The Expensive Toy
Donny was told he could get one toy that cost $3.00 or less at the store. Although Donny can read, sort of, he is only 4, and he has no real concept of money. Who does these days?
So Donny picked out a toy he would really like totally disregarding the cost. “Why would I get a dumb toy I didn’t like?” I use this same line of thought when I shop and a very valid point even from a 4 year old. However, his mother did say that if the toy was more than $3.00 then she would buy it but he would have to save it for his birthday next month. Donny was in total agreement with this plan because all he really heard was that she was going to buy it and then there were some other qualifying words that he didn’t really understand or care to know about. So the toy is purchased, the toy is bagged, the toy in in mom’s hand and then of course the question comes “when do I get my toy?” Mom replies calmly “remember it was over 3 dollars so we are going to save it for your birthday”. A very long drawn out “ohhhhhh” accompanied by a sad face. This was a naive and juvenile attempt at persuasion. It did not work. And then you see the wheels start to turn in his little head. Over the next few hours Donny has come up with no less than 5 more reasons or ways to get his hands on the toy early.
1. Can I just see it to make sure it isn’t broken?
2. If I don’t open it can I just look at it?
3. Look, the package has a little rip in it so could I just open it all the way to feel it?
4. Can I just hold it if I promise not to open it?
5. If I got a 3 dollar toy I could play with it but now I don’t get anything to play with so can I play with the 3 dollar part?
My sister starts to cave for the sheer ingenuity of Tactic #5. She gives him the toy to look at and then he is allowed to hold onto it. He looks at it, his hugs it, he pets it and shows it to everyone. He has learned to read all the directions. “Look Aunt Ann, it says Speed Racer do you want to play with me and my toy?” I want to tell him that it is just a toy in a package and not a toy we can play with but I get the stink eye from my sister. I tell my sister to give it to him and she says “No- look he is learning so much from this lesson, he even learned to read the package.” Yea, that’s just great, the poor kid has been laying on the sofa for two hours fondling this package and now he can read.” It is not the Rosetta Stone. ”So Donny let’s play word games with your fun unopened toy. What’s happens if you take the “s” off of speed – what does that spell?” Hmmm, he looks and looks and finally I have to cover over the “s” with my finger. “Hah-you said peed -peed racer, that is so funny”. ”Now we are having fun with your unopened toy aren’t we Donny and your mother will be so proud that you learned a new word.” He couldn’t wait to run and show his mom. I couldn’t wait to get the stink eye from her. She was thrilled as you can well imagine. ” What?” I say to her with a confused and questioning glance “We are learning reading games and how to make new words from old words-I thought you would be happy, what a great idea to just play with the package, it is so much fun”. For the rest of the day Donny recited his new found word game with any and everyone that he met including all the people who came by our lemonade stand. He also told everyone, and I swear I had nothing to do with this and think it may have been Tactic #6, that he couldn’t open his present because it was too expensive and he could only play with the unopened box until next month on his birthday because it was too expensive. He said it was over 3 dollars and his mom said he could only play with the box and then he showed them the unopened toy. Tactic #6 is shame, guilt and public embarrassment. This tactic does not work on my sister, just a note to myself on this, as Donny is still holding onto his unopened toy.
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Personally, I would have given in on the way home from the store but then look at my kids. “I do” said my sister “they are my inspiration and that is why I do everything opposiste of what you did raising your kids, just hoping for better results in the end”. Hey I think she is trying to get back at me for the peed racer thing!
Faux Farm Girl
annie