Build-a-Bear? F-That!
February 28, 2008 | by Jennifer Gniadecki | Filed Under Parenting, The Everything Basket
Disclaimer: I’m no frugal living coach and never will be. I’ll happily leave Kristine McKinley, (CFP & CPA no less) to rock out and own the title of Frugal Living Expert!
I’m just a mom that had my three year old come in and tell me yesterday:
“Mommy”
“Yes?”
“I want build a bear”
“What?”
“Leap year special is free T-Shirt”
“Free T-shirt?”
“Please can we build bears and have T-Shirts?”
First off, I was almost sucked in with “build bears and have T-shirts” - the way she said it made me think unicorns and cotton candy would be next. The sound of hope and promise in her voice was just beautiful to hear.
But, I’m a mom, with two kids, that have about 100 stuffed animals. I said no.
Five minutes later my two year old comes running into the office with her sister hot on her heels and the baby looks at me and yells at the top of her lungs:
“Diego toy! Diego Toy! Play!”
My three year old pipes up and explains in this really fast, excited voice “We can have Deigo toys *right here* mommy, they’re not just in the TV they can be here and we can get them!”
That is the moment I decided we’re getting rid of cable television.
Yes, I know that bunny years won’t work much longer. I don’t care.
As it is, when my kids get riled I try and picture what the pioneers who came across the prairies of Illinois in their covered wagons. (Assuming it was all Laura Ingalls style, of course.) They didn’t have television, they didn’t have all these crappy stuffed animals and the hundreds of toys that my daughters do. What they did was work, as far as I can tell, and play in the expansive acres-big yard.
What the heck did people do with kids back in the day?
Okay…I’m going off on a million different roads and losing my point, which is:
I am not okay with my children becoming consumers. Not at 2 and 3. They will see more than enough advertising in a lifetime, I don’t need to be shoving it down their throats in the middle of an episode of Arthur (even PBS pushes Chick-Fil-A and McDonalds donchaknow!)
So we’re getting rid of cable.
I think we may end up purchasing a few DVDs and subscribing to Netflix. I’ll start looking online for sites that offer children’s programming.
The $80/mo we save from ditching cable can allow us to save that money and buy one of the kids a laptop for Christmas. I mean, if that’s not incentive I don’t know what is.
Actually…we could buy both the kids laptops. Maybe those XO Buy one Give one laptops so not only will my kids get one, but some poor underprivelidged kid in Peru or Nairobi can have one as well.
So yeah, getting rid of cable will allow me to buy FOUR laptops, support a children’s charity, and feel a hell of a lot better about what my kids are doing during the hours I’m not directly interacting with them.
Yes this will mean a transition, and I know it will mean I have to spend more time with my children so they don’t bounce off the walls (literally…they’re jumpers, my friends.) But what’s a few hours taking care of the kids? I mean, that is what I signed up for when I had them isn’t it? Just because there isn’t a written contract, doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be taking more responsibility for my small army of carefully trained Jens™.
Technorati Tags: frugal-living, cable-tv, no-television, better-parenting
photo credit: miss_rogue
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8 Responses to “Build-a-Bear? F-That!”
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We’ve been reading the Laura Ingalls series, we’re up to the third book now, and I LOVE these. I channel Caroline Ingalls pretty regularly… and I will pull a “you know, Laura and Mary only got a piece of candy once or twice a YEAR and were grateful for a new CUP people!”
LOL
They worked, played outside, did paper dolls, got bored, played with the animals, babysat younger sibs, read, listened to Pa play the fiddle, helped ma cook, learned needlepoint.
Carrie at Natural Moms Talk Radio’s last blog post..WFMW: Homemade Hot Cocoa
Oh no! I hope that doesn’t mean I have to teach my kids how to needlepoint - my great-grandmother tried to teach me when I was young and it was a disaster! Wooden hoops and thimbles and punctured fingers…oh the trauma LOL
I cannot wait until my kids can read well enough to start on the filing. I don’t know if that’s safe to say online with the child labor laws being what they are. So..um..I’m only kidding about that - yeah - that’s it.
Thanks for the update on what they did in Laura-Ingalls-Land. I wish my kids were old enough to use examples like a new cup with…that will be so fun! (When you say things like that do you keep a straight face? I think it would be difficult.)
thanks for you thoughts on our easter graphic.
i enjoy your blog posts.
Good for you! It’s good to start early with the consumerism-awareness training.
Only 100 stuffed animals? You’re good! People forget that cable is not a necessity.
It’s scary how much we spend on tv, cell phones, internet, and other electronics. No wonder the country is in debt.
treece’s last blog post..eBay Basics: How Kids Can Sell on eBay
Jenny, loved this post, as you can see in my similar Build A Bear rant last year called, “Can Somethin’ Be Done About All this Consumption?” on our Shaping Youth blog where we cover media & marketing’s impact on kids. http://www.shapingyouth.org/blog/?p=293
I mean, c’mon, does a stuffed bear need a cellphone, an ipod, and a ‘pawsport’ to travel? Just think of the global kids who would yearn for even a plain ol’ cuddly critter…I embedded a bunch of orgs and links that export fuzzy wuzzies to needy kids instead. Thanks for the smile.
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AMEN SISTER!!!!
I’m constantly telling not only my kids, but my husband as well that when I was my children’s age I was lucky to have the ONE Barbie that I had, and that my idea of a good time was the Library and Museum!!! I rode my Bike (the same one for twelve years) to the park if I was bored. I was not given all the crud that these kids get now, but I did have everything I needed. Kids have a sense of entitlement now that is ridiculous. They don’t need the newest video game or playdoh set, they can live with what they have.
I salute you!