Silly Bandz!!! Updated!!!

This is just another silly fad like pogs and tamogachis and whatever else kids collect and trade. Just be glad they're so cheap! LOL, This too shall pass!!!

I don't "get" them. lol! That said, I don't think they are "horrible" if some kids do "get" them. There are much worse things out there. If some girls want to sit around trading silly bandz instead of talking about BOYS at the younger ages they are doing now, then, MORE POWER TO THEM! Too many kids are growing up too quick these days. If silly bandz keep them innocent and acting like SILLY KIDZ longer, then, my gosh, get them more! :)

My girls are 9, 6 & 2 and they all have them. The older two buy them for themselves and I've purchased O. pack of 24 for the toddler and she is content with that. We probably have a couple hundred of them. My girls know who has which ones and they each have their own zip lock bag to keep them in. I find them all over the place, but when I do, I just put them on my wrist and put them away when I am in their bedroom, or hand the to whichever kid I see first. My older two have learned that if I hand O. of theirs to the toddler, they're not likely to get it back, so they tend to keep them put away. I don't see what all the "uproar" is about over them from some of these moms. They're fun for the kids, and there are worse things they could be spending their own money on.

They aren't too different from the rubber AND metal bracelets from the 80's, and I do believe, for the most part, our generation turned out decent! Disposable toys/trends will always happen (how many marbles, Slinkys, Hula Hoops have been disposed of through out the generations?). I'm not saying that we shouldn't watch out for our consumption, but when kids are tired of trends, how about donating pre-loved items instead of trashing them. Sure - $1.99 (or whatever they cost) may be pocket change for us, but for struggling incomes, a little donation could make some kids feel just a little better.
My daughter has 3 packs, and has never worn them. I probably need to take my own advice and donate them!
As far as storage, the tupperware/ziplock idea sounds like the best option.

No they are not evil, they are the latest fad. Fortunately for me, my daughter is 15 and not into them, however we had our fair share of Beanie Babies, etc.

The only issues I've seen with them is when I am teaching at school and they tend to be a distraction for "some" kids, not all. In that case, I just hold them until it is understood they are not to be played with when i am teaching.

As far as environment.....no worse than anything else. Everything out there is bad in some way, right....Someone Somewhere will find something to make a big deal over.

BTW, We are in the plastics industry and it is thriving right now.

My daughters keep them in a plastic container that I brought from the dollar store. They love them and have fun trading with their friends

EDITED TO ADD: Some of us are NOT buying them for our kids. Sometimes Grandparents don't listen...

I throw them away when my daughter leaves them laying around where her little brother can get them and put them in his mouth.

HATE THEM.

There's a term my parents and grandparents used to use. When they didn't want their kids to have something they'd just say NO!

I don't know about the BS with sexual inuendo that I've heard about, but my trio are just 5 years old and wears them (boys and girl) cuz they're neat designs (princess and guitars). The boys keep them on their dressers. My daughter has a jewelry box. They have less than a dozen each, that's it. Since they're rubber they can wear them in the sprinkler and what not.

Um, they're not evil. It depends on what is going on at their school, which is important to be aware of, and if there is some rash behavior going on, then address it. Be the parent. If they can't take care of them though, as with any other toy, take them away. Our rule has always been that after being told to pick up toys or anything like that, after they're in bed the toy goes to the garbage or in a closet if it's expensive. Those tiny lego blocks were my husband's worst enemy. Whenever he stepped on O., in the garbage they went! Needless to say, we haven't owned any Legos in years, lol.

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

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HAHAHA!! I don't know who loves them more, me or my daughter lol!!
She keeps them in a tupperware with a lid, but we still find them all over the house. My favorites are the little rings, I wear them on my toes :-)

I throw them out when my daughter leaves them laying around or puts them in her mouth.

This is a phase that will soon pass, just like anything else. I guess my only comment is...if these things are overtaking your house and are out of control, then don't let you kids get anymore. Be it you buy them or they want to take their own money, sometimes they have to learn when you don't really need something..you don't keep buying them. This will also teach them a little self control that just because you like something doesn't mean you have to buy and buy. I bought my kids some and then I let them buy some and then after that we talked about do we really need these? And soon enough they no longer care about them.

