63 lines
2.5 KiB
Markdown
63 lines
2.5 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Set Up the Toys
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date: 2026-01-14
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lastmod: 2026-01-14
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published: true
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tags:
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- parenting
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---
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Around the time our son started walking, my wife began the tradition of straightening up his toys every night so they would be ready for him to jumble up in the morning. When she became too pregnant with our daughter to continue, I assumed the mantle.
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Ultimately, setting up the toys is something I do for my kids because I love them and feel like they deserve it. That's what keeps me doing it night after night. On top of that, my son tends to be entertained by his toys (instead of my glasses, laptops, etc.) for much longer when they are set up in the morning.
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Setting up the toys can also give you a sense of which toys your kid likes and how they interact with them, which in turn, can help you understand where your kid is developmentally. Occasionally, I try to build challenges into the setup, like hiding a favorite toy or a dry snack, or putting something out of reach to encourage them to use tools.
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# Examples
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When I'm especially proud of my work (or when I just want to try to capture a slice of life), I take a picture of the toy setup. Here are some of the best.
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## March 2025
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## Bunky's First Birthday
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Real-life Dancing Fruits for a "berry sweet" boy's first birthday.
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## Baby's First Dungeon
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With dragons guarding his favorite toys (Pinks the bear, the "Stink Flowers", and his candied apple Pusheen), and Knight Owl waiting by the entrance with a sword and shield for the brave adventurer.
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## Big Brother's Dungeon
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A dungeon that leads to his playpen, full of his best toys. I built this to make him feel special while my wife and I were in the labor and delivery ward for the scheduled delivery of our daughter.
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## October 2025
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I started building a citadel out of his couch.
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## Attack on Junebug
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I tried to encourage my son to play with my daughter by locking her stuff in his playpen and building ramps into it out of his couch.
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## Elfpocalypse
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In the thrilling conclusion to our first season of Elf-on-the-Shelf, the Elf leads the toys on a Christmas Day siege. |