To Caitlin, I must be the most broke daddy around.
She is more observant now: She watches tv, she “reads” the newspapers’ slip-in brochures, she flips through the mailbox-catalogs, she sees the shelves in the toy sections of departmental stores, she tries out the display units in the stores….
In short, she is the latest victim of capitalism in the land of toys.
So, like all toddlers do, she asks if she can have this or that latest lump of plastic shaped into something either physiologically impossible or would simply freak me out if it could actually speak in real life. And to everything she’s requested to possess, my response has been “Sorry- that toy is expensive; Daddee does not have the money to buy that toy…”
“I want Daddee to have more money..” The kid is starting to show simple deductive reasoning.
In a way, it has its advantages. Since she hasn’t grasped the concept of weekdays & working days, she is sometimes disappointed to find out that Daddee has to sleep early tonight, or that Daddee cannot do stuff with her tomorrow; because Daddee has to go to work tomorrow (being a working / weekday). Somewhere along the way, she has also been taught the association of work & money (yes, I have read Robert Kiyosaki’s first bestseller; & no, practising it is another matter..)
But quickly after, she is okay with the idea that Daddee cannot accompany her on an outing because Daddee has to perform an activity to get more money, to presumably therefore be able to afford all that she desires. A little bit more advanced deductive reasoning, this proud Daddee notes.
However I am aware that I cannot be using this excuse for too long, because:
- Daddee seems to be stuck in the same salary bracket for too long;
- Daddee may thus start to appear the loser in the world of other-daddy’s
- Daddee cannot be seen with new Daddee-toys, if Daddee couldn’t afford toddler-toys…
How do you arrest such type of nagging, from the toddler I mean??
6 responses so far ↓
1 Moomykin // Jan 5, 2008 at 12:12 AM
I get away easy with Micah by declaring that I don’t work, so I have no money to buy expensive toys. He does get an ear full of how hard Daddy works to provide for us when he is careless with his toys, and our toys, i.e. the PSP incident.
But I’m glad my boys are not into looking at catalogs yet. I also have reduced our time at shopping malls considerably by hanging out at the Science Centre and my mom’s (she just got 2 new puppies!!)
2 Ann // Jan 5, 2008 at 10:39 AM
Yeah…take away all catalogues, let them only watch DVD education prog only so that there are no adverts and stay away from toy sections of all shopping malls!
Else…get her interested in something else…liek science experimetns, craft, reading!
3 starhawk // Jan 6, 2008 at 8:15 AM
my wife is the one who always brings them shopping so i am free from their nagging.
they sort of know the meaning of the word “expensive” coz their mommy always told them so. when they want any toys they will ask, “mommy is this expensive?”
4 Sommer // Jan 6, 2008 at 11:14 PM
I’ve taught preschool for years and have a masters in early childhood education and two children of my own. This is not an easy topic. For me, I explain to my son that something isn’t in our budget. I might have the money but I’m choosing to not buy him that toy because I need to buy us food, clothes, etc. He can look or see t.v. ads. That’s life. Seeing things and not having them and he has to get used to that so sheltering him does not good. He has a piggy bank and has to save for stuff he really desires. Children have to learn how to save for what they want and look not have.
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5 E // Jan 8, 2008 at 5:11 AM
This was my first visit to the site so I have not completely deduced the mood of your blog however for what its worth, there is an author that I heard speak this fall that shared some ideas relevant to the topic. Richard Louv has written several books including Last Child in the Woods
http://www.amazon.com/Last-Child-Woods-Children-Nature-Deficit/dp/1565123913
He considers the impact that nature and simplicity have on the welfare and stimulation of our youth. As a Montessori teacher, I found his perspective resonant with my educational views.
6 toddlerdaddy // Jan 9, 2008 at 8:07 PM
Glad to see that this problem is universal. Little Miss put in her order for her birthday at the end of the month. Apparently she wants a big party and a swing and a red car and a digital camera. I don’t even have any of those things – I wonder if we could get a swing to share?
My current solution to this dilemma is simple – they are called grand parents, they are fortunate enough to be comfortably off as they near retirement and they can’t say no to the children. I on the other hand got a pair of shorts from them for christmas – go figure
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