My daughter doesn't need any more soft toys.
Both because she has a lot of them already, and that at eight years of age, she is coming to the end of her run for wanting more of them - even though she always wants more of them. It is part of growing up to get to the stage that a child no longer "needs" a toy to sleep with at night, and I have noted that in the last couple months, the number of toys in the bed has diminished to the point that Smallsteps said that she only needs one each night, and she rotates through her favorites.
But dads will dad.
But in this case, I had an ulterior motive in purchasing this cute little mouse, as while it is perfect for Smallsteps' mouse addiction which has surprisingly lasted for over five years, it is also made by a colleague's wife and I like to support local business and handicraft and art when I can afford it, and if it is a style I like. I ordered it on Monday directly through my friend, as I think it is nicer that way, and he brought it into work for me today.
It is already in Smallsteps' arms.
Not only that, one of my colleagues saw the mouse and asked how he could get his hands on something too, as he wants one as a gift for his young nephew who is visiting from the UK soon. He said that it is nice if he can get him something local, and unique. And since I might order another one also, the workplace might be a pretty lucrative market for the maker.
There was a market in the city last weekend and the maker and my colleague worked there for the three days at a tiny booth they had built and were very happy with what they were able to accomplish. The biggest surprise for my friend was that the main customers weren't parents or children, but younger people. This isn't really a surprise at all, is it? At least, I think that we are now in a culture where people want to hold onto their youth for longer, as well as one that wants something unique they can identify with. Something like a cute handmade plushie they can stick on a shelf, fits the bill.
At some point, the majority of Smallsteps' toys will be boxed up for charity, or be leaked out into the hands of family members who will probably be having kids in the next few years. However, the ones that stay in the family and put away for her potential own children one day, are likely to be the ones that she connected with the most, which tend to be the special ones that are attached to a trip, or a person.
I don't know if this one will make the cut, but I do think that it is something that will stay with us for a while at least, because handmade tends to be held in more regard, even if not self-made. What I do know is that I tend to support my daughter growing up pretty fast, so it is also nice to sometimes change the tone a little, and let her spend a bit more time with a big smile on her face, because she got another soft toy.
And it was a big smile.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]