Its a fad.
Each generation, kids have fads.
its a part of our childhood memories...
Sure it piles up... but it piles up because WE buy them, for our kids.
And kids are not 'good' at keeping things in O. place and they lose them.
Its a given.
And sure, it is more "rubbish" for the household and planet etc.
But ultimately, WE buy them for our kids.... they only have what we buy them. Or not. And 'we' know... it will get scattered around the house.

Each generation has "stuff" that are fads/controversial/fun or junk. But it forms our 'memories' of childhood... mostly fond memories.

My daughter is 7, she knows of Silly Bandz... I bought 1 packet for her. It was no big deal to her. But she keeps it on her desk. No harm.

I know some schools, have "banned" them... because it caused too much distraction.

all the best,
Susan

They are over-running our house as well. My daughters keep them in a plastic bin with a lid.

If you don't want them in the house, just say 'No more'. I actually had to do that.

Unfortunately, it's just the latest fad. And we will be left with a house full of them when the fad is over, just like Webkinz, Ty beanie babies, etc. *sigh*

My SD can only keep them in her room and we have to be careful. We have cats that love rubber bands and they could get wound around their intestines if they ate O..

We keep them in a huge plastic container. They are so much fun for the kids! O. of my girls has a couple hundred. When her friends come over she spreads them all out and they trade.

I have seen them and thought they were cute, but did not buy them because some schools are banning them due to classroom distractions. At my daughter's school, they are banned from certain grades and my son's teacher told a student that he would have to put them away in the classroom. I didn't want them to be tempted to take them to school, so I didn't purchase them. My kids are pretty good about not having to buy every fad that comes around. That is no reflection upon other people's kids.

WOW! Some of you just need to lighten up! If you don't like them...don't get them...what's the big deal??

My 11 yo has a bunch of them...loves trading them. Will the fad pass? Sure...but they're relatively inexpensive and they're fun for the kids. They could be doing much worse!

Oh my gosh, I just belly laughed at my cube at work! Thanks for the laugh.
My 3 year old is in to them & we've never talked about them. It's a passing craze. Don't you remember Garbage Patch Kids trading cards or Beanie Babies? This too shall pass, but thanks for making me laugh in the interim! :)

Your update made me laugh!

Hope you can calm the craze-- I just saw something that predicted that the Silly Bandz trend would be over by September, so hang in there!

got O. pack for each daughter. got rid of them 24 hrs later, and told them i'll turn into a monkey the day i buy another pack.
i hated those. they were all over the place.

UPDATE ANSWER- Breast implants adding to the degradation of the planet, really? If the comment is meant to trivialize please read more on the subject, see link below. It's not about the silly bands, it's the throw away mentality that's so dangerous.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Childrens-Toys-and-the-Gulf-Oil...

Ok here goes, I'll brace myself for the attack that's sure to follow. Why in the world would you buy that junk? We do not have a single silly band in our home and by the sound of it with 7 & 11 year old girls that's pretty amazing. Ok now here's something else amazing, they've never even asked for any! Silly bands are a sad symbol of how we just don't seem to get it here in the USA. They are a petroleum product being produced for no reason at all that will be discarded, en masse, probably within a year. There's an oil spill out there people, we need that oil to satisfy our huge demand for the stuff. Does it make sense to squander a valuable resource on a kids fad? I bet if you all explained to your kids what they are made of and that there are animlas being choked alive right now because of our greed and ignorance the kids would be smart enough to stop buying them. Why the heck am I bringing my own bags to the market for, using reusable containers for food and trying to reduce my oil consumption in every way while many of my fellow Americans are wasting resources on something so trivial? In anticipation of the comments about "kids being kids" and "nothing wrong with a little fun" my girls do not live in a cave. They listen to popular music, oldest has a facebook account, wear label clothing, watch popular movies etc. I just don't understand why we need to add unnecessarily to that vast plastic float in the oceans. If just a few moms think about this and don't buy that stuff anymore it'll be worth the ill will I'm sure some of you will send my way. Next time they ask for the silly bands explain what they are made of, the fact that they NEVER go away and then buy them a real peice of jewelry!