This Mom's "DO NOT Gift Guide" Is A Warning To Anyone Shopping For Kids
Just steer clear of these if you want to maintain your sanity.
The holiday season means so many gift guides and recommendations for the “must have toys” for kids, and sure, there are some great kid’s gift ideas on those lists. However, what about all those toys that we, as parents, should be avoiding? The loud ones, the cheap ones, the messy ones — they all drive us insane with non-stop noise or take up too much space in the house.
Rather than inundate parents with more suggestions of what to buy this Christmas, one mom decided to take a different approach to holiday gift guides and help parents figure out which toys to avoid getting their kid this Christmas.
Nicole Story Dent begins by explaining that she wants other parents to learn from her mistakes.
“This video is to tell you which toys, unless you would like to ruin your own life, or the life of the parent in which it is gifted to, do not under any circumstances gift guide,” she says.
First up, she displays a Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures that has posable arms. However, when the arm of the doll gets stuck, the worst noise you’ve ever heard in your entire life goes off.
“If you don't let go, it doesn't stop,” she warns.
She also has a bone to pick with those 5-Minute Story books ranging from Disney to Paw Patrol to Daniel Tiger. Dent calls B.S. on these stories actually being five minutes.
“These books, they claim to be “five minute stories.” Maybe if you're that speed reader in those infomercials from when we were young. They also end every story with the beginning of the next story on the right page,” she says, which is spot on and why my daughter always wants to read the next one because it’s right there.
The next item on the list might come as a surprise to some parents — Crocs.
“However, anytime my kid has fallen on our driveway, it is because of Crocs. They're ugly and they're dangerous. They're dangerously ugly. I cannot tell you how happy I was to receive that email that my son’s daycare banned Crocs,” she joked.
Lastly, she swears that her kid’s walker is possessed, going off in the middle of the night and torturing them with their annoying song.
After her video went viral, TikTok users wrote messages of thanks to Dent for her wise advice.
“I just bought all 4 of those TMNT toys. thank you for the warning, back to the store they go,” one user wrote.
Another echoed, “Made the mistake of bringing those TMNT toys on an hour long car ride. They were so sensitive that every bump on the car set them off 🤯”
“I agree with absolutely ALL OF THESE!!!!!!!! I took the batteries out of all those TMNT toys,” one user said.
Another joked, “Thank you for this lovely guide on what to get my nieces and nephews. 😁”
“We have that walker and it lives outside because you are 1000 % correct,” one user wrote.
In a follow-up video, Dent offered up even more items that parents should avoid entirely this holiday season. She includes light-activated puzzles, “toys with a million pieces,” those loud microphones with the echo feature, and Squishmallows.
Dent is not the first mom to warn others about some of the most annoying toys in the world. TikTok user CrayGardens posted a video last year, swearing she’d never get her kids water beads, slime, and endless amounts of stuffed animals.
Oh, and while we’re at it, do not fall for the advertising going around for that viral Fluffie Stuffiez Toy unless you want your entire house to be covered in pink fuzz. You’ve been warned!
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