet, baby puppet, pop-up and marionette designs. Along with puppets there are puppets accessories and wonderful puppet theaters to add to fun. There is no end to available puppet designs from cartoon characters, fantasy (fairies, wizards), people and animals (aquatic, birds, bugs, dinosaurs, dogs, farm animals, fish and frogs to name only a few). You and your child can either make a puppet theater or purchase one of many puppet theaters offered from tabletop theaters, floor standing, doorway and marionette theaters. Pop-up puppets are a fun way to play peek-a-boo with a child or hide and seek. Puppets are a great way to interact and have imaginative play with your child.

Imaginative play is an important part of play. Role playing and dress up allow children to experiment with different roles of people they observe. The toys and accessories that surround your child will let them identify with different characters and try out various domestic roles. Imaginary play helps children to adjust more easily to challenges of our everyday world.

After giving it some thought, it became apparent that this was a case of Impulse Buying.

Now don’t worry there is a cure, it’s called Planning, and it’s really easy to learn.

Mom has since recovered from dreaded impulse buying bug, has had a large tag sale and now before she goes out door on any new decorating adventures, she arms herself with a Written Plan. This family and their home now live happily ever after. “The End”...

Ok, this may have sounded silly, but I think you’ve gotten idea. At one time or another we’ve all done this. Been out shopping, spot something and say “Oh, this is really cute” then without fail it come home with us.

But, nine times out of ten it ends up put away because it’s either wrong color, turns out there is no where to put it or it just doesn’t go with anything.

This is why by taking time to make a Written Plan, you’ll save yourself time and money by not falling prey to dreaded impulse buying bug.

Then, happy ending at conclusion of story will be yours. p.s. facts in story above are true and Mom, well, that was me. This article is shareware.  Give this article away for free on your site, or include it as part of any paid package as long as entire article is left intact including this notice.  Copyright © 2005 bonnie carrier