What the...???

[agilebrit]

You have got to be shitting me.

"By bombarding them with advertisements ... you are placing parents like me in the unenviable position of having to tell our children that we can't afford the toys you promote."

How is this any damn different than what my parents did? Sorry, kid, you're not getting that this year, because we need to, I don't know, PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE, A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD, AND CLOTHES ON YOUR BACK. What happened to actual PARENTING???

"I had one parent who said she'd prostitute herself to get what her child wants."

WHAT.

Have parents become so emasculated and kids so spoiled frakking rotten that the simple prospect of saying "no" terrifies us beyond all reason?

"My son doesn't understand. Everything he sees, he wants."

And that's why YOU'RE THE PARENT.

"Toy companies advertise to children because it works, to be brutally honest."

Clearly. Because parents don't want to deny their widdle pweciouses any-damn-thing, and they've been ENABLING tantrums for YEARS by buying them whatever their little hearts desire on the basis of a trembling lip and incipient screams.

Good freaking GOD, people. GROW A PAIR.

Comments

[appomattoxco.livejournal.com]

I can understand wanting your kids to have stuff for Chrismas. Even when I believed in Santa I was told they didn't have everything at the North Pole. And my mother was a shopaholic. I mean small children could be lost under the tree for a month among the gifts. But it wasn't about getting exactly what you wanted but she wanted to buy LOL. Not exactly the Christmas spirit either I guess.

I remember my list went like- a baby doll, or a bike. Now some of the neices it's got to be brand whatever in just the right color.

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

Sure, you want your kids to be happy at Christmas. Da Boy is definitely going to get some things this year that will make him squee with joy. This still doesn't obviate your role as a parent or the occasional need to say "no, you can't have that ridiculously expensive thing that you'll break the second you lay hands on it."

And maybe if these kids wouldn't stay parked in front of a television on Saturday mornings, they wouldn't be having these issues. Da Boy doesn't watch Saturday TV, and there are several very good reasons for this.

[kensieg.livejournal.com]

These people shouldn't have kids because they obviously don't know to to raise children.

Even if you have all the money in the world, you shouldn't get everything you ask for. Children must learn limits and thrift as children or they will be incompetent adults.

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

YES. THIS.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

"My son doesn't understand. Everything he sees, he wants."

And that's why YOU'RE THE PARENT.

Amen to that.

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

I mean, the kid in question is FOUR. Of course he's going to want everything he sees. Boundaries, anyone? GAH.

Da Boy is now seven, and he knows that, on occasion, I will buy him something. Anything else? He needs to save his allowance and buy it himself.

[trkkergrl.livejournal.com]

I agree with you. I don't know what in the world is going to happen with this next generation coming up behind us. They don't want to accept NO for an answer. And my favorite thing, the most popular saying that I have heard whined everywhere.."IM BOREDDDDD!" Now, an adult, I can honestly see that being said. But a child, they have tons of stuff to play with, read, watch, doing this, doing that, yet "IM BORED" WTF? Like I told Jennifer when she said it, "Do the dishes, laundry, whatever...there is no reason in this house to ever be bored. Even if it's spotless, there is something to be done"

Eh, I went totally off. =\ Touchy subject, I guess. I just can't believe what is going on. One guy says by Christmas 2012, we'll be more worried about putting food on the table then presents. I think that's starting this year. =(

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

The entitlement mentality is going to kill us. *nods*

[appomattoxco.livejournal.com]

Oh lord. We NEVER EVER told our dad we were bored. Unless we wanted to work. Funny thing is sometimes we did. I posted on my LJ about boredom. We throw a kid in a room full of toys and don't play with them or we tell kids to do a chore without working with them. My dad still remembers doing the dishes with an older cousin who was home from the navy. The guy taught him the right way to wash a fork on christmas 60 years ago! Give a kid happy undivided attention for a short while and it's the best thing in the world.

[kensieg.livejournal.com]

you betcha!

[pensive]

PREACH!@@!!!

[gates-end.livejournal.com]

Exactly!

I know someone with a five year old and a six year old that want their own phones and ipods! The most expensive ones of course. What happened to baby dolls and toy trucks?!

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

My seven-year-old doesn't even know what an iPod is. *boggles*

Of course, he doesn't spend 24 hours a day in front of the TV, either.

[missambs.livejournal.com]

This is incredibly disturbing to read. I agree with everything you just said.

[legendarytobes.livejournal.com]

That's super pathetic. My parents just said no.

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

It's like they want the advertisers to do their job for them. No. The advertiser's job is to sell shit. The parents' job is to say "you can't have that shit." If the parents couldn't handle having to say "no" on occasion, they should have gotten a goldfish rather than having children.

[bojojoti.livejournal.com]

I loved our two unabashedly, but we had massive medical bills when they were small. When they would ask for something out of our reach, we were honest and told them we didn't have the money to buy it, but we would try to buy them something we could afford that they would like. I could explain that if I got a job, we could buy more, but I wouldn't be around to take them places, play games, or spend time with them. Kids would rather have a parent around than expensive junk.

Can you imagine a child thinking fondly about his childhood and the iPod he got for Christmas that his mother prostituted herself for? Warm fuzzies there.

[crayonbreakygal.livejournal.com]

I will only buy stuff that we can afford. I tell my kids how it was when I was young, especially when I was in high school and we were on food stamps, the whole bit. I don't think they totally understand, but I do think they think about what they're asking for at Christmas. Sometimes I do overindulge, but I also know how to say NO when needed. With teenagers, that is difficult. He's learning right now how to manage his money (allowance and babysitting money) and it's hard. He's actually doing OK with it though. He doesn't tend to overspend and ask for anything else. I know many, many parents that do give their kids whatever they want. Those are the kids my kids tend to avoid like the plague.

[palmaceae.livejournal.com]

"If children are not aware of what is new and available, how will they be able to tell their families what their preferences are?"
HHAHHAHAHAHHAA LOL WHAT THEIR PREFERENCES ARE.

because "mommy, i want a doll and some legos" isn't good enough anymore. it needs to be NEW AND CUTTING EDGE!!

what wussy parents. nobody ever bought me everything i wanted, my mother instilled the value of money in me very young. IF we could afford it and i was very good, then yes, but not this entitlement to expensive toys.

Hey agilebrit....

[turkchief.livejournal.com]

+1!!!!....TC

Re: Hey agilebrit....

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

Only +1? Clearly, I'm slipping. More capslock next time? ;)

Re: Hey agilebrit....

[turkchief.livejournal.com]

No ma'am, you did get 4 exclaimation points after all...(grin)....TC

Re: Hey agilebrit....

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

*grins back* Well, I'll take it. :)

[mlknchz.livejournal.com]

Parents need to realize that telling their kids "no" is a great gift to them; it teaches them the value of things.

[crystalra1ndr0p.livejournal.com]

That is PATHETIC. Especially the prostitution thing- OMG. Kids usually don't play with anything that long anyway. Way to teach your kid morals and how you have to earn the ability to get things.

"Toy companies advertise to children because it works, to be brutally honest."


They need to change "Children" to "parents/people who want to show off and make their kids into whiny bitches that can't handle rejection."

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

Seriously, half the time my kid has more fun with the box the toy came in than the toy itself...