Monday, June 27, 2005
the man who has everything
He'll be two soon and the imperative is there, he's my grandson, I have to (indeed want to) buy him a birthday gift.
Unfortunately, in common with most of the privileged children I know, he is already 'the man who has everything' and if he doesn't have it personally, then either of his two sisters undoubtedly does.
My kids were pretty 'spoiled' for toys too. It's kind of difficult not to 'spoil' them in our society. Even if you start out with clear convictions not to encourage them to become mindless consumers, somewhere between their grandparents, aunts and uncles, hand-me-downs from older family members and all those birthdays and Christmases, they end up with too damn many toys.
My grandson's home is so full of toys there's often not room to sit down and you know whatever you buy it's likely to be the second, third or even sixth of its kind languishing in a corner of one of the packed toy boxes. So I ask mum, I mean he's two, how many more toys can he use, and she suggests a collapsible arrangement of tent/tunnel/cube things- he likes to play hidings. Okay I think, at least it's not branded Barby or Power Ranger and it encourages creative play - I can live with that (unnecessary addition though it is to the stockpile).
In fairly short time I find something on the K-Mart website from their current catalogue - which must be where mum saw it because it answers the description exactly - tent linked to cube by a tunnel...ahha! that was easy. Of course the one store in Darwin has sold out. I try the store nearest to where they live - they've sold out as well. I attempt to find a customer service phone number -nowhere to be found on the website. I ring another store in NSW and ask if there is a central office I can ring. I finally get a 1800 number, only to be told customer service closes at 4pm and can I ring tomorrow. It's looking horribly like I'm not gonna be able to find that fantastic adventure play cubby.
In the meantime, a like-minded friend has berated me with the waste and political incorrectness of buying excess toys for children and told me about a book they had when they were kids that suggested one thousand and one things to do when you're bored.
Hmmm....perhaps if I got him the book and a blanket to throw over the table - do you think that would work in today's world?
Unfortunately, in common with most of the privileged children I know, he is already 'the man who has everything' and if he doesn't have it personally, then either of his two sisters undoubtedly does.
My kids were pretty 'spoiled' for toys too. It's kind of difficult not to 'spoil' them in our society. Even if you start out with clear convictions not to encourage them to become mindless consumers, somewhere between their grandparents, aunts and uncles, hand-me-downs from older family members and all those birthdays and Christmases, they end up with too damn many toys.
My grandson's home is so full of toys there's often not room to sit down and you know whatever you buy it's likely to be the second, third or even sixth of its kind languishing in a corner of one of the packed toy boxes. So I ask mum, I mean he's two, how many more toys can he use, and she suggests a collapsible arrangement of tent/tunnel/cube things- he likes to play hidings. Okay I think, at least it's not branded Barby or Power Ranger and it encourages creative play - I can live with that (unnecessary addition though it is to the stockpile).
In fairly short time I find something on the K-Mart website from their current catalogue - which must be where mum saw it because it answers the description exactly - tent linked to cube by a tunnel...ahha! that was easy. Of course the one store in Darwin has sold out. I try the store nearest to where they live - they've sold out as well. I attempt to find a customer service phone number -nowhere to be found on the website. I ring another store in NSW and ask if there is a central office I can ring. I finally get a 1800 number, only to be told customer service closes at 4pm and can I ring tomorrow. It's looking horribly like I'm not gonna be able to find that fantastic adventure play cubby.
In the meantime, a like-minded friend has berated me with the waste and political incorrectness of buying excess toys for children and told me about a book they had when they were kids that suggested one thousand and one things to do when you're bored.
Hmmm....perhaps if I got him the book and a blanket to throw over the table - do you think that would work in today's world?
Comments:
I must agree with Nicholas. We have borrowed the cube-tent from another family member ("we" being two blonde boys that have WAY too many toys themselves!) and Sam and Jo loved it. Mother Beware!, though...it is so stinkin' big and can be a pain to leave up!
You will assuredly be "Grammy of the Year"!
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You will assuredly be "Grammy of the Year"!
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: 9:07 pm
: 9:07 pm