[Merskelly Metalien]

<x} Well, they didn't teach me about math or dad jokes, hehe.
But I did learn a bit about the child psyche, :]
and a lot of other interesting things.

Like for instance, if you provide a wide variety of toys for a toddler, they will experiment and according to their unique personalities, chose the toys they favor more, over the toys you want them to play with, and develop into a more clearly defined individual easier and earlier. :] It also gives them the chance to understand gender roles and their associations with boy's, girl's and unisex toys. The children exposed to all types of toys found they have a firmer grasp on their identities later on in life, as opposed to other children who were only given one type of toy to play with.

I kind of drew a parallel between my cousin and I when we were toddlers and the toys our parents provided for us. o.o

My mom, mainly, provided me with a variety of toys in a toy chest. Dolls, stuffed animals, a pink play stove with food, tea cups and baby dolls were a few girl's toys. Cars, Dinosaurs, Soldiers, Trains, and Trucks were some of the boy's toys. Then there were balls, building blocks, play-doh, sound toys, and puppets for the unisex toys.
:D Since I was their first child, a daughter, my dad thought I would go for the girl's toys. My mom didn't know what I'd pick.

I didn't go with the girl's toys...I went for a select few from ALL categories.
I liked the play stove with the plastic food, and the utensils, I liked the dinosaurs A LOT, and I was drawn to the play-doh, sound toys and puppets like a magnet! >:D My parents were delightedly blown away! :D Because they gave me a variety of toys to explore, I learned to play with a lot of them, and to associate myself with a more artistic and sound-oriented playstyle.
All kids have certain playstyles. :] They have things they love to play with and don't love to play with, and finding the correct playstyle helps them develop a healthy sense of identity and interests.

But what about my cousin? :/ (Well, second cousin really.
She was raised by a single mother, my actual cousin, in her late teens. She had my second cousin at 17.) She adored her and as a young first time parent had so much energy but very little knowledge about what to do. <:/ as a result, she wanted a baby doll, not a child, and so she spoiled my second cousin rotten with tons upon tons of girl's toys. 8[ I mean, TONs. All sorts of dolls, play houses, make up tables, ponies, princesses, dresses, crowns, wands, wings, shopping carts, you name it!

My second cousin, as a toddler with so many toys, found interest in some dolls more than others, and only the biggest play houses and some of the crowns. But she also found interest in her mother's old toys she shared with my boy cousin when they were growing up together. Her daughter went for some of the little Mc Donald's wind up toys, but mostly the horses and the dolls. She wasn't used to the boyish toys and creepy monster toys she found. She stuck with the girl toys, and eventually grew to expect a lot from her mother, which now, she couldn't give her. <:/ I won't go into the long of it, but as my second cousin grew and grew, she had a bratty and spoiled childhood, lost sight of who she was later on in life, had a falling out with her mother and set out on her own, and found herself later on after high school, being interested in mainly cute stuffed animals, horror video games, and surprisingly, more medical and chemistry subjects.
Though she didn't have the greatest sense of identity, and struggled with finding her unique interests, she is doing better as an adult, and learning more about herself, while also visiting her younger half sister. :] They love each other very much despite their mother not being a part of their lives anymore, which is good to see.

But the difference now between me and my second cousin, is actually both unique and small. :D We enjoy many of the same things and have a similar sense of humor. Factors growing up play a huge difference in the lives of kids, along with the choice of our toys growing up of course too. O.O I don't think I began to realize this UNTIL I took that Child Development class, and took a look back at myself and MY childhood. Then I thought, "Wow. I've been observing my surroundings and listening to sounds since before I could walk or talk! I knew what a stove did and what fire was, before I could even reach one! My parents somehow fed my growing brain so I was able to speak and articulate before age 2!" 8O It was mind blowing.

Too bad the stuff I learned was in a textbook, <B/ And not taught to me by a passionate, mindful, and competent teacher. >8/ My MOM would honestly have taught that class better! Well, she is a teacher, so of course she would, but she has never taught college level! >8[ Or any class other than Special Ed! She's gone to college for many a psych and child dev class! More so than any art class ever! <x'D

Sorry this was such a long facts lesson! Wow, I guess I had a lot to say here. 8[

TLDR: My cousin and I are rather similar in personality, though she is 5 years younger, despite having vastly different parents and childhoods. However, she has struggled more with mental health, and with a sense of identity and relations with others, than I have. Toys in our youth both helped and hindered us with our sense of self, and personal interests. Crazy interesting stuff yo!