Noisy Toys.

I love noisy toys, they were my favorite as a kid and I definitely don't mind my kids having them. I do require them to use their noisy toys within reason- not when I'm on the phone, having a conversation, or we are watching television, etc.

My family tends to give really annoying toys as gifts as a joke and we all think it's funny.

I think you need to lighten up a bit. That's a lot of noisy toys to have around, put some of them up or donate some of them. Kids are kids and grandparents want to get the kids what THEY will like.

I actually hate it when family members or friends say stuff on facebook that they should say to me personally so I find that approach a little insensitive.

Maybe because I am an elementary teacher by profession, but I have the ability to block out certain noises if I am concentrating. If it is not bothering anyone, I just ignore it. I can be reading, cleaning, or on Mamapedia and block out all the annoying toys.

Oh no! FB has gotten so many people in trouble! I think we all have a love/hate relationship w/fb.

I bet Christmas is awesome for you (snark).

If you have made it clear you no longer want noisy toys, and people keep giving you noisy toys, then if were me - I would try to sell the noisy toys at a garage sale or craigslist. That would make me feel a little better if people are giving noisy toys out of spite.

I bet Einstein never had a noisy toy and he turned out to be a genius.

I would have addressed the issue privately with MIL - less embarrassing for her. But on principle, I agree with you. We told people we were trying to do 'classic' wooden toys for DS. Most seemed to get the idea that that meant no cheesy plastic stuff with noise. When we did receive noise makers, I exchanged them (of course sent a thank you first) or (if no gift receipt) threw them away. I couldn't bring myself to impose them on some other noise sensitive human being.

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I had that same talk with my Aunt a decade ago about my son's toys. She said the same thing "I will buy him what I want".

Once we got home, I let him happily play with them until the noise got on my nerves, then I took the batteries out! And said "Oops! We need new batteries - here baby, play with this toy for awhile" and gave him quiet toys to play with.

My Aunt got to buy what she wanted so she was happy.
I got to "turn off" the noise so I was happy.
My son got to play with toys so he was happy.

Just smile and accept their presents - they send them out of love - put the ones that creep you out in the bottom of the toy box, and limit the amount of time they can play with the noisy toys.

Everyone will happy and no-one will be the wiser.

God Bless

That's a LOT of noisey toys to have! Not sure there's much out there left for them to purchase! I always put scotch tape over the speaker of the noisey toys...sometimes a few pieces. Really makes the toys more quiet when even the lowest setting won't due.

ever heard that expression - dont look a gift horse in the mouth? i think you are being terribly ungrateful. your sil was not at all out of line. you were hurting her mothers feelings. she's supposed to stick up for her.
i read really sad posts on here daily from women wishing in laws and grandparents would show interest in a relationship with thier kids or help out a littlle. you're problem is they send TOO many annoying toys? lol seriously? You could try to give gramma some positive direction - tell her thank you for always sending such great stuff, "timmy is really into thomas the train and lincoln logs right now, so, if you catch a sale, he would love that." Or you can take the batteries out of the light up toys. Thats what i do - my kids dsont even know batteries can be replaced once they go dead.

Donate all the toys and then when other people have kids punish them with the noisy toys. I would bring the most annoying toy to grandmas house and have your kids play with it non stop so they get the point.

Just take the batteries out of them..

Or donate them, or take them back but do not say anything to the gift giver. I am not sure why we feel it is ok to say such things to our families when we would never speak like this to our own friends or coworkers.

I also do not think this is something that should have been placed on facebook unless it was a private message. This could have really embarrassed anyone that has ever given such a toy to your child and will just cause hurt feelings. I am sure this was not your intention.

Wow. You were so incredibly out of line here. You posted something on FB that wasn't "directed" at anyone, but it was and they knew it. You then engaged in a public debate on the topic with your family, no matter who started it. Regardless of whether or not you think it sounded "more polite", the whole situation is rude and makes you appear rude and ungrateful.

You don't need to message every person, but you do need to be a little proactive and respectful in your approach. My MIL did the same thing with our son b/c she thought it was fun to watch him play with the large, plastic light-up screeching toys until I politely gave her more appropriate suggestions for his next birthday. "Mom, JD is really into cars right now. He has a ton of those light-up ones. Do you think you could find some that are wooden or soft?". I do this with anyone who is likely to buy something that we don't want or need.

She got the message and now will call and ask what he wants/needs/likes, whatever. As for your SIL- get over it and know that by posting something like that on FB you opened yourself up to this. Don't be surprised if you get a crapload of this stuff in the near future.

We just take the batteries out of some of them that function without the noise and we alternate other toys so there aren't so many noisy ones around (we keep a pile in the basement and circulate the toys ever so often to keep them from boredom). Try it! It helps - A LOT! My mom has the same opinion as yours (grandmas will do what they want) and it seems everyone else from our nanny to cousins insists on buying the noisiest most annoying toys on the market! Just ignore the SIL :P Not worth going there!

Remove her post. That should send a message!

I think I may have just told the family members how I felt in person. FB has gotten so many people in trouble. That's exactly why I don't have one! Lol.

I'm with Leslie B on this one... Just take out the batteries. I keep the batteries in 2-3 toys at a time... the rest can just be dead.

I like toys with noise. I didn't let them have all of them out at once, and some would be put up to exchange with others but I kept it at a minimum with my daycare kids. A really good friend sent my grand daughter a ride on car, with princesses that sings and beeps and blinks and honks. She loved it at 9 months old. She still loves it at nearly 4 yrs old. I've replaced the batteries so it keeps working. At Thanksgiving our grown son came to visit and he was annoyed by it so he took it to the other room and took the batteries out. She was so sad and cried that her car was broken. As soon as he left I "fixed" it and she was thrilled. Some of these toys are obnoxious and you can let them only play outdoors with them, but others can be a childs favorite. Let the grandparents buy them, and then control how often they are out for the kids to use. Or stash them in a closet and at Christmas you can donate them to Toys For Tots and let them make some other childs life happy....or buy earplugs. (o:

Sorry, but you really need to learn to tune the noise out! It's really not that big of a deal and the "problem" here is how you are reacting to the toys. I have a 4 yo and 1yo and we have noisy toys also, but none of them are what I would call super noisy and annoying. You just need to deal with the fact that toys make noise!!

It's not really fair to everyone else to decide what your child gets for a gift. I think you should be grateful, and like someone else said take out the batteries if you need to. As far as your SIL sounds like she just likes to get your goat sometimes. We all do that occasionally. I say forget about all of it, you are putting too much energy into it.