Lancet Jades
02-18-2004, 04:55 AM
THESE GIZMOS MAKE KIDS ICK IN THE HEAD: SHRINKS
By LORENA MONGELLI
February 17, 2004 -- Children who play with prank toys that mimic bodily functions may develop antisocial behavior, experts warn.
These toys violate social taboos and blur the line between what is socially acceptable behavior and what is not, they say.
"You keep expanding the boundaries for appropriate behavior, and it gives permission for inappropriate expressions," said Alan Siskind, a child psychologist and head of the Jewish Board of Family and Children Services.
These toys increase the child's fascination with bodily functions and encourages enactment of lewd behavior, he said.
"It sanctions this kind of behavior and encourages kids to talk and do things that have to do with potty excrement," Siskind said.
Children attracted to these toys are usually in the prepubescent stage, experiencing rapid changes in their body, experts said.
"Fart jokes, bathroom humor and interest in bodily products and functions usually begin to occur in pre-adolescent children," said Patricia Saunders, a child psychologist in Manhattan.
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"It's all part of the developmental process, but the titillation is really a kind of anxiety," she said.
Even if they think it's funny, parents should steer clear from these quirky toys, Saunders said.
"If the parents have a rebellious streak, they might think it's cute, but psychologically, it's encouraging the kid to be mildly antisocial," she said. Instead of purchasing these oddities, psychologists advised parents to opt for toys that promote learning and healthy role playing.
By LORENA MONGELLI
February 17, 2004 -- Children who play with prank toys that mimic bodily functions may develop antisocial behavior, experts warn.
These toys violate social taboos and blur the line between what is socially acceptable behavior and what is not, they say.
"You keep expanding the boundaries for appropriate behavior, and it gives permission for inappropriate expressions," said Alan Siskind, a child psychologist and head of the Jewish Board of Family and Children Services.
These toys increase the child's fascination with bodily functions and encourages enactment of lewd behavior, he said.
"It sanctions this kind of behavior and encourages kids to talk and do things that have to do with potty excrement," Siskind said.
Children attracted to these toys are usually in the prepubescent stage, experiencing rapid changes in their body, experts said.
"Fart jokes, bathroom humor and interest in bodily products and functions usually begin to occur in pre-adolescent children," said Patricia Saunders, a child psychologist in Manhattan.
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"It's all part of the developmental process, but the titillation is really a kind of anxiety," she said.
Even if they think it's funny, parents should steer clear from these quirky toys, Saunders said.
"If the parents have a rebellious streak, they might think it's cute, but psychologically, it's encouraging the kid to be mildly antisocial," she said. Instead of purchasing these oddities, psychologists advised parents to opt for toys that promote learning and healthy role playing.