October 23, 2019

by drplasticpicker

Its hard to know how parts of our plastic-filled lives ends up on the beach. The current commonly quoted percentage is 30% of plastics ends up in the ocean. But the Ocean Clean Up group has done research now demonstrating that much of that ocean plastic actually is repeatedly washed onto our shores, and at some point escapes and joins the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

This Large Toy Plastic Kitchen holds a lot of meaning to our family. The picture above is where it is now, with it’s second family and two beautiful siblings playing together. If this toy is cared for properly it could be the host of many more times of great fun and laughter for many generations.

I bought this Large Plastic Toy Kitchen after our daughter had a high fever for a few days. She was a toddler, and it was a viral fever. But she has been sick in the past and hospitalized multiple times. I had to work for some of the time she was sick that episode. I was a young pediatrician and I had her grandparents to care for her, but I felt guilty calling in sick for a toddler with 104 fever. At that point, my perception is that older colleagues would constantly comment on how the young moms were always using sick leave and I needed to prove that I was different. Now that I am older, I know that was unncessary and I regret that I wasn’t able to comfort her myself. But I bought her this kitchen that was about $100, because at that point I had money and not time.

But in the ensuing decade, this Large Toy Kitchen has entertained my daughter and her cousins for untold number of play dates and sleep overs. They would disappear into the playroom, and often come out with yarn concoctions of spaghetti, paper pizzas, and plastic baked goods galore. They knew that I always took my make-believe coffee with plenty of cream and sugar as well, and that my sister (mother of my beloved niece and playmate of my daughter) took hers with less cream and sugar.

Now my daughter watches the Food Network and is an amazing force in the real kitchen. We bought her own set of fancy pots and pans that belong to her. She can whip up quiches, macaroons, and makes tortillas from scratch. It was time to say goodbye to this childhood toy, as we needed more room for her books and painting supplies.

This Large Toy Kitchen now lives in the home of another younger pediatrician. Her children are lovely and she is lovely. Through this toy kitchen, I have gotten to know this young pediatrician better. She was president of her undergrad’s ecological club and she is very savy with her finances. I hope that when her children are sick at 104, that she will utilize sick leave as I’ve told her the story behind why I bought this kitchen.

We are trying not to purchase too many more new things and pass along these childhood posessions whether they be plastic, paper or wood onto those families that we think will find them useful. As the endless goods have stopped flowing into the house, and things are gifted/donated or just used within the house – we have more room in our lives for people and experiences. When my daughter has time in her busy middle school schedule, we want to visit her old kitchen in its new home – and I am hoping she can learn a new recipe from this young pediatrician who is a very good cook and I can play with these beautiful children as I cannot have any more of my own.

Ocean plastic picking has brought me so much joy and an appreciation of things and people, as I try to reduce the amount of plastic in our lives. This blog is for our community. Please share a story below in the comments of how you have passed on something to someone else and kept plastic out of the landfills and oceans. Much love , drplasticpicker eagerly awaits your stories.

If you want to read more about this beautiful young family, they are featured in our Squeasy Gear https://www.squeasygear.com product reviews https://drplasticpicker.com/squeasy-gear-1-tackling-the-pediatric-fiber-deficit-with-real-fruit-and-not-plastic/.