Kids want time, not toys

Flooding kids with Christmas presents maybe nice but nothing compares to spending quality time as a family, Australian experts have pointed out.

Frank Oberklaid, founding director of the Centre for Community Child Health at the Royal Children's Hospital, revealed that some parents were unaware of how an environment shaped children's brains.

''Parents need to understand that what children crave is not fancy toys or to watch television or DVDs. What they crave is their parents' love and attention,'' the Age quoted him as saying.

''It doesn't have to cost money. Sit them on your knee and read a book together, walk down to the park and treat it like a nature study lesson. It's about spending quality time,'' he added.

Oberklaid further warned against over-burdening kids with heavy schedules and overloading them with activities.

He said: ''Some children are so busy with ballet on a Monday, French on a Tuesday, sport on a Wednesday that they have diaries where they need to book in time with their friends.

''Parents are delegating their child's development to all these experts, but kids don't need all of those things, they just want to hang out with their parents, sit on the floor and do fun things with them ... If you open yourself up to them, kids will always lead the way.''