One of the most special times of the year is approaching. Regardless of your beliefs around the holiday season, these dates are marked by a sense of unity and family warmth. There’s more sharing within the community, and more time spent with those closest to us. Our programs fill with a festive air, embracing the emotion and joy in the days leading up to Christmas Eve. Decorations begin to appear as early as mid-November, and lights start to illuminate the early evenings.

But just as these things fill our everyday lives with a different air during December, it can also be a time that brings long-term complications. I believe two specific issues are generated by the same object, and they have to do with the development of young children. Yes, I’m talking about toys. The two complications that immediately come to mind regarding toys go hand in hand. For example, many people go into massive debt to buy “the toy of the moment.” And this leads to the second complication: often, that “fashionable toy” does a disservice to children’s development.

Educators, caregivers, and assistants know children’s development firsthand. You are experts in this field. You observe with meticulous attention to detail to keep children safe in your programs. You understand their motivations, what interests them, what engages them, and what questions they ask that help them understand the world around them. The holidays are coming, and as an educator, you have a lot to say for the families. You can make individual recommendations based on each child’s interests, suggesting toys and materials that not only nourish family unity this holiday season but also contribute to the development of each child. You can say a lot—do it for your community and its future.