Friday, January 06, 2006
Play Things
I never had toys. My mother never bought them for me, and I don't remember really missing them. I got a thing or two for my birthday from other people, but that's as far as it got.
My husband and I, as we tripped over close to three rooms of toys, wondered what had changed? Are our kids spoiled? How come we can't stop getting them stuff? They're into trains, so they have enough railing and cars to cover the Louisiana Purchase. They like puzzles, so the pieces are everywhere, me always hoping to find that lost piece, knowing that it's a lost cause.
We were starting to feel like crap about it, but realized it's not just them. It's all the kids we know.
I grew up in Brooklyn, neither in a rich neighborhood, nor in a slum. But I can't remember anyone having tons of toys.
So what is it about now? Why have toys ceased to be an accessory and become a right? This afternoon I figured it out...
Ready?
It's China, Indonesia, Taiwan. Thirty years ago, a toy cost money. It lasted longer, true as well, but it was a treat. "The man" has convinced us that quantity is the American dream, and they've made it cheap enough so that we feel okay about chasing our tails to get it.
It's brilliant, really, when you think about it. Get them hooked and they'll keep spending in perpetuity. I wish I could say that we had taken some kind of vow to stop it.
Unfortunately, awareness is only a small part of the battle and immediate gratification addictive.
My husband and I, as we tripped over close to three rooms of toys, wondered what had changed? Are our kids spoiled? How come we can't stop getting them stuff? They're into trains, so they have enough railing and cars to cover the Louisiana Purchase. They like puzzles, so the pieces are everywhere, me always hoping to find that lost piece, knowing that it's a lost cause.
We were starting to feel like crap about it, but realized it's not just them. It's all the kids we know.
I grew up in Brooklyn, neither in a rich neighborhood, nor in a slum. But I can't remember anyone having tons of toys.
So what is it about now? Why have toys ceased to be an accessory and become a right? This afternoon I figured it out...
Ready?
It's China, Indonesia, Taiwan. Thirty years ago, a toy cost money. It lasted longer, true as well, but it was a treat. "The man" has convinced us that quantity is the American dream, and they've made it cheap enough so that we feel okay about chasing our tails to get it.
It's brilliant, really, when you think about it. Get them hooked and they'll keep spending in perpetuity. I wish I could say that we had taken some kind of vow to stop it.
Unfortunately, awareness is only a small part of the battle and immediate gratification addictive.
