babies & cardboard boxes. it’s a thing.

So, let’s talk baby marketing. Not really, but just a tinsy bit.

Guys, anything that you buy for your child ends up becoming a big, huge research project if you let it. I love online reviews, but seriously, sometimes way.too.much.information. And I’m just talking about toys here. For Mateo, we wanted to keep things simple. I didn’t want all the things, just essentials. You know, the good looking, eco toys that will turn your child into a genius. It’s just hard to pick because there are a bazillion choices, and the good looking ones that bring out genius are never cheap.

baby-in-cardboard-box

That was phase one. Then I entered the tired phase, and just started looking for things that would keep that boy busy and entertained. I’d scan reviews for something along the lines of, “kept little baby Z busy for half an hour.” ADD TO CART. You just hope that it’s not too ugly, it’s non-toxic, and maybe doesn’t dull your child’s intellect.

We’re now in phase three. I’m not as tired. Phase three is good. I couldn’t care less about any marketing. We still (try to) keep it simple. And yeah, yeah, I still like pretty things that are “developmental.” But we don’t shop often, hand me downs are great, and  a n y t h i n g  with a little imagination can be a toy. OH, and phase three also means that when we DO buy toys, they better last a few years and really, do I want to play with it too? Let’s just say that Mateo has the most rocking little play kitchen you’ve ever seen.

Whew, that was a lot of intro. I kinda just wanted to show you photos of Mateo in a cardboard box. Babies love cardboard boxes. They are the best.

babies-in-cardboard-boxes-2013

I hear that when I was a child, that’s all I wanted to play with. Baby trends be damned. Decades later and still a hit in 2013. Pretty sure those boxes made me the woman I am today. Good luck, Mateo.

babies-and-boxes-1983

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22 Thoughts on “babies & cardboard boxes. it’s a thing.

  1. Ha ha! Boxes are the best! And kids really use their imagination with them. And that’s the story I’m sticking to. ;-)

  2. Haha! I’ll definitely have to keep this in mind when Cruz is older. He’s only 6 weeks now. When I was younger my sister and I would flatten cardboard boxes and decorate them and race them down out grandparents grand staircase.

    • Ahhh!! We used to do that toooo! I vividly remember going down the stairs on an old refrigerator box! I really hope we are years and years away before Mateo gets any ideas though! ha.

  3. Crystal Hall:

    Loved this post! Your blog is great. I think this simplifies the process of the multi-billion dollar baby industry that feeds into parental guilt to buy everything! Love the old pics of you! Mateo is so blessed to have an awesome photojournalist documenting all these precious moments!

    • YES! good parents buy good things – says that multi-billion dollar baby industry. Whatever, industry! :) I’m so glad that you stopped by Crystal!

  4. Jennifer:

    This is the funniest and cutest thing! My older brother and I loved playing with these boxes when we were small. Some things are just classic. Of course, he was a little rough and had me pretend I was in a spaceship as he shook the darn thing like Apollo 11 had just landed!

    • omg, you made me laugh out loud. I can just see little Jennifer. :)

  5. JaeHi:

    Ha, those boxes were life saver. I was expecting Christian and I was so sick, nauseated, tired…you name it! I would watch you play all the time with or in those boxes…

  6. I’ve been thinking of what I can buy so we can have a big cardboard box for Amelie to play with! And we’re all about the non toy toys round here these days. A saucepan and wooden spoon is an excellent drum kit after all ;)

    • yes, perfect! I remember when we used to pack toys for Mateo on trips. Now I know if they have a kitchen, he’s set! (pots, pans, spoons, check, check, check!) :)

  7. Found you on mombloggers!…cute post! my kids love boxes

    http://www.prettylittledahlia.com

  8. Ida:

    Hi! Boxes are the best toy for children. They can be castles, forts, hiding places, kitchens, houses, anything they can come up with. And let’s face it, they are a classic, can probably be categorized as a vintage toy!! LOL!

  9. This is so true, no matter how many toys you buy or how expensive it is…the favorite will always be things like cardboard boxs and pots & pans. Great post, I will certainly be following.

    • pretty sure that’s a universal favorite for all children. Pots, pans, cardboard boxes! :)

  10. Hi Henna, I followed your link from MBC. Your blog is beautiful! I love your photos. Your little boy is darling. I am subscribed to your blog through my Google Reader. If you’d like to check out my blog, I’d love to have you. :)

  11. Isn’t it amazing that we go through a lot to pick out things for our children to play with and they end up playing with the plain old box? There should be a cardboard toy store so that we can skip buying the toys and just get the box. Sounds like a good business idea! Stopping by from http://makeitorfixit.com.

    • Why do we try to complicate things? Stick to classics, right?! :)

  12. Gifford Neill:

    I agree. All our kids LOVED cardboard boxes, including riding them down the stairs (at a little later age).

    • Oh man, I have many fond memories of riding things down the stairs, ha. Cardboard boxes, bean bag chairs… Oh dear.

  13. Mary Stevens:

    Super cute pics!!! I remember when Paul would bring home a huge box from work—took up most of our tiny living room but wow did those kids have a blast with it!

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