Toy Bags Again

Banishing toy bags from home visits is both symbolic and meaningful. I have written about this issue before: http://naturalenvironments.blogspot.com/2007/10/toy-bags.html. Here's a summary:

Working from a toy bag implies that the home visitor’s interaction with the child for 1 hour a week is intervention.	The hour is better spent working with the parents, because adults can benefit from 1-hour, weekly sessions.
The toy bag implies that what the family has is inadequate.	The home visit should be, in part, about reassuring families’ of their competence.
If the toys are so important, why are they removed at the end of the visit?	The home visit should prepare the family to intervene during all the many hours between home visits.
Toy bag ladies (and gentlemen) spend 80% of the home visit on something that consumes 5-15% of a child’s time: adult-child-toy play.	Home visits should provide consultation to families on interventions that can happen in all naturally occurring routines.
Toy bag play tends to be adult-directed.	Intervention is most effective when it follows a child’ interest.